Job 41:6 — Word Study
WLCיִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
BSAdoordeleth facepânîym who?mîy to openpâthach aroundçâbîyb toothshên terrorʼêymâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יִכְר֣וּ | will they bargain? | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| עָ֭לָיו | on it | Preposition, suffix |
| חַבָּרִ֑ים | partners | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ | will they divide? it | Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| בֵּ֣ין | between | |
| כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃ | merchants | Noun gentilic, masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants? |
| KJV | Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? |
| ASV | Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants? |
| YLT | (Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!) |
| WEB | Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants? |
| BBE | Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders? |
Where they part company is in the rendering of יִכְר֣וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause with a question about trading, followed by phrases that specify the context and participants involved.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמִי
verbדֶּלֶת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 41:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Discourse on the Creaturegenerated
Job 41:6 is part of a passage where Job reflects on the nature of a powerful creature, questioning humanity's ability to engage with it in trade or division. This verse emphasizes the creature's uniqueness and the futility of trying to control or commodify it, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of creation's majesty and mystery.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 14:11 | And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִכְר֣וּ, yikh.Rugenerated
The verb יִכְר֣וּ (yikh.Ru) is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing or future action, specifically in the third person masculine plural. It translates to 'will they bargain?' and carries the connotation of trading or negotiating, often in a context of feasting or banqueting, suggesting a social or economic interaction.
This word is derived from the root כָּרָה (karah), which relates to trade and the preparation of feasts. The parsing indicates that it is a verb in the Qal stem, commonly used for simple actions, which reinforces the straightforwardness of the inquiry about trading.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the word barter.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִכְר֣וּ (yikh.Ru) governs the main clause, indicating the action of bargaining. The structure includes a prepositional phrase עָ֭לָיו ('A.lav), which specifies the subject of the action, and a second clause that introduces the partners involved in the trade.
The sentence structure emphasizes the action of the verb, with the subject חַבָּרִ֑ים (cha.ba.Rim) following the verb, and the object יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ (ye.che.Tzu.hu) indicating what is being divided.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִכְר֣וּ as πύλας (pylas), which can mean 'gates' or 'entrances'. This choice may suggest a metaphorical interpretation, indicating barriers or thresholds rather than a direct trade, highlighting the creature's formidable nature.
This translation choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Hebrew text, suggesting that the creature is not easily accessible for trade or division.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:6 asks whether traders will try to barter for the creature or divide it among merchants. This highlights the creature's power and the futility of human attempts to control it.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To barter means to trade or negotiate for something, often implying a social or economic exchange.
The description emphasizes the creature's power and uniqueness, suggesting it is beyond human control.
Merchants represent those who engage in trade, highlighting the futility of trying to commodify something as powerful as the creature.
This verse reflects the broader themes of power, control, and the limitations of humanity in the face of divine creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach about the limits of human control over nature?
- In what ways do we try to 'barter' or negotiate with the challenges we face in life?
- How can recognizing the power of creation change our perspective on our own struggles?
- What does this verse reveal about the relationship between humanity and the divine?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleShall thy companions make a banquet of him?.... The fishermen that join together in catching fish, shall they make a feast for joy at taking the leviathan?
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryShall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? Companions - rather, partners (namely, in fishing). Make a banquet.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThy companions; thy friends or assistants in the taking of him. Make a banquet of him, i.e. feed upon him. Or, for him, i.e. for joy that thou hast taken him. Shall they part him among the merchants? as is usual in such cases, that all who are partners in the labour amid hazard may partake of the profit also, and divide the spoil.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?Ver. 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him?] The Cetarii, whale fishers, who usually go out in companies. It was anciently held impossible, and is still perilous, to take the whale and make a banquet of him; as the tongue and some other parts of the whale are good meat. Or, Make a banquet for him; shall they feast those merchants they mean to sell him to, that they may get the better price for him? Shall they part him among the merchants?] Who might sell him out for sundry uses. See Job 41:1.
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Shall the companions make a banquet of him?—Or, Shall the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? or, dig a pit for him?—the former suiting the parallelism better.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 41 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. Shall thy companions make a banquet] Canst thou and thy friends feast on him as ye were wont to do on a camel sacrificed for this purpose? Or, canst thou dispose of his flesh to the merchants - to buyers, as thou wouldst do that of a camel or an ox? It is certain, according to Herodotus, lib. ii. c. 70, that they killed and ate crocodiles at Apollonople and Elephantis, in Egypt.
Read AdamClarke on Job 41 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. The first clause reads, Will the partners bargain over him? This sense is sustained by the second clause; comp. ch. Job 6:27. By “the partners” is meant the company of fishermen; comp. Luke 5:7; Luke 5:10. the merchants] lit. the Canaanites. The Phoenicians were the great merchants of antiquity; comp. Isaiah 23:8; Zechariah 14:21; Proverbs 31:24.
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleShall thy companions make a banquet of him? - This is one of the “vexed passages” about which there has been much difference of opinion. Gesenius renders it, “Do the companions (“i.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
Will partners bargain for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Tyndale line
Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?
Shall the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants.
The maiestie of his scales is like strog shields, and are sure sealed.
Strictly literal
Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants?
(Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!)
(Companions feast on him, || They divide him among the merchants!)
(40:30) Can companions waylay him? can they divide him among merchants?
Will the groups of fishermen bargain for him? Will they divide him up to trade among the merchants?
From the Latin
His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another.
Simplified
Will your trading partners decide on a price for him, and divide him up among the merchants?
Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of Job 41:6, with all six words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the text's meaning across these ancient witnesses.
יִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 41:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כָּרָה (karah) has meanings related to trade and feasting. It can denote getting something by trade or preparing a feast, with the verb form appearing in contexts of bargaining and celebration. Notably, it is referenced in 2 Kings 6:23. The entries suggest a connection to planning and purchasing, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[כָּרָה] vb. get by trade, trade
base
[כָּרָה] vb. give a feast;—only Qal 2 K 6:23
ref
H3739a כָּרָה get by trade, trade H3739b כָּרָה give a feast
3739 karah kaw-raw'
usually assigned as a primitive root, but probably only a
special application of 3738 (through the common idea of
planning implied in a bargain); to purchase:--buy, prepare.
see HEBREW for 03738
כָּרָה (ka.rah) — to trade.
(Qal) to get by trade, trade, buy, bargain over
כָּרָה (ka.rah) — to feed.
(Qal) to give a feast, banquet
HVqi3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3ms
[חַבָּר] n.m. associate, partner in a trade or calling, only Jb 40:30
ref
H2271 חַבָּר
2271 chabbar khab-bawr'
from 2266; a partner:--companion.
see HEBREW for 02266
חַבָּר (chab.bar) — associate.
associate, partner (in trade)
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
חָצָה (chatsah) means to divide or cut in two. It can refer to halving something or being divided, with usages in both the Qal and Niphal forms. The entries indicate that it can also imply living out half of one's life, though specific verse references are not provided.
חָצָה vb. divide
Qal
divide
shall not halve their days, i.e. enjoy even half of the normal number
Niph. be divided
base
H2673 חָצָה divide
2673 chatsah khaw-tsaw'
a primitive root (compare 2086)); to cut or split in two; to
halve:--divide, X live out half, reach to the midst,
participle
see HEBREW for 02086
חָצָה (cha.tsah) — to divide.
1) to divide, cut in two, cut short, live half (of one's life)
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to divide
1a2) to half, cut in two
1b) (Niphal) to be divided
HVqi3mp/Sp3ms — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVqi3mp/Sp3ms
בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.
בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between
always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
base
H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
996 beyn bane
(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,
the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a
distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before
each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,
either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +
from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.
see HEBREW for 0995
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.
: between
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.
: among
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)
HAcmsc — HAcmsc
כְּנַעֲנִי (ken-ah-an-ee) refers to a Canaanite, an inhabitant of Canaan, and also denotes a merchant or trader. It is derived from the root word for Canaan, which can imply a connection to trade, as Canaanites were known for their mercantile activities. The term can also describe a woman from Canaan, first mentioned in Genesis 46:10.
כְּנַעֲנִי adj. et nom.gent.
base
כְּנַעֲנִי n.m. trader, merchant
base
H3669a כְּנַעֲנִי adj. et nom. gent. H3669b כְּנַעֲנִי trader, merchant
3669 Kna`aniy ken-ah-an-ee'
patrial from 3667; a Kenaanite or inhabitant of Kenaan; by
implication, a pedlar (the Canaanites standing for their
neighbors the Ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile
caravans):--Canaanite, merchant, trafficker.
see HEBREW for 03667
כְּנַעֲנִי (ke.na.a.ni) — Canaanite.
Group of ke.na.an (כְּנַ֫עַן "Canaan" H3667A)
§ Canaanite, of Cana "zealous"
adj
descendant or inhabitant of Canaan
כְּנַעֲנִי (ke.na.a.ni) — merchant.
a merchant, trader
Group of ke.na.an (כְּנַ֫עַן "merchant" H3667B)
כְּנַעֲנִי (ke.na.a.ni) — Canaanitess.
Describing a woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;
mother of: Shaul (H7586H)
§ a merchant, trader
HNgmpa — Noun gentilic · masculine plural absoluteHNgmpa