Job 2:8

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ חֶ֔רֶשׂ לְהִתְגָּרֵ֖ד בּ֑וֹ וְה֖וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּתוֹךְ־הָאֵֽפֶר׃

Transliteration

wə-yiqqaḥ-lô ḥeres lə-hiṯgārēḏ bô wə-hûʾ yōšēḇ bə-ṯôḵ-the-ʾēp̄er.

Grammar Details

• *wə-yiqqaḥ*: conjunction + qal imperfect 3ms - and he took
• *lô*: preposition + 3ms suffix - for himself
• *ḥeres*: noun masculine singular - potsherd
• *lə-hiṯgārēḏ*: preposition + hithpael infinitive construct - to scrape himself
• *bô*: preposition + 3ms suffix - with it
• *wə-hûʾ*: conjunction + personal pronoun 3ms - and he
• *yōšēḇ*: qal participle masculine singular - sitting
• *bə-ṯôḵ*: preposition + noun masculine singular construct - in the midst of
• *ʾēp̄er*: noun masculine singular - ashes

Word Meanings

• *ḥeres*: potsherd/piece of broken pottery
• *lə-hiṯgārēḏ*: to scrape himself/to scratch himself
• *yōšēḇ bə-ṯôḵ-ʾēp̄er*: sitting in ashes/sitting in the dust-heap (sign of mourning)

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat down among the ashes.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he took{H3947} him a potsherd{H2789} to scrape{H1623} himself therewith; and he sat{H3427} among{H8432} the ashes.{H665}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he took{H3947}{(H8799)} him a potsherd{H2789} to scrape{H1623}{(H8692)} himself withal; and he sat down{H3427}{(H8802)} among{H8432} the ashes{H665}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  so that he sat vpon the grounde in the asshes, and scraped of the etter off his sores with a potsherde.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he toke a potsharde to scrape hym: and he sat downe among the asshes.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he taketh to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes.

Referenced Verses

• Job 42:6 : 6 Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
• Ezek 27:30 : 30 They will mourn over you with loud cries, bitterly wailing, throwing dust on their heads and rolling in ashes.
• Jonah 3:6 : 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
• Matt 11:21 : 21 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.’
• Luke 16:20-21 : 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores. 21 He longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
• Ps 38:5 : 5 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.
• Ps 38:7 : 7 I am bent over and deeply bowed down; all day long I go about mourning.
• Isa 61:3 : 3 To provide for those who mourn in Zion—giving them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of faintness. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord to display His splendor.
• Jer 6:26 : 26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn as for an only son, with bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
• 2 Sam 13:19 : 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping loudly as she went.
• Job 19:14-17 : 14 My relatives have ceased to be close, and my close friends have forgotten me. 15 The guests in my house and my maidservants regard me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes. 16 I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I must plead with him with my own mouth. 17 My breath is offensive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own children.