Job 7:12 — Word Study
WLCהֲֽיָם־ אָ֭נִי אִם־ תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־ תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃
BSAAm Iʼănîy the seayâm [a large body of water] orʼim the monster of the deeptannîyn [a sea-serpent, dragon] thatkîy You must keep me undersûwm▸ guardmishmâr [in custody, as a prisoner]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֲֽיָם־ | ¿ [the] sea | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אָ֭נִי | [am] I | Pronoun |
| אִם־ | or? | Particle |
| תַּנִּ֑ין | [the] sea monster | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| כִּֽי־ | that | Particle |
| תָשִׂ֖ים | you will set | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| עָלַ֣י | over me | Preposition, suffix |
| מִשְׁמָֽר׃ | a guard | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard? |
| KJV | Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? |
| ASV | Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me? |
| YLT | A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard? |
| WEB | Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me? |
| BBE | Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me? |
Where they part company is יָם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence structure emphasizes Job's questioning nature and his feelings of being confined.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֲנִי
verbשׂים
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 7:12
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 Lamentgenerated
Job 7:12 captures Job's deep distress as he questions God's treatment of him. He wonders if he is as vast and chaotic as the sea or a mythical sea monster, suggesting that his suffering feels overwhelming and unjust. This verse reflects Job's struggle to understand why he is being treated as if he were a threat that needs to be contained, similar to how one might guard against a powerful creature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 7:17 | What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him, |
| 2 | Job 38:6–11 | On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone, |
| 3 | Lamentations 3:7 | He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains. |
| 4 | Job 41:1–34 | “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּנִּ֑ין, ta.Ningenerated
The word תַּנִּ֑ין (tan.nin) refers to a sea monster or serpent, often depicted as a powerful and fearsome creature in ancient texts. It can symbolize chaos and danger, much like the sea itself, which is unpredictable and vast. In this context, Job uses the term to express his feelings of being trapped and threatened by forces beyond his control.
The implications of the word suggest that Job sees himself as something that should be guarded against, highlighting his feelings of helplessness and despair. The use of this term emphasizes the intensity of his situation, as he compares himself to something as formidable as a sea monster.
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 verse consists of a main clause and several subordinate elements. The finite verb is תַּנִּ֑ין, the sea monster, which connects Job's identity with the vastness of the sea and the fear it invokes.
The structure emphasizes Job's rhetorical questioning, with the main idea being his comparison of himself to these powerful entities. The arrangement of the words highlights his sense of being overwhelmed and the intensity of his feelings.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תַּנִּ֑ין as δράκων (drakōn), which means dragon. This choice suggests a focus on the monstrous and fearsome nature of the creature, aligning with Job's feelings of being trapped by something powerful and chaotic.
The translation of יָם as θάλασσα (thalassa) emphasizes the vastness of the sea, reinforcing the imagery of Job's plight as he compares himself to these formidable forces.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 7:12 expresses Job's feelings of being overwhelmed and confined. He asks if he is like the vast sea or a powerful sea monster, suggesting that he feels trapped and guarded against, as if he poses a threat. This verse highlights his despair and confusion in the face of suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing his feelings of being vast and uncontrollable, similar to the chaotic nature of the sea and its creatures, indicating that he feels overwhelmed by his suffering.
Job feels as if he is being treated like a dangerous creature that needs to be contained, reflecting his sense of helplessness and the severity of his situation.
Job's rhetorical question reveals his deep anguish and confusion about his suffering, as he grapples with feelings of being imprisoned by circumstances beyond his control.
Job's lament teaches us about the struggle with suffering and the feeling of being overwhelmed, reminding us that it is natural to question our circumstances and seek understanding.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances, like Job?
- What are some ways I can find comfort in my suffering?
- In what situations have I felt like I was being guarded or confined?
- How can I support others who are struggling with feelings of despair?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced Job's lament to discuss the nature of suffering and human anguish, illustrating the timeless struggle with despair.
Am I a sea or a whale, that thou hast compassed me about with a prison? Man is 'compassed about with a prison,' in that he very often both strives to mount on high by the strides of virtuous attainments,Early Church Fathers on Job 7 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 7:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[Am] I a sea, or a whale,.... Like the restless sea, to which very wicked, profligate, and abandoned sinners are compared, that are continually casting up the mire and dirt of sin and wickedness; am I such an one?
Read John Gill on Job 7 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAm I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? Why dost thou deny me the comfort of care-assuaging sleep? Why scarest thou me with frightful dreams?
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 7 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAm I so great, and powerful, and dangerous a creature, that thou needest to use extraordinary power and violence to rule and subdue me? Am I as fierce and unruly as the sea, which, if thou didst not set a watch over it, and bounds to it, would overwhelm the earth, and destroy mankind upon it? Or am I a vast and ungovernable sea monster, which, if thou didst not restrain it by thy powerful providence, would overturn ships, and destroy men in them, and devour all the lesser fishes? Have I behaved myself towards thee, or towards men, with such rage and violence, as to need such chains to be put upon me? Or is my strength so great as that of the sea, which can endure so many and long storms one…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 7 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 7:12 [Am] I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?Ver. 12. Am I a sea, or a whale] Can I bear all troubles, as the sea receives all waters, and the whale bears all tempests? This (as is well observed) was too bold a speech to God from a creature, for when his hand is on our backs our hands should be upon our mouths; as Psalms 39:9, "I was dumb," or (as others read it) I should have been dumb … "because thou didst it." But it is a fair step to perfection and victory when one can kiss God’ s rod and say, as Psalms 44:17, All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, nor declined from thy way. Job was not without his impatience; but being he was right for the…
Read John Trapp on Job 7 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Am I a sea, or a whale . . .?—This very hard verse it seems most reasonable to explain, if we can, from Scripture itself: e.g., in Jeremiah 5:22 we read, “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea?" The writer was probably familiar with Egypt when the Nile, which is still called the sea, was carefully watched and guarded by dykes that its overflow might not destroy the land. So Job exclaims, “Am I like the sea, or one of its monsters—like that Leviathan which Thou hast made to take his pastime therein, that Thou keepest guard over me and makest me thy prisoner continually, shutting me up on every side so fast…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 7 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Am I a sea, or a whale] "Am I condemned as the Egyptians were who were drowned in the Red Sea? or am I as Pharaoh, who was drowned in it in his sins, that thou settest a keeper over me?" Targum. Am I as dangerous as the sea, that I should be encompassed about with barriers, lest I should hurt mankind? Am I like an ungovernable wild beast or dragon, that I must be put under locks and bars? I think our own version less exceptionable than any other hitherto given of this verse. The meaning is sufficiently plain. Job was hedged about and shut in with insuperable difficulties of various kinds; he was entangled as a wild beast in a net; the more he struggled, the more he lost his…
Read AdamClarke on Job 7 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. First, he asks with bitter irony if he is the sea or the monster of the sea, that he must be watched and subdued with plagues lest he prove dangerous to the universe? The proud waves of the sea must be confined and a bound which they cannot pass set to them (ch. Job 38:8 seq.; Jeremiah 5:22); has he a wild, untameable nature like this? The monster of the sea here is no real creature such as the crocodile, “sea” being used in the sense of the river. The connexion shews that the reference is to the half poetical, half mythological conception of the raging sea itself as a furious monster, for it is God that sets a watch over it. Studer boldly renders, “am I the sea, or the sea serpent?”…
Read Cambridge on Job 7 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAm I a sea? - That is, “am I like a raging and tumultuous sea, that it is necessary to restrain and confine me?
Read Albert Barnes on Job 7 →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
Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?
Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?
Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep, that you must put me under guard?
Tyndale line
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
Am I a sea or a whalefish, that thou keepest me in warde?
Strictly literal
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?
A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, || That You set a watch over me?
Am I a sea, or a monster, that thou settest a watch over me?
Am I the sea or a sea monster that you place a guard over me?
From the Latin
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?
Simplified
Am I the sea or a sea monster that you have to guard me?
Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?
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 the wording of Job 7:12, with all eight words matched in the translation, indicating a consistent understanding of Job's lament across these texts.
הֲֽיָם־ אָ֭נִי אִם־ תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־ תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃
8 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 7:12
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.
יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.
יָם 390 n.m. sea
base
H3220 יָם sea
3220 yam yawm
from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in
noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the
article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or
an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the
south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,
side, -ward).
יָם (yam) — sea.
: sea
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — sea: west.
: west
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.
This name means sea, seaward, westward
Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
Part | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTi/Ncmsa
se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.
The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, (11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20) "sea of the Philistines," (Exodus 23:31) "the great sea," (Numbers 36:6,7; Joshua 15:47) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:4) [RED SEA SEA] Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article] Any…
The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, Job 14:11; as to the lakes of Tiberias and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, Isa 11:15 18:2 21:1 Jer 51:36,42. The principal seas mentioned in Scripture are the following:
1. The GREAT SEA, the Mediterranean, called also the Hinder or Western Sea. Indeed, the Hebrew word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea is 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast…
→ Creation of Ge 1:9,10; Ps 95:5; 148:4,5
→ Lake Galilee calmed by Jesus Mt 8:24-26; Mr 4:37-39
→ Jesus walked upon Lake Galilee Mt 14:25-31
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Pron — PronounHPp1bs
אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.
אִם conj.
hypoth. part. if
Interrog. part.
base
כִּי אם־
each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
that if
for if
(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
limiting the prec. clause, except
the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
after an oath, surely
base
H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if
. Interrog. part.
H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if
. for if
. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except
. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
. after an oath, surely
518 'im eem
a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;
interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh
that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,
doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +
more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,
+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,
none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,
whereas, whether, while, + yet.
אִם (im) — if.
: if/whether_or/though
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
אִם (im) — if: surely no.
: surely_no
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: surely yes.
: surely_yes
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: until.
: until/except
Conj — ParticleHTc
or: The word is used once for either (1Sa 26:10), and is still in poetic use in this sense; as in, "Without or wave or wind" (Coleridge); "Or the bakke or some bone he breketh in his dzouthe" (Piers Plowman (B), VII, 93; compare Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 65). It is also used with "ever" for before (Ps 90:2; Ecclesiasticus 18:19), which the American Standard Revised Version substitutes in Ec 12:6 (compare 12:1,2); So 6:12; Da 6:24.
תַּן (tan) means jackal, while תַּנִּין (tan.nin) refers to a serpent, dragon, or sea monster. The entries suggest that the word can denote both land and marine creatures, including dragons and venomous snakes. Ezekiel 29:3 is specifically mentioned in relation to the term.
[תַּן] n.[m. et] f. jackal
base
תַּנִּין (erron. תַּנִּים) n.m. serpent, dragon, sea-monster
base
H8577a [תַּן] jackal H8577b תַּנִּין (erron. תַּנִּים) serpent, dragon, sea-monster
8577 tanniyn tan-neen'
or tanniym (Ezek. 29:3) {tan-neem'}; intensive from the same
as 8565; a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or
jackal:--dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.
see HEBREW for 08565
תַּן (tan) — jackal.
jackal
Also means: tan.nah (תַּנָּה "dragon" H8568)
תַּנִּין (tan.nin) — Dragon.
This name means dragon, serpent, sea monster
תַּנִּין (tan.nin) — serpent: snake.
1) dragon, serpent, sea monster
1a) dragon or dinosaur
1b) sea or river monster
1c) serpent, venomous snake
Also means: tan.nin (תַּנִּין ": monster" H8577N)
תַּנִּין (tan.nin) — serpent: monster.
1) dragon, serpent, sea monster
1a) dragon or dinosaur
1b) sea or river monster
1c) serpent, venomous snake
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
se'-mon-ster: Ge 1:21 (tanninim), "sea monsters," the King James Version "whales," Septuagint (ta kete), "sea-monsters," "huge fish," or "whales." Job 7:12 (tannin), "sea-monster" the King James Version "whale," the Septuagint drakon, "dragon." Ps 74:13 (tanninim), the American Standard Revised Version and the English Revised Version margin. "sea-monsters," the King James Version and the English Revised Version "dragons," the King James Version margin "whales" Septuagint drakontes, "dragons" Ps 148:7 (tanninim), "sea-monsters" the King James Version and the English Revised Version "dragons," the English Revised Version margin "sea-monsters" or "water-spouts," Septuagint…
כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'
כִּי conj. that, for, when
that
Of time, when, of the past
elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
Because, since
base
כִּי אם־
each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
that if
for if
(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
limiting the prec. clause, except
the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
after an oath, surely
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that
. . Of time, when, of the past
. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
. Because, since
H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if
. for if
. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except
. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
. after an oath, surely
H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
3588 kiy kee
a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional
prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent
or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative
conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by
other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,
where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,
even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +
nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,
therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,
whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
כִּי (ki) — for.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if
1f) but rather, but
1g) except that
1h) only, nevertheless
1i) surely
1j) that is
1k) but if
1l) for though
1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
1b) even though
כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
Conj — ParticleHTc
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
Few words in the English language have such a rich variety of meaning and are used in so rich a variety of idiomatic expression as the word "set." A glance at any of the great dictionaries will convince anyone of the truth of this statement. The Standard Dictionary devotes three and a half columns to the word. In its primary meaning it there denotes 22 distinct things, in its secondary meaning 17 more, while 18 distinct phrases are given in which it is used, in some cases again in a variety of meanings. It is indeed a word calculated to drive a foreigner to despair. Some 70 Hebrew and about 30 Greek words in the original tongues of the Holy Scriptures have been rendered by the word "set," in the King James Version and also in the Revised Version (British and American). A careful comparative study of the original and of translations in other tongues will at once indicate that a lack of…
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
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
מִשְׁמָר (mishmar) refers to a place of confinement, such as a prison or jail, and also denotes a guard or watch. It can imply both a physical location for custody and the act of guarding or observing. The word is derived from a root meaning to guard, and it encompasses concepts of diligence and observance.
מִשְׁמָר n.[m.] place of confinement, gaol, prison; late, guard, watch, observance
base
H4929 מִשְׁמָר place of confinement, gaol, prison; late, guard, watch, observance
4929 mishmar mish-mawr'
from 8104; a guard (the man, the post or the prison); a
deposit (fig.); also (as observed) a usage (abstr.), or an
example (concr.):--diligence, guard, office, prison, ward,
watch.
see HEBREW for 08104
מִשְׁמָר (mish.mar) — custody.
1) place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance
1a) jail, prison, guard-house
1b) guard, guard post, act of guarding
1c) observances
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
gard:
(1) sar ha-Tabbachim, "captain of the guard," literally, "slaughterers" (Ge 37:36; 39:1; 40:3,1; 41:10,12); rabh Tabbachim (2Ki 25:8,11,20; Jer 39:9, etc.); rabh tabbachayyah (Da 2:14); ratsim, "guard," the King James Version "footmen" (1Sa 22:17); sare ha-ratsim, "chief of the guard" the King James Version "captains of the guard" (1Ki 14:27); ta' ha-ratsim, "guard-chamber" (1Ki 14:28; compare Eze 40:21, etc., where "lodges" are "guardrooms"; see A.B.…
Guard
(1.) Heb. tabbah (properly a “cook,” and in a secondary sense “executioner,” because this office fell to the lot of the cook in Eastern countries), the bodyguard of the kings of Egypt (Gen. 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; Jer. 40:1; Dan. 2:14).
(2.) Heb. rats, properly a “courier,” one whose office was to run before the king’s chariot (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5). The couriers were also military guards (1 Sam. 22:17; 2 Kings 10:25). They were…
→ See WATCHMAN