Job 9:23 — Word Study
WLCאִם־ שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃
BSAWhenʼim ◂the scourgeshôwṭ [whip, punishment] brings suddenpithʼôwm [unexpected, swift] deathmûwth▸ He mockslâʻag▸ [God, the Almighty, laughs at, ridicules] the despairmaççâh [trial, desperation] of the innocentnâqîy [guiltless, blameless]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | if | Particle |
| שׁ֭וֹט | a scourge | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יָמִ֣ית | it kills | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| פִּתְאֹ֑ם | suddenly | Adverb |
| לְמַסַּ֖ת | [the] despair of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| נְקִיִּ֣ם | innocent [ones] | Adj |
| יִלְעָֽג׃ | he mocks | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent. |
| KJV | If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. |
| ASV | If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent. |
| YLT | If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth. |
| WEB | If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent. |
| BBE | If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong. |
Where they part company is in subtle nuances of wording, but the overall meaning remains consistent across versions.
The structure emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between the scourge and the resulting despair.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשׁוֹט
verbמוּת
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 9:23
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 Reflection on Sufferinggenerated
Job 9:23 presents Job's contemplation on the nature of suffering and divine justice. He observes that when punishment comes unexpectedly, it seems as if God mocks the despair of those who are innocent. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job grapples with the seeming injustice of life, questioning how the righteous can suffer while the wicked prosper. His reflections resonate throughout the book as he seeks to understand his own suffering in light of God's character.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 1:13–19 | One day, while Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, |
| 2 | Job 2:7 | So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. |
| 3 | Job 4:7 | Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed? |
| 4 | Job 8:20 | Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers. |
| 5 | 2 Samuel 14:15–17 | Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָמִ֣ית, ya.Mitgenerated
The verb מוּת (mūth) means 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The parsing indicates it is in the Hiphil stem, meaning it is causative, thus implying that something or someone causes death.
In this context, it refers to the action of the scourge bringing about sudden death, emphasizing the abruptness and severity of the situation that Job describes.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations read similarly in this verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb governing the sentence is יָמִ֣ית, it kills, which is supported by a subject, שׁוֹט, scourge, and followed by an adverbial phrase פִּתְאֹ֑ם, suddenly, indicating the manner of death.
The structure indicates a cause-and-effect relationship, where the scourge leads to sudden death, followed by God's mocking of the innocent's despair.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שׁוֹט as φαῦλοι, indicating a whip or scourge, which aligns with the Hebrew meaning. This choice emphasizes the instrument of punishment.
However, the Greek translation does not fully capture the depth of God's mocking, suggesting a more interpretative approach by the translators.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 9:23 reflects on how when punishment comes suddenly, God seems to mock the despair of the innocent. Job is expressing his struggle with understanding why the innocent suffer while the wicked appear to thrive.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is referring to unexpected punishment or calamity that can lead to death, emphasizing the abruptness of such events.
Job is expressing his feeling that God's actions seem indifferent to the suffering of those who are blameless, raising questions about divine justice.
This verse encapsulates Job's struggle with suffering and his quest for understanding God's justice in a world where the innocent suffer.
The term 'innocent' refers to those who are morally blameless or guiltless, highlighting the injustice they face in suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to situations where I see the innocent suffering?
- What does this verse teach me about God's character in relation to justice?
- In what ways can I find hope when facing sudden trials or despair?
- How can I support those who are innocent and suffering around me?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church fathers often referenced Job's reflections on suffering. Here, Gregory the Dialogist comments on the implications of God's actions in relation to the innocent.
If He scourge, let Him slay once for all, and not laugh at the trial of the innocent. MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION Who would not suppose that this was uttered in pride, unless he heard the sentence of the Judge, Who pronounces,Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 9:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIf the scourge slay suddenly,.... Not Satan, as Jarchi and Bar Tzemach; but any sore calamity which surrounds a man, lashes, cuts, and distresses him, as a whip or scourge; such as any of God's sore
Read John Gill on Job 9 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIf the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 9 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIf the scourge slay suddenly; either, 1. If some common and deadly judgment come upon a people, which destroys both good and bad. Or, 2. If God inflicts some grievous and unexpected stroke upon an innocent person, as it follows. He will laugh at the trial of the innocent; as he doth at the destruction of the wicked, . His outward carriage is the same to both; he neglects the innocent, and seems not to answer their prayers, and suffers them to perish with others, as if be took pleasure in their ruin also. But withal, he intimates the matter and cause of his laughter or complacency which God takes in their afflictions, because to them they are but trials of their faith, and patience, and…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 9 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 9:23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.Ver. 23. If the scourge slay suddenly] By scourge here is meant a common calamity, such as rides circuit, compassing a country as a scourge doth a man’ s body round about. Any sweeping judgment is a swinging scourge in God’ s hands; such as is the sword, Isaiah 10:26, which when it rides circuit (as a judge) it is in commission, Ezekiel 14:17 Jeremiah 47:6-7, devouring flesh and drinking blood. Thus Attila, the Hun, styled himself God’ s scourge. Tamerlane was commonly called the wrath of God, the terror of the world. Think the same of famine, pestilence, wild beasts, Ezekiel 14:12, &c., these oft slay…
Read John Trapp on Job 9 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) The scourge slay suddenly.—Probably meaning that in the case of hidden calamity overtaking an innocent man, He, God, will laugh at it: that is to say, take no more notice of it than if it furnished Him with sport. The very fact of such calamity befalling, as it often does, the innocent is at all events, in one view, a proof of His indifference to it who, by the exercise of His providence, could easily interpose to prevent it, and so looks as if He verily winked at it. Job’s argument is the argument of a man who wilfully shuts out faith in his estimate of God’s dealings; not that Job is devoid of faith, but in the course of arguing with his friends, who maintain the strict, rigid…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 9 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. Further illustration of this character of God. the scourge] i. e. the plague, as pestilence, famine, war, and the like, Isaiah 28:15. will laugh at the trial] Or, mocks at the despair, cf. Job 6:14.
Read Cambridge on Job 9 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIf the scourge slay suddenly - If calamity comes in a sudden and unexpected manner. Dr.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 9 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible23. Jerome remarks that “in the whole book Job says nothing more bitter than this” — a volcanic outbreak of unspeakable misery. He will laugh — Schultens and others read, it will laugh, referring to the scourge.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 9 →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
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks at the despair of the innocent.
Tyndale line
If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent.
If the scourge slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
If the scourge should suddenly slay, should God laugh at the punishment of the innocent?
Strictly literal
If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.
If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
When a whip suddenly kills, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
From the Latin
If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.
Simplified
When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
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 show agreement in five of the seven words, indicating a strong consistency in the core message of the verse, although the Septuagint's word order may differ.
אִם־ שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃
5 of the 7 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 9:23
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.
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
שׁוֹט (shot) refers to a scourge or whip, used both literally and figuratively. It can denote a tool for chastisement or punishment, as well as a whip for horses. The word is derived from a related term, indicating a connection to the act of striking or lashing.
שׁוֹט n.m. scourge, whip
base
H7752 שׁוֹט scourge, whip
7752 showt shote
from 7751; a lash (literally or figuratively):--scourge,
whip.
see HEBREW for 07751
שׁוֹט (shot) — whip.
1) scourge, whip
1a) scourge (for chastisement)
1a1) of national judgment (fig)
1b) whip (for horse)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Or Whip. The punishment of scourging was very common among the Jews. Our Savior was subjected to this barbarous and ignominious torture, which was at times so sever as to end in death, Joh 19:1. Moses limits the number of stripes to forty, which might never be exceeded, De 25:1-3. The Jews afterwards, in order to avoid in any case exceeding forty, and thus breaking the law, were accustomed to give only thirty-nine stripes, or thirteen blows with a scourge of three thongs. There were two ways of giving the lash: one with thongs or whips made of rope-ends, or straps of leather sometimes armed with iron points; the other with rods or twigs. The offender was stripped from his shoulders to his middle, and tied by his arms to a low pillar, that he might lean forward, and the executioner…
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
פִּתְאֹם (pit'om) means 'suddenly' and can also refer to 'suddenness.' It is primarily used as an adverb to describe an unexpected occurrence. The word is derived from another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide specific verses where it is used.
פִּתְאֹם, once פֵּתְאוֹם subst. suddenness, usu. as adv. acc. suddenly
base
H6597 פִּתְאֹם, once פֵּתְאוֹם suddenness, usu. as adv. acc. suddenly
6597 pith'owm pith-ome'
or pith.om {pith-ome'}; from 6621; instantly:--straightway,
sudden(-ly).
see HEBREW for 06621
פִּתְאֹם (pit.om) — suddenly.
adv
1) suddenly, surprisingly
subst
2) suddenness
Adv — AdverbHD
מַסָּה (mas.sah) refers to both 'despair' and 'test' or 'trial.' It is derived from the root meaning to test or prove, and its usage in the Old Testament is notably found in Job 9:23. The entries indicate that it can denote a judicial testing of men or a divine trial, highlighting its dual nature.
[מַסָּה] n.f. despair (lit. melting, failing);—only Jb 9:23
ref
מַסָּה n.f. test, trial, proving
base
H4531a מַסָּה despair H4531b מַסָּה test, trial, proving
4531 maccah mas-saw'
from 5254; a testing, of men (judicial) or of God
(querulous):--temptation, trial.
see HEBREW for 05254
מַסָּה (mas.sah) — despair.
despair
מַסָּה (mas.sah) — trial.
testing, proving, trial
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
נָקִי (naqiy) is an adjective meaning clean, free from, or exempt. It also conveys innocence, being blameless or guiltless. The word has variations, including נָקִיא (naqiyi), which also means innocent. It appears in contexts related to purity and freedom from obligations or guilt.
נָקִי adj. clean, free from, exempt
base
נָקִיא adj. innocent
base
H5355a נָקִי clean, free from, exempt H5355b נָקִיא innocent
5355 naqiy naw-kee'
or naqiyi (Joel 4 : 19; Jonah 1 : 14), {naw-kee'}; from 5352;
innocent:--blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free,
guiltless, innocent, quit.
see HEBREW for 04
see HEBREW for 019
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 014
see HEBREW for 05352
נָקִי (na.qi) — innocent.
1) clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent
1a) free from guilt, clean, innocent
1b) free from punishment
1c) free or exempt from obligations
Also means: na.qi (נָקִיא "innocent" H5355B)
נָקִיא (na.qi) — innocent.
innocent
Another spelling of na.qi (נָקִי "innocent" H5355A)
Adj — AdjHAampa
לָעַג (la'ag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to mock or deride. It can also refer to stammering, particularly in the Niphal form, which suggests speaking unintelligibly. The entries indicate that the word conveys ridicule and scorn, with variations in its use across different grammatical forms.
[לָעַג] vb. mock, deride; also (Niph.) stammer, poet.
Qal mock, deride, have in derision
Niph. a people stammering of tongue (i.e. barbarians)
Hiph. mock, deride
base
H3932 [לָעַג] mock, deride; also (Niph.) stammer, poet.
3932 la`ag law-ag'
a primitive root; to deride; by implication (as if imitating
a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly:--have in derision, laugh
(to scorn), mock (on), stammering.
לָעַג (la.ag) — to mock.
1) to mock, deride, ridicule
1a) (Qal) to mock, deride, have in derision
1b) (Niphal) to stammer
1c) (Hiphil) to mock, deride
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms