Job 5:14 — Word Study
WLCיוֹמָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃
BSAThey encounterpâgash▸ [meet with, come into contact with] darknesschôshek [spiritual or physical gloom, misery] by dayyôwmâm [in the daytime, daily] and gropemâshash▸ [feel, search blindly] at noontsôhar [midday, when the sun is highest] as in the nightlayil [a time of adversity, hardship, or uncertainty]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יוֹמָ֥ם | by day | Adverb |
| יְפַגְּשׁוּ־ | they meet | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| חֹ֑שֶׁךְ | darkness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה | and like night | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ | they grope | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃ | at noon | Preposition, noun common masculine dual absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night. |
| KJV | They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. |
| ASV | They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night. |
| YLT | By day they meet darkness, And as night — they grope at noon. |
| WEB | They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night. |
| BBE | In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night. |
Where they part company is יוֹמָ֥ם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause with two actions described, emphasizing the contrast between day and night.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbפָּגַשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 5:14
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 — The Fate of the Wise and the Needygenerated
Job 5:14 reflects on the paradox of experiencing darkness during the day, highlighting the struggles that can occur even when circumstances seem favorable. This verse is part of a larger discussion about how God interacts with the wise and the needy, emphasizing that appearances can be deceiving and that true understanding comes from divine insight.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 12:25 | They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 28:29 | and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to save you. |
| 3 | Proverbs 4:19 | But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. |
| 4 | Isaiah 59:10 | Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead. |
| 5 | Amos 8:9 | And in that day, declares the Lord GOD, I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the daytime. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יוֹמָ֥ם, yo.Mamgenerated
The word יוֹמָם (yowmam) is an adverb meaning 'by day' or 'daily'. It emphasizes actions or events occurring during daylight hours, contrasting with nighttime. The term is derived from יוֹם (yom), which means 'day'.
In this verse, it underscores the irony of encountering darkness even in the daytime, suggesting a deeper spiritual or emotional struggle.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the meaning of יוֹמָ֥ם, with slight variations in phrasing.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main verbs: יְפַגְּשׁוּ (they meet) and יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ (they grope), which govern the actions described. The structure emphasizes the contrast between the expected light of day and the darkness encountered.
The verbs are supported by phrases that describe what is being encountered and the conditions under which the actions occur, creating a vivid picture of confusion and despair.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יוֹמָ֥ם as ἡμέρας, meaning 'day', which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew text, maintaining the sense of daytime.
The Greek word חֹשֶׁךְ is rendered as σκότος, which similarly conveys the concept of darkness, reinforcing the theme of encountering despair.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 5:14 describes how people can experience darkness even during the day, feeling their way at noon as if it were night. This reflects the struggles and uncertainties that can occur in life, even when circumstances seem bright.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests experiencing confusion, despair, or trouble even when one would expect clarity or brightness.
Day typically symbolizes clarity and hope, while night can represent confusion and hardship, highlighting the unexpected nature of suffering.
It illustrates the theme of human suffering and the complexities of divine justice, emphasizing that appearances can be deceptive.
It serves as a metaphor for searching for understanding or guidance in times of difficulty, even when one might expect to see clearly.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I encountered darkness during times that should have been bright?
- How can I seek clarity in my life when I feel lost or confused?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of suffering and hope?
- How can I support others who are groping in their own 'noon' of darkness?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reflect on this verse's implications for understanding human suffering and divine justice, offering interpretations from both literal and moral perspectives.
Look! This is what God does, so the weak may hope for happiness and the powerful may not become proud. In fact, he said above,Early Church Fathers on Job 5 →
LITERAL INTERPRETATION. They shall meet with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noonday as in the night. They 'meet with darkness in the day-time,' for in the very presence of Truth,Early Church Fathers on Job 5 →
MORAL INTERPRETATION. They meet with darkness in the day time. And grope in the noonday as in the night. It is good to run through these points in a moral sense, putting aside the signification of the Jewish people,Early Church Fathers on Job 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 5:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey meet with darkness in the daytime,.... Which may denote their infatuation in things the most plain and clear, and which are obvious to everyone's view, even to such as are of much meaner
Read John Gill on Job 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. They meet. Judicial blindness often is sent upon keen men of the world (Deuteronomy 28:29).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. In plain things they run into gross mistakes and errors, and commonly choose those counsels and courses which are worst for themselves. Darkness oft notes misery, but here ignorance or error, as it is also used 37:19, and elsewhere. Grope, like blind men to find their way, not knowing what to do.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.Ver. 14. They meet with darkness in the daytime] They are infatuated and besotted; a spirit of giddiness seizeth them; ita ut in re clarissima destituantur prudentia, saith Vatablus, so that they cannot discern things that are evident and clear as the sun at noon day; they have light without, but want light within; they lack discretion and judgment to do for the best: this was threatened, Deuteronomy 28:29, and accordingly fulfilled upon those blind Pharisees, as our Saviour often calleth them, and now upon that whole nation, Romans 11:18 2 Corinthians 3:14. Since they crucified the Lord of glory, they…
Read John Trapp on Job 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Darkness in the daytime.—This is possibly an allusion to the Egyptian plague of darkness “that may be felt” (Exodus 10:21), as the words used are similar. This may be a note of probable date. (Compare Isaiah 59:10, where the thoughts correspond, but the words differ.) This is one of the many passages of Job in which there seems to be an indication of some acquaintance with the events related in the Pentateuch, though the points of contact are too slight for us to be quite sure of it.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. They meet with darkness in the daytime] God confounds them and their measures; and, with all their cunning and dexterity, they are outwitted, and often act on their own projects, planned with care and skill, as if they had been the crudest conceptions of the most disordered minds. They act in noonday as if the sun were extinct, and their eyes put out. Thus does God "abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices."
Read AdamClarke on Job 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. A picture of the perplexity and bewilderment of those crafty men whose counsels God has come athwart, Job 5:13.
Read Cambridge on Job 5 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey meet with darkness in the day-time - Margin, “run into;” compare the notes at Isaiah 59:10.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 5 →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
They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.
They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope about in the noontime as if it were night.
Tyndale line
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noon-day as in the night.
They meete with darkenesse in the day time, and grope at noone day, as in the night.
Strictly literal
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at midday as in the night.
By day they meet darkness, And as night — they grope at noon.
By day they meet darkness, || And as night—they grope at noon.
By day they meet with darkness, and as though it were night they grope about in the noon of day;
They encounter darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as if it were night.
From the Latin
They shall meet with darkness in the day, and grope at noonday as in the night.
Simplified
In the daytime they're in the dark, and they stumble around at noon like it's night.
In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.
Word by word, the decisions they made
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 largely agree in their wording, with five out of six words matched. This consistency underscores the preservation of the verse's meaning across different traditions.
יוֹמָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃
5 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 5:14
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.
יוֹמָם (yowmam) refers to the concept of daytime or the period of light in a day. It functions both as a noun meaning 'daytime' and as an adverb meaning 'by day.' The word is derived from יוֹם (yom), which means 'day.'
יוֹמָם 51 subst. and adv. daytime, by day
base
H3119 יוֹמָם subst. and adv. daytime, by day
3119 yowmam yo-mawm'
from 3117; daily:--daily, (by, in the) day(-time).
see HEBREW for 03117
יוֹמָם (yo.mam) — by day.
adv
1) by day, in the daytime
subst
2) daytime
Adv — AdverbHD
da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:
(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see
Day
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…
The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…
The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.
פָּגַשׁ (pagash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to meet or encounter. It can describe various forms of meeting, whether by chance or intention, and includes nuances of coming together or joining. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical forms, such as Qal (to meet) and Niphal (to meet each other).
[פָּגַשׁ] vb. meet, encounter
Qal meet
Niph. meet together, each other
Pi. intens. they keep encountering darkness in the daytime.
base
H6298 [פָּגַשׁ] meet, encounter
6298 pagash paw-gash'
a primitive root; to come in contact with, whether by
accident or violence; figuratively, to concur:--meet (with,
together).
פָּגַשׁ (pa.gash) — to meet.
1) to meet, join, encounter
1a) (Qal) to meet, encounter
1b) (Niphal) to meet together, meet each other
1c) (Piel) to meet, encounter
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
met, adjective (yashar; axios): Various words are employed to express meetness, the sense of what is proper, worthy, or fit. We have yashar, "straight," "upright," "right" (2Ki 10:3, "meetest"; Jer 26:14, the Revised Version (British and American) "right"); yashar (Jer 27:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "right"); yosher (Pr 11:24, the Revised Version margin "what is justly due"); 'arikh, Aramaic "meet" (Ezr 4:14); bene, "sons of" (De 3:18, the King James Version "meet for the war," margin "Hebrew sons of power," the Revised Version (British and…
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (choshek) refers to darkness or obscurity, both in a literal sense and in various figurative contexts such as distress, ignorance, and evil. It can also denote secret or hiding places. The word is built from a root meaning 'dark' and encompasses a range of meanings related to judgment and confusion.
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ n.m. darkness, obscurity
darkness (opp. אוֹר)
= secret place(s); = hiding-place
fig.
= distress
= dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
= mourning
= perplexity; confusion
= ignorance
= evil, sin
= obscurity
base
H2822 חֹ֫שֶׁךְ darkness, obscurity . darkness (opp. אוֹר)
. = secret place(s); = hiding-place
. fig. . = distress
. = dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
. = mourning
. = perplexity; confusion
. = ignorance
. = evil, sin
. = obscurity
2822 choshek kho-shek'
from 2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness;
figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow,
wickedness:--dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
see HEBREW for 02821
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) — darkness.
1) darkness, obscurity
1a) darkness
1b) secret place
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Darkness
The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).
When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (
The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,
לַ֫יְלָה (layil) means 'night' and is derived from a root that suggests a twist away from light. It encompasses the literal sense of night as opposed to day, as well as figurative uses related to gloom or adversity. The term appears in contexts like Isaiah 21:11.
לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל 242 n.m. night
base
H3915 לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל night
3915 layil lah'-yil
or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from
the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e.
night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).
see HEBREW for 03883
לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) — night.
1) night
1a) night (as opposed to day)
1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncmsa
nit.
See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.
1. In the Old Testament:
Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…
[DAY]
The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.
The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in
The Hebrew word מָשַׁשׁ (*mashash*) is a primitive root meaning to feel or grope. It covers actions like searching or feeling through something, with different forms indicating various nuances of touching or exploring. The entries reference its use in contexts such as feeling for someone or searching in darkness.
[מָשַׁשׁ] vb. feel, grope
Qal perhaps my father will feel me; and he felt of him
Pi. feel over or through, grope
Hiph. that one may feel (the) darkness
base
H4959 מָשַׁשׁ feel, grope
4959 mashash maw-shash'
a primitive root; to feel of; by implication, to
grope:--feel, grope, search.
מָשַׁשׁ (ma.shash) — to feel.
1) to feel, grope
1a) (Qal) to feel, grope
1b) (Piel) to feel over or through, grope
1b1) to feel through
1b2) to grope
1c)(Hiphil) to feel
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
The Hebrew word צֹ֫הַר (tsohar) primarily means 'midday' or 'noon,' referring to a specific time of day. It also has a secondary meaning related to 'roof,' though this interpretation is uncertain. The entries indicate that it is derived from a root meaning 'light,' suggesting a connection to brightness.
ref
H6672a צֹ֫הַר only pl., midday, noon H6672b צֹ֫הַר prob. roof
6672 tsohar tso'-har
from 6671; a light (i.e. window): dual double light, i.e.
noon:--midday, noon(-day, -tide), window.
see HEBREW for 06671
צֹ֫הַר (tso.har) — midday.
1) noon, midday
1a) noon (as specific time of day)
1b) noon (in simile as bright of happiness, blessing)
צֹ֫הַר (tso.har) — roof.
2) roof
2a) meaning uncertain
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine dual absoluteHRd/Ncmda