Logos Bible Study

Job 22:6–9

The NET BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

22:6“For you took pledges7 from your brothers

for no reason,

and you stripped the clothing from the naked.8

22:7You gave the weary9 no water to drink

and from the hungry you withheld food.

22:8Although you were a powerful man,10 owning land,11

an honored man12 living on it,13

22:9you sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms14 of the orphans you crushed.15

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 7 The verb חָבַל (khaval) means “to take pledges.” In this verse Eliphaz says that Job not only took as pledge things the poor need, like clothing, but he did it for no reason.
  2. 8 The “naked” here refers to people who are poorly clothed. Otherwise, a reading like the would be necessary: “you stripped the clothes … [leaving them] naked.” So either he made them naked by stripping their garments off, or they were already in rags.
  3. 9 The term עָיֵף (’ayef) can be translated “weary,” “faint,” “exhausted,” or “tired.” Here it may refer to the fainting because of thirst—that would make a good parallel to the second part.
  4. 10 The idiom is “a man of arm” (= “powerful”; see Ps 10:15). This is in comparison to the next line, “man of face” (= “dignity; high rank”; see Isa 3:5).
  5. 11 Heb “and a man of arm, to whom [was] land.” The line is in contrast to the preceding one, and so the vav here introduces a concessive clause.
  6. 12 The expression is unusual: “the one lifted up of face.” This is the “honored one,” the one to whom the dignity will be given.
  7. 13 Many commentators simply delete the verse or move it elsewhere. Most take it as a general reference to Job, perhaps in apposition to the preceding verse.
  8. 14 The “arms of the orphans” are their helps or rights on which they depended for support.
  9. 15 The verb in the text is Pual: יְדֻכָּא (yédukka’, “was [were] crushed”). §121.b would explain “arms” as the complement of a passive imperfect. But if that is too difficult, then a change to Piel imperfect, second person, will solve the difficulty. In its favor is the parallelism, the use of the second person all throughout the section, and the reading in all the versions. The versions may have simply assumed the easier reading, however.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing

and stripped the naked of their clothing.

You have given no water to the weary to drink,

and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

The man with power possessed the land,

and the favored man lived in it.

You have sent widows away empty,

and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;

you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.

You gave no water to the weary

and you withheld food from the hungry,

though you were a powerful man, owning land—

an honored man, living on it.

And you sent widows away empty-handed

and broke the strength of the fatherless.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For you took collateral from your brothers without cause,

stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.

You gave no water to the thirsty

and withheld food from the famished,

while the land belonged to a powerful man

and an influential man lived on it.

You sent widows away empty-handed,

and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

NLTNew Living Translation

“For example, you must have lent money to your friend

and demanded clothing as security.

Yes, you stripped him to the bone.

You must have refused water for the thirsty

and food for the hungry.

You probably think the land belongs to the powerful

and only the privileged have a right to it!

You must have sent widows away empty-handed

and crushed the hopes of orphans.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Indeed, you have required a pledge from your family for nothing,

and you have stripped off the clothes of the naked.

You have given no water for the weary to drink,

and you withheld food from the hungry.

And the land belongs to the man of power,

and the favored lives in it.

You have sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms of orphans were crushed.

KJV 1900King James Version

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth;

And the honourable man dwelt in it.

Thou hast sent widows away empty,

And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.