King James Version

Job 12:23

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

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Hebrew

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מַשְׂגִּ֣יאmasgiincreaseשָׂגָאverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “increase”, a verb used as a describing wordH7679to grow, i.e. (causatively) to enlarge, (figuratively) laudincrease, magnify.לַ֭גּוֹיִםlagoyimto Gentileגּוֹיpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑םvayabdemand destroyאָבַדconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and destroy”, the next action in the storyH6properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.שֹׁטֵ֥חַshotechaenlargeשָׁטַחverb, qal, participle, absolute — “enlarge”, a verb used as a describing wordH7849to expandall abroad, enlarge, spread, stretch out.לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗םlagoyimto Gentileגּוֹיpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.וַיַּנְחֵֽםvayanchemand guideנָחָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and guide”, the next action in the storyH5148to guide; by implication, to transport (into exile, or as colonists)bestow, bring, govern, guide, lead (forth), put, straiten.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

Young’s Literal Translation

Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

World English Bible

He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

Darby Translation

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;

Douay-Rheims

He multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them, and restoreth them again after they were overthrown.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Causing the nations to wander, and destroying them: overthrowing the nations, and leading them away .

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Πλανῶν ἔθνη καὶ ἀπολλύων αὐτὰ, καταστρωννύων ἔθνη καὶ καθοδηγῶν αὐτά.