Job 10

Job · Chapter 10

Job 10:21

1My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?4Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?5Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,6That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?7Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.8Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.12Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.13And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.14If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.15If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;16For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.17Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.18Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!19I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.20Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,21Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;22A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
21Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
in beforeבְּטֶ֣רֶםbe-TE-remH2962
before

טֶ֫רֶם (te.rem) before, not yet, before that

I will goאֵ֭לֵךְ'E-lekhH1980G
to go: went

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) : went/go[away] 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

I will returnאָשׁ֑וּב'a-SHUVH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] land ofאֶ֖רֶץ'E-retzH0776G
land: country/planet

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth …

darknessחֹ֣שֶׁךְCHO-shekhH2822
darkness

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) 1) darkness, obscurity 1a) darkness 1b) secret place

and deep darknessוְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ve-tzal-MA-vetH6757
shadow

צַלְמָ֫וֶת (tsal.ma.vet) 1) death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death 1a) death-shadow 1b) death-shadow, deep shadow, darkness 1c) death-shadow (of distress, extreme danger) (fig) 1d) death-shadow (of place of the dead) (fig)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.