King James Version

Job 3:20

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

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Hebrew

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לָ֤מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יִתֵּ֣ןyitengiveנָתַןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “give”, an unfinished actionH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…לְעָמֵ֣לleamelto that labourethעָמֵלpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to that laboureth”, the ordinary formH6001toiling; concretely, a laborer; figuratively, sorrowfulthat laboureth, that is a misery, had taken (labour), wicked, workman.א֑וֹרorbrightאוֹרnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “bright”, the ordinary formH216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun.וְ֝חַיִּ֗יםvechayimand lifeחַיconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.לְמָ֣רֵיlemareto bitterמַרpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “to bitter”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.נָֽפֶשׁnafeshcreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “creature”, the ordinary formH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul —

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul;

Young’s Literal Translation

Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?

World English Bible

“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,

Darby Translation

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

Douay-Rheims

Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul —

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For why is light given to those who are in bitterness, and life to the souls which are in griefs?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἱνατί γὰρ δέδοται τοῖς ἐν πικρίᾳ φῶς; ζωὴ δὲ ταῖς ἐν ὀδύναις ψυχαῖς,