Job 9:31 — Word Study
WLCאָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃
BSAthenʼâz [at that time, in the past] You would plunge meṭâbal▸ into the pitshachath [a place of destruction, corruption, or grave] and even my own clothessalmâh [garments, outer clothing, or raiment] would despise metaʻâb [abhor, detest, or have contempt for]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אָ֭ז | then | Adverb |
| בַּשַּׁ֣חַת | in pit | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי | you will dip me | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי | and they will abhor me | Verb piel sequential perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃ | own clothes my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me. |
| KJV | Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. |
| ASV | Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. |
| YLT | Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me. |
| WEB | yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me. |
| BBE | Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing. |
Where they part company is over the phrase וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has one main clause followed by a prepositional phrase and a consequence clause, showing the cause-and-effect relationship in Job's lament.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 9:31
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 9:31 is part of Job's response to his suffering, where he contemplates his relationship with God and the seeming injustice of his situation. He feels that if God were to act against him, even his own garments would reject him, emphasizing his deep sense of isolation and despair. This sentiment is echoed throughout the book of Job as he wrestles with his faith amidst profound suffering.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 9:20 | Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. |
| 2 | Job 15:6 | Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you. |
| 3 | Isaiah 59:6 | Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. |
| 4 | Isaiah 64:6 | Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. |
| 5 | Philippians 3:8–9 | More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי, tit.be.Le.nigenerated
The verb טָבַל (tabal) means to dip or immerse, indicating an action of being plunged into something. In this context, it conveys the idea of being cast into a state of despair or destruction.
The parsing as a second person masculine singular imperfect verb indicates that Job is addressing God directly, suggesting a future action that God might take against him. This highlights Job's vulnerability and the intensity of his feelings.
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 finite verb תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי governs the main clause, indicating Job's feeling of being plunged into destruction. The structure includes a prepositional phrase describing the place of this action and a subsequent clause about the reaction of his clothes.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of being plunged, followed by the consequence of that action, which is the rejection by his own garments.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי as με (me), indicating a direct personal experience of being immersed or plunged. This choice reflects a similar understanding of the action but may narrow the focus on Job's personal suffering.
The word שַׁחַת is rendered as ῥύπῳ, suggesting a place of filth or ruin, which aligns with the Hebrew meaning of destruction or grave.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 9:31 expresses Job's deep despair, where he feels that if God were to cast him into destruction, even his own clothes would reject him. This highlights his sense of abandonment and the severity of his suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing his fear of being cast into a state of destruction or despair by God.
Job uses this imagery to illustrate the depth of his feelings of rejection and isolation, suggesting that even his garments would turn against him.
The word 'abhor' emphasizes the intensity of rejection Job feels, not just from others but even from his own belongings.
This verse encapsulates Job's profound sense of suffering and abandonment in the face of his trials, as he grapples with his relationship with God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I relate to Job's feelings of despair in my own life?
- What does it mean to feel rejected or despised, even by those closest to us?
- In what ways can I find hope in situations where I feel abandoned?
- How can understanding Job's struggles help me support others who are suffering?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 9:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleYet shall thou plunge me in the ditch,.... In the filthy ditch of sin, the pit wherein is no water, the horrible pit, the mire and clay, in which all unregenerate men are, and to which hypocrites
Read John Gill on Job 9 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryYet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 9 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIn the ditch, i.e. in miry and puddle water, whereby I shall become most filthy. But as Job’ s washing, so God’ s plunging him, &c., is not understood really, as if God would make him filthy; but only judicially, that God would prove him to be a most guilty and filthy creature, notwithstanding all the professions and evidences of his purity before men. Mine own clothes shall abhor me, i.e. I shall be so altogether filthy, that my own clothes, if they had any sense in them, would abhor to touch me: a figure called prosopopaeia.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 9 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 9:31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.Ver. 31. Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch] Thou shalt declare me to be no less loathsome than he that, having fallen into a foul guzzle, or nasty jakes, abhorreth himself and his own clothes, being ready to lay up his gorge at the sight and smell of them. The Vulgar hath it, Sordibus intinges me, thou shalt dip me in the dirt over head and ears, and stain me all over, as dyers do the cloth they colour. By the ditch, Beza and others understand the grave; and by clothes, grave clothes, q.d. My very winding sheet shall abhor my filthiness. Take the proud Pharisee for instance, and Popish merit mongers, whom…
Read John Trapp on Job 9 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 31. And mine own clothes shall abhor me.] Such is thine infinite purity, when put in opposition to the purity of man, that it will bear no comparison. Searched and tried by the eye of God, I should be found as a leper, so that my own clothes would dread to touch me, for fear of being infected by my corruption. This is a strong and bold figure; and is derived from the corrupted state of his body, which his clothes dreaded to touch, because of the contagious nature of his disorder.
Read AdamClarke on Job 9 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges31. An expressive figure for, to cover again with uncleanness. The naked body (Job 9:30) is supposed plunged in the ditch, and the clothes refuse to cover so foul an object.
Read Cambridge on Job 9 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleYet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch - God would treat me as if he should throw me into the gutter, and as if I were wholly defiled and polluted.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 9 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible31. Truly man’s defilement must be great if so be, after he has cleansed himself with the best detergents of his day, God’s purity would cast him, the naked one, into a slimy pit, so that his own
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
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
then you plunge me into a slimy pit and my own clothes abhor me.
Tyndale line
Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.
Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.
Yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit, and mine owne clothes shall make me filthie.
Strictly literal
Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.
Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
Then You dip me in corruption, || And my garments have detested me.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
God would plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes would be disgusted with me.
From the Latin
Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me,
Simplified
you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
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 matches the Septuagint closely, with all five words corresponding directly. This suggests a consistent understanding of the verse across these ancient texts.
אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃
5 of the 5 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 9:31
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.
אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.
אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).
strictly temporal
expressing logical sequence strictly
base
מֵאָז lit. from that time
base
H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once
227 'az awz
a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a
conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,
of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.
אָז (az) — then.
1) then, at that time
1a) temporal expressions
1a1) then (past)
1a2) then, if...then (future)
1a3) earlier
1b) logical expressions
1b1) in that case
1b2) that (being so)
מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.
1) in time past, of old
2)from time of, since
Adv — AdverbHD
The Hebrew word שַׁ֫חַת (shachath) means 'pit' and is derived from a root that suggests destruction or corruption. It covers a range of meanings including a physical pit, grave, and figuratively, hell or destruction. The entries note its use in contexts related to traps and Sheol, the grave.
שַׁ֫חַת n.f. pit
base
H7845 שַׁ֫חַת pit
7845 shachath shakh'-ath
from 7743; a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively,
destruction:--corruption, destruction, ditch, grave, pit.
see HEBREW for 07743
שַׁ֫חַת (sha.chat) — Pit: hell.
Pit, of hell
Another name of she.ol (שְׁאוֹל "Sheol" H7585)
This name means pit, grave
שַׁ֫חַת (sha.chat) — pit: grave.
1) pit, destruction, grave
1a) pit (for catching lions)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
The word translates different Hebrew words of which the most important are:
(1) bor, "pit" or "cistern," made by digging, (Ge 37:20); hence, "dungeon" (Jer 38:6, margin "pit");
(2) be'er, "pit" or "well" made by digging (Ge 21:25);
(3) she'ol, generally rendered "hell" in the King James Version (see HELL);
Pit
A hole in the ground (Ex. 21:33, 34), a cistern for water (Gen. 37:24; Jer. 14:3), a vault (41:9), a grave (Ps. 30:3). It is used as a figure for mischief (Ps. 9:15), and is the name given to the unseen place of woe (Rev. 20:1, 3). The slime-pits in the vale of Siddim were wells which yielded asphalt (Gen. 14:10).
[HELL]
A reservoir, either natural or artificial, for water. Pits were sometimes used as dungeons, Ge 37:20; Jer 38:6; or being slightly covered, and baited, they served as traps to catch wild beasts, a device which illustrates the plots of designing men and women, Ps 119:85; Pr 22:14; 26:27; Eze 19:4. The word pit is also used to denote the grave, Ps 28:1; 30:3,9; and hell, Re 20:1.
טָבַל (tabal) is a primitive root meaning to dip or immerse. It covers actions such as dipping into something or plunging oneself. The word appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating both active and passive usages.
H2881 טָבַל dip
2881 tabal taw-bal'
a primitive root; to dip, to immerse:--dip, plunge.
טָבַל (ta.val) — to dip.
1) to dip, dip into, plunge
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to dip in or into
1a2) to dip oneself
1b) (Niphal) to be dipped
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp1bs
תַּעָב (ta'av) is a Hebrew verb meaning to abhor or loathe. It encompasses various forms, including being abhorred (Niphal), regarding something as an abomination (Piel), and causing something to be abominable (Hiphil). The term is used in both ritual and ethical contexts, reflecting a strong moral detestation.
[תַּעָב] vb. denom. Niph. Pi.
Niph. be abhorred
Pi.
regard as an abomination, abhor
cause to be an abomination
Hiph. make abominable, do abominably
base
H8581 תַּעָב vb. denom. Niph. Pi. . be abhorred
. . regard as an abomination, abhor
. cause to be an abomination
. make abominable, do abominably
8581 ta`ab taw-ab'
a primitive root; to loathe, i.e. (morally) detest:--(make
to be) abhor(-red), (be, commit more, do) abominable(-y), X
utterly.
תַּעָב (ta.av) — to abhor.
1) to abhor, be abominable, do abominably
1a) (Niphal) to be abhorred, be detested
1a1) in the ritual sense
1a2) in the ethical sense
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to loathe, abhor, regard as an abomination
1b1a) in the ritual sense
1b1b) in the ethical sense
1b2) to cause to be an abomination
1c) (Hiphil) to make abominable, do abominably
1c1) in the ritual sense
1c2) in the ethical sense
Also means: ta.av (תָּאַב "to loathe" H8374)
Conj | V-Piel-3cp | Suff — Verb piel sequential perfect third person common plural · suffixHc/Vpq3cp/Sp1bs
שַׂלְמָה (*salmah*) refers to an outer garment or clothing. It is closely related to the word שִׂמְלָה (*simlah*), and its meanings include dress, raiment, and wrapper. The entries consistently emphasize its role as a type of garment.
שַׂלְמָה n.f. id. [שִׂמְלָה] (transp. from שִׂמְלָה);—garment: outer garment
base
H8008 שַׂלְמָה id. [שִׂמְלָה];—garment: outer garment
8008 salmah sal-maw'
transp. for 8071; a dress:--clothes, garment, raiment.
see HEBREW for 08071
שַׂלְמָה (sal.mah) — garment.
1) garment, outer garment, wrapper, mantle
1a) garment, outer garment
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs