Job 12:8

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃

Transliteration

ʾô śîaḥ lā-ʾāreṣ wə-tôrekā wî-sapprû ləkā dəgê ha-yām

Grammar Details

*ʾô*: conjunction - or
*śîaḥ*: qal imperative, masculine singular - speak/meditate
*lā-ʾāreṣ*: preposition + definite article + noun, feminine singular - to the earth
*wə-tôrekā*: conjunction + hiphil imperfect, 3rd feminine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - and it will teach you
*wî-sapprû*: conjunction + piel imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - and they will recount/declare
*ləkā*: preposition + 2nd masculine singular suffix - to you
*dəgê*: noun, masculine plural construct - fish of
*ha-yām*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the sea

Word Meanings

*śîaḥ*: speak to/commune with/talk to
*ʾāreṣ*: earth/land/ground
*tôrekā*: will teach you/instruct you
*sapprû*: will recount/narrate/declare
*dəgê*: fish of/aquatic creatures of
*yām*: sea/ocean/large body of water

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

ESVNIVCSBNLTNASBNET

Additional Resources

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Job 12:7
88%
7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:
Ps 8:7-8
2 verses
79%
7All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
Job 8:10
75%
10Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, And utter words out of their heart?
Job 35:11
74%
11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?
Job 12:9
74%
9Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,
Deut 4:18
72%
18the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;
Hab 1:14-15
2 verses
72%
14and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15He taketh up all of them with the angle, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them in his drag: therefore he rejoiceth and is glad.
Ps 148:10
71%
10Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying birds;
Deut 32:1
71%
1Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
Ps 104:24-27
4 verses
70%
24O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches.
25Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts.
26There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein.
27These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
1 Kgs 4:33
70%
33And he spake of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
Hos 4:3
70%
3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
Job 15:8
70%
8Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?
Jas 3:7
70%
7For every kind of beasts and birds, {G5037} of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind.
Ps 98:7-8
2 verses
70%
7Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein;
8Let the floods clap their hands; Let the hills sing for joy together
Job 38:16
70%
16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
1 Chr 16:32
69%
32Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; Let the field exult, and all that is therein;
Gen 9:2
69%
2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered.
Job 38:18
69%
18Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.
Ps 148:7
69%
7Praise Jehovah from the earth, Ye sea-monsters, and all deeps.
Prov 8:29
69%
29When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;
Job 34:16
69%
16If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words.
Job 15:17
69%
17I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:
Job 38:33-34
2 verses
69%
33Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?
Job 42:4
68%
4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 33:33
68%
33If not, hearken thou unto me: Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
Job 36:30
68%
30Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.
Jonah 2:10
68%
10And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Luke 12:12
68%
12for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.
Job 38:4
68%
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Job 5:23
68%
23For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
Job 28:14
68%
14The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
Ps 69:34
68%
34Let heaven and earth praise him, The seas, and everything that moveth therein.
Job 7:12
68%
12Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?
Job 41:1
68%
1Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Job 6:24
68%
24Teach me, and I will hold my peace; And cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
Ps 107:24
68%
24These see the works of Jehovah, And his wonders in the deep.
Gen 1:20
68%
20And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Job 9:8
67%
8That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;
Job 37:20
67%
20Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?
Job 8:8
67%
8For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:
Job 12:15
67%
15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Gen 1:22
67%
22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.