Job 6:2 — Word Study
WLCל֗וּ שָׁק֣וֹל יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל כַּעְשִׂ֑י וְ֝הַוָּתִ֗י בְּֽמֹאזְנַ֥יִם יִשְׂאוּ־ יָֽחַד׃
BSAIf onlylûwʼ [I wish, would that] my griefkaʻaç [vexation, deep sorrow] ◂could be weighedshâqal [measured, assessed] and placednâsâʼ▸ [laid, set] withyachad my calamityhayâh [ruin, disaster] on the scalesmôʼzên [balance, a pair of scales used for weighing, together, in unity]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ל֗וּ | Conjunction | |
| שָׁק֣וֹל | certainly [if] | Verb, Qal, infinitive absolute |
| יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל | it will be weighed | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| כַּעְשִׂ֑י | grief my | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְ֝הַוָּתִ֗י | and destruction my | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בְּֽמֹאזְנַ֥יִם | in [the] balances | Preposition, noun common masculine dual absolute |
| יִשְׂאוּ־ | people will raise | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| יָֽחַד׃ | together | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales. |
| KJV | Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! |
| ASV | Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And all my calamity laid in the balances! |
| YLT | O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together! |
| WEB | “Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! |
| BBE | If only my passion might be measured, and put into the scales against my trouble! |
Where they part company is in the rendering of Job's grief and calamity — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence presents a conditional wish, with the main clause expressing Job's desire and the subsequent phrases elaborating on what he wishes to happen.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁקַל
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 6:2
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 Response to His Friendsgenerated
Job 6:2 shows Job in deep distress, wishing he could quantify his grief and calamity. He feels overwhelmed by his suffering and seeks to express the weight of his pain. This verse is part of a larger dialogue where Job articulates his anguish and the intensity of his situation, as he grapples with the responses of his friends and the silence of God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 4:5 | But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed. |
| 2 | Job 23:2 | “Even today my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כַּעְשִׂי, ka'.Sigenerated
The Hebrew word כַּעַס (ka.as) refers to feelings of vexation and deep sorrow. It conveys a strong emotional response, often related to anger or frustration, and can indicate grief or provocation. The parsing indicates it is a noun in the construct state, suggesting a personal connection to Job's feelings.
Job's use of this word highlights his intense emotional state, where he wishes to weigh his grief as if it were a tangible burden. This reflects the depth of his suffering and his desire for recognition of his pain.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in this verse is יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל, it will be weighed, which is supported by a noun phrase subject כַּעְשִׂי and a prepositional phrase בְּֽמֹאזְנַ֥יִם indicating where this weighing takes place. The structure emphasizes Job's desire to measure his emotional burden.
The sentence's flow indicates a wishful condition introduced by לוּ and leads into the action of weighing, highlighting the contrast between Job's internal struggle and the external reality of his calamity.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew לוּ as εἰ, which retains the conditional sense of wishing or hoping for something. This choice indicates a direct connection to Job's longing for understanding and acknowledgment of his suffering.
The Greek word ἱστῶν corresponds to the Hebrew יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל, suggesting a similar action of weighing, but may imply a broader context of judgment or evaluation in the Greek understanding.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 6:2 expresses Job's wish that his grief could be weighed alongside his calamity. He feels overwhelmed by his suffering and longs for someone to understand the depth of his pain. This verse captures the essence of Job's emotional turmoil as he seeks validation for his struggles.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job desires to quantify his emotional pain, hoping that by weighing it, others might understand the depth of his suffering.
Job links his grief directly to his calamity, indicating that both are intertwined and equally burdensome.
Job employs metaphor and conditional language to express his deep sorrow and desire for understanding.
Job's candid expression of his pain encourages honesty in our own struggles and highlights the importance of seeking understanding from others.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I express my own grief and struggles in a way that seeks understanding from others?
- In what ways can I support someone who is going through a difficult time, similar to Job's experience?
- What does it mean to me to have my pain recognized and validated by others?
- How can I find ways to measure my own emotional burdens and seek help when needed?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
An early commentary on Job reflects on the nature of suffering and the human experience of grief, drawing insights from this verse.
Some men's minds are more tormented by scourges than reproaches, but some are more wounded by reproaches than by scourges.Early Church Fathers on Job 6 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 6:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOh that my grief were thoroughly weighed,.... Or, "in weighing weighed" (u), most nicely and exactly weighed; that is, his grievous affliction, which caused so much grief of heart, and which had been
Read John Gill on Job 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! Throughly weighed.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleMy grief; either, 1. My calamity, as it follows, or the cause or matter of my grief; the act being put for the object, as is usual, fear for the thing feared, &c., and the same thing being here repeated in differing words. Or, 2. My sorrow; or, my wrath, or rage, as thou didst call it, . So his wish is, that his sorrow or wrath were laid in one scale of the balances, and his calamity in the other, that so it might be known whether his sorrow or wrath was greater than his misery, as was pretended. Were throughly weighed; were fully understood and duly considered. Thy harsh rebukes and censures of my impatience, and hypocrisy, and wickedness, proceedeth from thy ignorance or insensibleness of…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 6:2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!Ver. 2. Oh that my grief were throughly weighed] Heb. Were weighed by weighing. The word rendered grief signifieth also anger, and is the same with that wherewith Eliphaz began his speech, Job 5:2, where he saith, "Wrath killeth the foolish man," pointing at Job, as an angry man exalting folly. Here, therefore, Job beginneth his refutation, wishing that that anger or grief of his, so hardly censured, were duly weighed in an even balance; for then it would appear that there was some reason for his passion, that he had enough upon him to cry for, and that he had not complained without a cause. We…
Read John Trapp on Job 6 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. O that my grief were thoroughly weighed] Job wished to be dealt with according to justice; as he was willing that his sins, if they could be proved, should be weighed against his sufferings; and if this could not be done, he wished that his sufferings and his complainings might be weighed together; and it would then be seen that, bitter as his complaint had been, it was little when compared with the distress which occasioned it.
Read AdamClarke on Job 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. my grief] Rather, my impatience (ch. Job 4:2). The word expresses the whole demeanour which in ch. 3, and to the eyes of his friends, he shews under his trouble. He desires that it were weighed and also his calamity. Naturally he wishes them weighed against one another. It is not certain that this is expressed in the word together; that word may mean, and my whole calamity laid in the balances.
Read Cambridge on Job 6 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleO that my grief were thoroughly weighed - The word rendered “grief” here (כעשׂ ka‛aś) may mean either vexation, trouble, grief; Ecclesiastes 1:18; Ecclesiastes 2:23; or it may mean anger; Deuteronomy 32:19; Ezekiel 20:28.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 6 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleFirst long strophe — BY JOB OF HIS , Job 6:2-10.First strophe — His grief is so great that it cannot be weighed, Job 6:2-4.2. Grief — ëòùׂ, vexation or wrath. See on Job 5:2.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 6 →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
“If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales.
“Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
“If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales.
“Oh, if only my grief could be weighed, and my misfortune laid on the scales too!
Tyndale line
Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And all my calamity laid in the balances!
Oh that my vexation were but weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
Oh that my griefe were well weighed, and my miseries were layed together in the balance.
Strictly literal
Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!
“O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, || And my calamity in balances || They would lift up together!
Oh that my vexation could be truly weighed, and my calamity; oh that men might lift it up in the balances at once!
“Oh, if only my anguish were weighed; if only all my calamity were laid in the balance!
From the Latin
O that my sins, whereby I have deserved wrath, and the calamity that I suffer, were weighed in a balance.
Simplified
“If my grief could be weighed and my troubles placed on the scales
If only my passion might be measured, and put into the scales against my trouble!
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 on six of the eight words in this verse, indicating a strong textual consistency. The Septuagint's different word order reflects its interpretative style rather than a significant variation in meaning.
ל֗וּ שָׁק֣וֹל יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל כַּעְשִׂ֑י וְ֝הַוָּתִ֗י בְּֽמֹאזְנַ֥יִם יִשְׂאוּ־ יָֽחַד׃
6 of the 8 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 6:2
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.
לוּ (lu) is a conditional particle meaning 'if' and expresses a wish, as in 'O that!' or 'if only!'. It indicates unlikely conditions or hypothetical situations. The entries consistently highlight its use in expressing desires or wishes, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
לוּ 17 and לוּא conj. if, O that
if (stating a case which has not been, or is not likely to be, realized)
If only …! i.e. O that! would that!
base
H3863 לוּ, לוּא if, O that
3863 luw' loo
or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by
implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply),
peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).
לוּ (lu) — if.
1) if, oh that!, if only!
1a) if (unlikely condition)
1b) if only!, oh that!, would that!
Conj — ConjunctionHC
The Hebrew word שָׁקַל (*shaqal*) means 'to weigh' and encompasses various usages such as weighing out a price or being weighed. It is a primitive root that can also imply the act of paying or spending. The entries highlight its application in trade and figuratively in contexts of grief.
שָׁקַל vb. weigh
Qal
weigh
weigh out a price
Niph. be weighed
base
H8254 שָׁקַל weigh
8254 shaqal shaw-kal'
a primitive root; to suspend or poise (especially in
trade):--pay, receive(-r), spend, X throughly, weigh.
שָׁקַל (sha.qal) — to weigh.
1) to weigh, weigh out, pay out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to weigh
1a2) to weigh out (a price)
1a3) of grief (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be weighed
1b2) to be weighed out
Aramaic equivalent: te.qal (תְּקַל "to weigh" H8625A)
V-Qal-Ptc — Verb · Qal · infinitive absoluteHVqaa
The Hebrew word שָׁקַל (*shaqal*) means 'to weigh' and encompasses various usages such as weighing out a price or being weighed. It is a primitive root that can also imply the act of paying or spending. The entries highlight its application in trade and figuratively in contexts of grief.
שָׁקַל vb. weigh
Qal
weigh
weigh out a price
Niph. be weighed
base
H8254 שָׁקַל weigh
8254 shaqal shaw-kal'
a primitive root; to suspend or poise (especially in
trade):--pay, receive(-r), spend, X throughly, weigh.
שָׁקַל (sha.qal) — to weigh.
1) to weigh, weigh out, pay out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to weigh
1a2) to weigh out (a price)
1a3) of grief (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be weighed
1b2) to be weighed out
Aramaic equivalent: te.qal (תְּקַל "to weigh" H8625A)
HVNi3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVNi3ms
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) refers to feelings of vexation and anger, encompassing grief and provocation. It is derived from a root that suggests a sense of irritation or sorrow. The word appears in contexts relating to both human and divine emotions, indicating a range of feelings from frustration to wrath.
כַּ֫עַס n.m. vexation, anger
base
כַּ֫עַשׂ n.m.
vexation, grief
vexation, anger
base
H3708a כַּ֫עַס vexation, anger H3708b כַּ֫עַשׂ . vexation, grief
. vexation, anger
3708 ka`ac kah'-as
or (in Job) kaoas {kah'-as}; from 3707; vexation: -anger,
angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, X sore,
sorrow, spite, wrath.
see HEBREW for 03707
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) — vexation.
anger, vexation
Also means: ka.as (כַּ֫עַשׂ "vexation" H3708B)
כַּ֫עַשׂ (ka.as) — vexation.
1) anger, vexation, provocation, grief
1a) vexation
1a1) of men
1a2) of God
1b) vexation, grief, frustration
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp1bs
הַוָּה (havvah) primarily means 'desire,' often with a negative connotation, indicating a bad or wicked desire. It can also refer to a 'chasm' or figuratively to destruction and calamity. The word is built from the root associated with eager coveting and falling into ruin.
הַוָּה n.f. 1. desire; 2. chasm, fig. destruction
base
H1942 הַוָּה 1. desire; 2. chasm, fig. destruction
1942 havvah hav-vaw'
from 1933 (in the sense of eagerly coveting and rushing upon;
by implication, of falling); desire; also ruin:--calamity,
iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty,
noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness.
see HEBREW for 01933
הַוָּה (hav.vah) — desire.
1) desire
1a) desire (in bad sense)
2) chasm (fig. of destruction)
2a) engulfing ruin, destruction, calamity
HC/Ncfsc/Sp1bs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
מֹאזֵן (mo'zen) refers to balances or scales, specifically in the dual form, indicating a pair. The term is linked to the root word for 'to weigh' and has an Aramaic equivalent. Its usage is consistent across the entries, focusing on the concept of weighing or measuring.
[מאזן] n.[m.]du. balances, scales
base
H3976 [מאזן] balances, scales
3976 mo'zen mo-zane'
from 239; (only in the dual) a pair of scales: -balances.
see HEBREW for 0239
מֹאזֵן (mo.zen) — balance.
scales, balances
Aramaic equivalent: mo.zen (מֹאזֵנְיָא "scale" H3977)
Prep | N-md — Preposition · noun common masculine dual absoluteHR/Ncmda
Reference to balances is found in (Leviticus 19:36) They were in common use, gold and silver being paid out and received by weight. Reference is also made in (Micah 6:11; Hosea 12:7) to the dishonest practice of buying by heavier and selling by lighter weights.
The Hebrew word נָשָׂא (nasa') means to lift, carry, or take, encompassing a wide range of applications both literal and figurative. It can refer to actions like bearing burdens, taking away, or being exalted. The entries indicate various forms and uses, including the ability to lift oneself up or cause others to bear iniquity. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
נָשָׂא 656 vb. lift, carry, take
Qal
lift, lift up
Bear, carry
Take, take away
Niph.
be lifted up
refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment
be borne, carried
be taken away, carried off
Pi.
lift up = exalt
fig. = desire, long
carry, bear continuously
take, take away
Hithp. lift oneself up
Hiph.
cause one to bear iniquity
appar. cause to bring, have brought
base
H5375 נָשָׂא lift, carry, take .. lift, lift up
. Bear, carry
. Take, take away
. . be lifted up
. refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment
. be borne, carried
. be taken away, carried off
. . lift up = exalt
. fig. = desire, long
. carry, bear continuously
. take, take away
. lift oneself up
. . cause one to bear iniquity
. appar. cause to bring, have brought
5375 nasa' naw-saw'
or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to
lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and
figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance,
arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring
(forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease,
exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further,
give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade,
lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain,
pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare,
stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.
see HEBREW for 04
see HEBREW for 06
see HEBREW for 07
נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: raise.
: raise/take_up
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lift, lift up
1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted
1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up
1b3) to be borne, be carried
1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist
1c2) to desire, long (fig.)
1c3) to carry, bear continuously
1c4) to take, take away
1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)
1e2) to cause to bring, have brought
נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: bear.
: look/lift(eyes)
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lift, lift up
1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
raz: "To raise" in the Old Testament is most frequently the translation of the Hiphil form of qum, "to cause to arise," e.g. raising up seed (Ge 38:8), a prophet (De 18:18), judges (Jud 2:16,18), etc.; also of `ur, "to awake," "stir up" (Ezr 1:5 the King James Version; Isa 41:2, etc.), with other words. In the New Testament the chief words are egeiro, "to awaken," "arouse" (Mt 3:9; Lu 1:69; 3:8, etc.), frequently of raising the dead; and anistemi (Mt 22:24;
יַ֫חַד (yachad) refers to the concept of unitedness or being together. It can function as a noun meaning 'unitedness' and as an adverb meaning 'together.' The word is built from a root that emphasizes unity and is used in various contexts in the Old Testament.
יַ֫חַד 45 n.[m.] unitedness
as subst.
elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together
base
יָחְדָּו 92 adv. together
base
H3162a יַ֫חַד unitedness . as subst.
. elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together
H3162b יָחְדָּו adv. together
3162 yachad yakh'-ad
from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike,
at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal.
see HEBREW for 03161
יַ֫חַד (ya.chad) — unitedness.
1) union, unitedness
יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) — together.
adv
together
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa