Job 30:3

בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שׁוֹאָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה

For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.

Connections

הֵן פְּרָאִים׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּר יָצְאוּ בְּפָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵי לַטָּרֶף עֲרָבָה לוֹ לֶחֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃

Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

Hebrews 11:38

ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς

(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Job 24:13

הֵמָּה׀ הָיוּ בְּֽמֹרְדֵי-אוֹר לֹֽא-הִכִּירוּ דְרָכָיו וְלֹא יָשְׁבוּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃

They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

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Job 30:3

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Niqqud

Cantillation

Masoretic Phrasing

This book is chanted to the poetic accent system (used only in Job, Psalms, and Proverbs). Each group below ends at one of its pausing accents — translate a group as one unit.

בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן Revia Gadol — a lesser break גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד Ole We-Yored — the strongest pause of a poetic verse הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה Atnach — a major pause — here second to ole we-yored אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ Revia Mugrash — a lesser break שׁוֹאָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה Silluq — end of the verse

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Word Parts

בְּ חֶ֥סֶר

בְּ

Prefix — preposition in, at, by, with

חֶ֥סֶר

Root word poverty, want

Dictionary form: חֶסֶר · heh-SER

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar R/Ncmsa

Noun — Common, masculine singular, absolute state

בְּ	Speech Preposition
חֶסֶר	Speech Noun Type Common Gender Masculine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: for want

for want ×1 poverty ×1

More options

lack — Broadest modern term; fits most contexts naturally.

need — Emphasizes unmet necessity; slightly softer register.

poverty — Stress material deprivation; good for social/economic contexts.

want — Modernizes KJV 'for want'; still natural in contemporary English.

deprivation — Stronger, formal tone; highlights suffering from absence.

scarcity — Useful when emphasizing shortage of resources or goods.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB2987 H2639

חֶ֫סֶר noun masculine^{Prov 28:22} want, poverty — always absolute; יְבֹאֶנּוּ ׳ח Prov 28:22 want shall come to him; || כָּפָן hunger Job 30:3.

Strong's Definition H2639

poverty, want

ḥeser

lack; hence, destitution

poverty, want

Variations 2 forms of this word

Translations 2 English renderings

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Word Parts

וּ בְ כָפָ֗ן

וּ

Prefix — connector and (sometimes: but, so, then)

בְ

Prefix — preposition in, at, by, with

כָפָ֗ן

Root word famine

Dictionary form: כָּפָן · kaw-PAWN

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar C/R/Ncmsa

Noun — Common, masculine singular, absolute state

וּ	Speech Conjunction
בְ	Speech Preposition
כָפָן	Speech Noun Type Common Gender Masculine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: and famine

and famine ×2

More options

famine — Standard modern term; broadly understood in any context.

hunger — Emphasizes the personal, felt experience of food deprivation.

starvation — Stronger register; highlights severity and life-threatening lack.

food shortage — Plainer, less dramatic; suits prose or explanatory contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB4147 H3720

כָּפָן noun [masculine] hunger, famine (Aramaism; on form compare Lag^{BN 144}), Job 5:22; Job 30:3.

Strong's Definition H3720

famine

kāpān

hunger (as making to stoop with emptiness and pain)

hunger, famine, painful hunger

Variations 2 forms of this word

Translations 1 English renderings

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Word Parts

גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד

Root word desolate, solitary

Dictionary form: גַּלְמוּד · ɡahl-MOOD

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar Aamsa

Adjective — masculine singular, absolute state

גַּלְמוּד

Speech Adjective Type Adjective Gender Masculine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: they were solitary

and am desolate ×1 shall be desolate ×1 solitary ×1 they were solitary ×1

More options

isolated — Broadly useful; fits social or physical abandonment.

forsaken — Emphasizes emotional weight of abandonment.

barren — Good when context stresses emptiness or unfruitfulness.

lonely — More personal, interior register; suits individual lament.

destitute — Highlights lack of support or resources alongside aloneness.

abandoned — Strong relational sense; implies others have left.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB1668 H1565

גַּלְמוּד adjective hard, barren (Late Hebrew id. lonely NHWB; Arabic rock, stony (of land); Aramaic גַּלְמוּדָה compare Ba^{NB 208}) — ׳ג Job 3:7 + 2 t. Job; feminine גַּלְמוּדָה Isa 49:21 — hard, barren, unproductive, mostly figurative: Job 15:34 of company of wicked men, where probably a substantive see De Di; Job 30:3 through want and famine (they are) stiff (lifeless; RV gaunt); of exiled Zion as bereaved and barren woman Isa 49:21 so of night of Job's birth Job 3:7.

Strong's Definition H1565

desolate, solitary

galmûd

sterile (as wrapped up too hard); figuratively, desolate

hard, barren, harsh, bleak

harsh, bleak (of a company of wicked men)

Variations 3 forms of this word

Translations 4 English renderings

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Word Parts

הַֽ עֹרְקִ֥ים

הַֽ

Prefix — article the

עֹרְקִ֥ים

Root word fleeing, sinews

Dictionary form: עָרַק · aw-RAHK

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar Td/Vqrmpa

Verb — Qal, Participle Active, masculine plural, absolute state simple action — "he did" ongoing action — try "___ing" or "one who ___s"

הַֽ	Speech Particle Type Definite Article
עֹרְקִים	Speech Verb Stem Qal Type Participle Active Gender Masculine Number Plural State Absolute

Verb Chart

Full verb chart

In English

In the KJV here: fleeing

and my sinews ×1 fleeing ×1

More options

sinew — Anatomical sense; prefer in bodily/physical contexts.

tendon — More precise modern anatomical term for sinew.

flee — Verbal sense; use when motion/escape is in view.

gnaw — Some scholars read a sense of gnawing; rare usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB6412 H6207

[עָרַק] verb gnaw (Arabic id.; Syriac Pa`el);

**Syriac in Lexicons, and Pa`el; but Syriac usually flee, as ᵑ7. —

Qal Participle plural הַעֹרְקִים צִיָּה Job 30:3 they who gnaw the dry (ground; figurative of scanty subsistence); suffix עֹרְקַי vJob 30:17 my gnawing (pains) do not sleep.

Strong's Definition H6207

fleeing, sinews

ʿāraq

to gnaw, i.e., (figuratively) eat (by hyberbole); also (participle) a pain

(Qal) to gnaw, chew

Variations 2 forms of this word

Translations 2 English renderings

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Word Parts

צִיָּ֑ה

Root word dry, wilderness, drought, land, place, …

Dictionary form: צִיָּה · tsih-YAW

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar Ncfsa

Noun — Common, feminine singular, absolute state

צִיָּה

Speech Noun Type Common Gender Feminine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: into the wilderness

and dry ×2 a dry ×1 a dry land ×1 and the dry ×1 and the solitary place ×1 barren ×1 drought ×1 for thee in a dry ×1

More options

arid land — Neutral, geographic; suits prose narrative contexts well.

wasteland — Emphasizes desolation; good for prophetic or poetic passages.

parched ground — Highlights extreme dryness; vivid in simile or metaphor.

desert — Broadly understood; use when barrenness is the main idea.

drought — Preferred when the focus is on lack of water, not location.

barren wilderness — Strongest desolation nuance; reserve for heightened poetic register.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB7049 H6723

צִיָּה noun feminine dryness, drought; — absolute ׳צ Hos 2:5+; plural צִיּוֺת Ps 105:41 — drought Job 24:19 (|| חֹם); elsewhere of land (often || מִדְבָּר, עְַרָבָה etc.): ׳אֶרֶץ צ land of drought, desert Hos 2:5 (simile), Jer 2:6; Jer 50:12 (figurative), Jer 51:43; Isa 41:18; Isa 53:2 (in simile), Ps 107:35 + צָמָא Ezek 19:13 (figurative), + שְׁמָמָה Joel 2:20, + עָיֵף Ps 63:2 (figurative); ׳צ =desert Isa 35:1; Zeph 2:13; Job 30:3; Ps 78:17 plural Ps 105:41.

Strong's Definition H6723

dry, wilderness, drought, land, place, …

ṣiyyâ

aridity; concretely, a desert

dryness, drought, desert

Variations 4 forms of this word

Translations 15 English renderings

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Word Parts

אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ

Adverb yesternight, time, yesterday

Dictionary form: אֶמֶשׁ · eh-MESH

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar D

Adverb

אֶמֶשׁ

Speech Adverb

In English

In the KJV here: in former time

yesternight ×2 in former time ×1 thee yesternight ×1 yesterday ×1

More options

last night — Most natural modern equivalent for 'yesternight'.

yesterday — Use when context emphasizes the previous day broadly.

the night before — Clarifies nocturnal timing when 'last night' is ambiguous.

recently — Suits the broader 'former time' sense in figurative contexts.

the other night — Informal; good for narrative or conversational prose.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB569 H570

אֶ֫מֶשׁ adverb yesterday (etymology dubious; MV after Fl De on Job 30:3 compare Sta^{§ 256 c} derive from √ משׁה = Arabic , whence , evening; see also in Thes, & compare Assyrian mušu, night COT^Gloss, Ethiopic but also Arabic = Assyrian amšatu, yesterday) = last night Gen 19:34; Gen 31:29; Gen 31:42 (אָ֑מֶשׁ); = recently 2Kgs 9:26. — Job 30:3 שׁוֺאָה ׳א is difficult & uncertain Thes MV and others darkness, gloom of wasteness, so RV, but dubious, compare Di; G. Hoffm. reads ׳אֵם שׁ = the mother of (all) the ruined ( said of the desert).

אֱמֶת אֲמִתַּי see אמן.

אַמְתַּ֫חַת see מתח.

Strong's Definition H570

yesternight, time, yesterday

ʾemeš

yesterday or last night

yesterday, last night

Variations 3 forms of this word

Translations 4 English renderings

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Word Parts

שׁוֹאָ֥ה

Root word desolation, destruction, desolate, destructions, storm, …

Dictionary form: שׁוֹא · shoh

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar Ncfsa

Noun — Common, feminine singular, absolute state

שׁוֹאָה

Speech Noun Type Common Gender Feminine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: desolate

and desolation ×1 and in the desolation ×1 desolate ×1 from their destructions ×1 himself into that very destruction ×1 let destruction ×1 like a storm ×1 neither of the desolation ×1

More options

devastation — Broad, vivid modern term for severe destruction.

ruin — Concise and widely understood; suits narrative contexts.

destruction — Modernized from KJV; direct and forceful.

desolation — Retains wasteland imagery; good for poetic or prophetic texts.

catastrophe — Emphasizes sudden, overwhelming disaster.

wasteland — Noun form stressing resultant emptiness over the act.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB8498 H7722

[שׁוֺא] noun [masculine] ravage (?); — plural suffix שֹׁאֵיהֶם Ps 35:17 rescue me from their ravages (si vera lectio); ᵐ5 κακουργία; Ol Dy Gr Che^{Comm. plausibly} שַׁאֲגָם their roaring, compare vPs 35:16 vPs 35:17 c; We Du שֹׁאֲגִים.

BDB8499 H7722

שׁוֺאָה, שֹׁאָה noun feminine devastation, ruin, waste; — absolute ׳שׁו Isa 10:3 +, שֹׁאָה Isa 47:11; Zeph 1:15; Job 30:14 (+ Job 38:27 van d. H. Gi, but see Baer's note); construct שֹׁאַת Prov 3:25 —

1. devastation, ruin, as coming on person, Isa 10:3; Isa 47:11 (Babylon personified), Ps 35:8 a Ps 63:10 שֹׁאַת רְשָׁעִים Prov 3:25 (object genitive; || פַּחַד); וּמְשׁוֺאָה ׳(יוֺם)שׁ Zeph 1:15 probably = devastating storm, in simile Ezek 38:9 (|| עָנָן), Prov 1:27 (Qr; Kt שׁאוה; || סוּפָה). — Ps 35:8b read probably שַׁחְתֹּה his pit, ᵑ6 We (compare vPs 35:7).

2. concretely, ruin, waste, of the desert, Job 30:3 (reading אֶרֶץ for אֶמֶשׁ Ol; otherwise below 1), וּמְשׁוֺאָה ׳שׁ Job 38:27 (|| מִדְבָּר vJob 38:26); = ruins Job 30:14.

Strong's Definition H7722

desolation, destruction, desolate, destructions, storm, …

šôʾ

a tempest; by implication, devastation

(n m) ravage

devastation, ruin

Variations 8 forms of this word

Translations 12 English renderings

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Word Parts

וּ מְשֹׁאָֽה

וּ

Prefix — connector and (sometimes: but, so, then)

מְשֹׁאָֽה

Root word waste, desolation

Dictionary form: מְשׁוֹאָה · meh-shoh-AW

Vowels & Accents

Hebrew Alephbet

Grammar C/Ncfsa

Noun — Common, feminine singular, absolute state

וּ	Speech Conjunction
מְשֹׁאָֽה	Speech Noun Type Common Gender Feminine Number Singular State Absolute

In English

In the KJV here: and waste

and waste ×2 and desolation ×1

More options

desolation — Broad, formal term; fits prophetic and poetic contexts.

ruin — Concrete and vivid; good for narrative or descriptive passages.

devastation — Emphasizes the process and severity of destruction.

wasteland — Spatial nuance; highlights the resulting barren landscape.

destruction — General-purpose; suits contexts of total annihilation.

desolate place — Nominal phrase; stresses the emptied, abandoned state.

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)

BDB5406 H4876 H4875

מַשּׁוּאוֺת noun feminine plural deceptions Ps 73:18; Ps 74:3, but meaning not suitable; read probably מְשׁוֺאוֺת, see מְשׁוֺאָה below שׁוא (so Klo Now^Hup Bae).

BDB8500 H4875

מְשׁוֺאָה, מְשֹׁאָה noun feminine desolation; —

1. singular only in ׳שֹׁאָה וּמ Zeph 1:15; Job 30:3; Job 38:27, see foregoing; plural (מַשּׁוּאוֺת, read) מְשׁוֺאוֺת, so Klo Hup-Now Che^Comm. Bae Du Ps 74:3 ruins (of temple) and Ps 73:18 ruins (of one's life, figurative; but Du here derives from נשׁא: deceptions; yet compare synonym שַׁמָּה vPs 73:19).

Strong's Definition H4875

waste, desolation

mĕšôʾâ

(a) ruin, abstractly (the act) or concretely (the wreck)

desolation, ruin

Variations 3 forms of this word

Translations 2 English renderings

Job 30:2

Read Job 30

Job 30:4