Lectionary Calendar
Monday, September 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Wycliffe Bible

Job 16:3

Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Persecution;   Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Job;   Silence-Speech;   Words;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Provocation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Is there no end to your empty words?What provokes you that you continue testifying?
Hebrew Names Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
King James Version
Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
English Standard Version
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
New Century Version
Will your long-winded speeches never end? What makes you keep on arguing?
New English Translation
Will there be an end to your windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Amplified Bible
"Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind? Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?
New American Standard Bible
"Is there no end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
World English Bible
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall there be none ende of wordes of winde? or what maketh thee bold so to answere?
Legacy Standard Bible
Is there no end to windy words?Or what pains you that you answer?
Berean Standard Bible
Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?
Contemporary English Version
So why don't you keep quiet? What's bothering you?
Complete Jewish Bible
Is there no end to words of wind? What provokes you to answer this way?
Darby Translation
Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Easy-to-Read Version
Your long speeches never end! Why do you continue arguing?
George Lamsa Translation
Do not grieve my spirit with words; even though you speak, I will not answer.
Good News Translation
Are you going to keep on talking forever? Do you always have to have the last word?
Lexham English Bible
Is there a limit to windy words? What provokes you that you answer?
Literal Translation
Is there an end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Shall not thy vayne wordes come yet to an ende? Or, hast thou yet eny more to saye?
American Standard Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Bible in Basic English
May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
King James Version (1611)
Shall vaine words haue an ende? or what emboldeneth thee, that thou answerest?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Shall not vaine wordes come yet to an ende? Or what maketh thee bolde so to aunswere?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder thee from answering?
English Revised Version
Shall vain words have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Update Bible Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Webster's Bible Translation
Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
New King James Version
Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
New Living Translation
Won't you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking?
New Life Bible
Is there no end to your words that are full of wind? What is your problem that you keep on talking?
New Revised Standard
Have windy words no limit? Or what provokes you that you keep on talking?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
Revised Standard Version
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Young's Literal Translation
Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?

Contextual Overview

1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, 2 Y `herde ofte siche thingis; alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris. 3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist? 4 Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you; 5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

vain words: Heb. words of wind, Job 6:26, Job 8:2, Job 15:2

what emboldeneth: Job 20:3, Job 32:3-6, Matthew 22:46, Titus 1:11, Titus 2:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:9 - vain words Job 6:25 - what doth Job 11:2 - the multitude Job 13:5 - General Job 15:3 - he reason Job 18:2 - How long Job 27:12 - altogether Romans 9:20 - repliest

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Therfor Sarai, wijf of Abram, hadde not gendrid fre children; but sche hadde a seruauntesse of Egipt, Agar bi name, and seide to hir hosebonde, Lo!
Genesis 16:4
And Abram entride to Agar; and Agar seiy that sche hadde conseyued, and sche dispiside hir ladi.
Genesis 16:5
And Saray seide to Abram, Thou doist wickidli ayens me; I yaf my seruauntesse in to thi bosum, which seeth, that sche conseyuede, and dispisith me; the Lord deme betwixe me and thee.
Genesis 25:6
sotheli he yaf yiftis to the sones of concubyns; and Abraham, while he lyuede yit, departide hem fro Ysaac, his sone, to the eest coost.
Genesis 28:9
And he yede to Ismael, and weddide a wijf, with out these whiche he hadde bifore, Melech, the douyter of Ismael, sone of Abraham, the sistir of Nabaioth.
Genesis 30:4
And sche yaf to hym Bala in to matrimony;
Genesis 30:9
Lya feelide that sche ceesside to bere child, and sche yaf Selfa, hir handmayde, to the hosebonde.
Genesis 32:22
And whanne Jacob hadde arise auysseli, he took hise twei wyues, and so many seruauntessis with enleuen sones, and passide the forthe of Jaboth.
Genesis 35:22
And while he dwellide in that cuntrei, Ruben yede, and slepte with Bala, the secundarie wijf of his fadir, which thing was not hid fro hym. Forsothe the sones of Jacob weren twelue;
2 Samuel 5:13
Therfor Dauid took yit concubyns, and wyues of Jerusalem, after that he cam fro Ebron; and also othere sones and douytris weren borun to Dauid.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall vain words have an end?.... Or "words of wind" k, vain empty words, great swelling words of vanity, mere bubbles that look big, and have nothing in them; here Job retorts what Eliphaz had insinuated concerning him and his words, Job 15:2; and he intimates such worthless discourses should have an end, and a speedy one, and not be carried on to any length, they not bearing it; and wishes they were at an end, that he might hear no more of them; and suggests that it was weak and foolish in them to continue them; that if they could speak to no better purpose, it would be best to be silent:

or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? when men are engaged in a good cause, have truth on their side, and are furnished with arguments sufficient to defend it, this animates and emboldens them to stand up in the defence of it, and to answer their adversaries, and to reply when there is occasion; but Job could not imagine what should encourage and spirit up Eliphaz to answer again, when he had been sufficiently confuted; when his cause was bad, and he had no strong reasons to produce in the vindication of it; or "what has exasperated" or "provoked thee" l to make reply? here Job seems to have thought that he had said nothing that was irritating, though it is notorious he had, such were his grief and troubles; and so well assured he was of his being in the right, that the harsh and severe words and expressions he had used were not thought by him to have exceeded due bounds, such as

Job 12:2.

k לדברי רוח "verbis venti", Beza, Bolducius, Mercerus, Schmidt, Michaelis. l מה ימריצך "quid exacerbat te", Junius Tremellius so Codureus, Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall vain words? - Margin, As in Hebrew words of wind; that is, words which were devoid of thought-light, trifling. This is a retort on Eliphaz. He had charged Job Job 15:2-3 with uttering only such words. Such forms of expression are common in the East. “His promise, it is only wind.” “Breath, breath: all breath.” Roberts.

Or what emboldeneth thee? - “What provokes or irritates thee, that thou dost answer in this manner? What have I said, that has given occasion to such a speech - a speech so severe and unkind?” The Syriac reads this, “do not afflict me any more with speeches; for if you speak any more, I will not answer you.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 16:3. Vain words — Literally, words of air.

What emboldeneth thee — Thou art totally ignorant of the business; what then can induce thee to take part in this discussion?


 
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