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Wycliffe Bible
Job 30:2
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- HolmanParallel Translations
What use to me was the strength of their hands?Their vigor had left them.
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, Men in whom ripe age has perished?
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
What could I gain from the strength of their hands, men whose vigor is gone?
What use did I have for their strength since they had lost their strength to work?
Moreover, the strength of their hands— what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished;
"Indeed, how could the strength of their hands profit me? Vigor had perished from them.
"Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them.
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, Men in whom ripe age has perished?
For whereto shoulde the strength of their handes haue serued mee, seeing age perished in them?
Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?Vigor had perished from them.
What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?
And those who insult me are helpless themselves.
What use to me was the strength in their hands? All their vigor had left them.
Yea, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
Their fathers are still too weak to be of any use to me. All their strength is gone.
Whose fathers I have disdained, and did not consider them equal to the dogs of my flocks.
They were a bunch of worn-out men, too weak to do any work for me.
Moreover, what use to me is the strength of their hands? With them, vigor is destroyed.
Also, what profit for me was the strength of their hands; for full vigor had perished from them?
The power & stregth of their hades might do me no good, & as for their age, it is spet & past awaye without eny profit.
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me? all force is gone from them.
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? men in whom ripe age is perished.
Yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom olde age was perished?
For wherto might the strength of their handes haue serued me? for the time was but lost among them.
Yea, why had I the strength of their hands? for them the full term of life was lost.
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? men in whom ripe age is perished.
Yes, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age has perished.
Yes, to what [might] the strength of their hands [profit] me, in whom old age had perished?
Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me? Their vigor has perished.
A lot of good they are to me— those worn-out wretches!
Yes, what good could I get from the strength of their hands? Their strength was gone.
What could I gain from the strength of their hands? All their vigor is gone.
Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.
What could I gain from the strength of their hands, men whose vigor is gone?
Also -- the power of their hands, why [is it] to me? On them hath old age perished.
"Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 12:1 - while Philemon 1:11 - unprofitable
Cross-References
the Lord hath closid me, that Y schulde not bere child; entre thou to my seruauntesse, if in hap Y schal take children, nameli of hir. And whanne he assentide to hir preiynge, sche took Agar Egipcian,
for God hadde closid ech wombe of the hows of Abymelech, for Sare, the wijf of Abraham.
And Isaac bisouyte the Lord for his wijf, for sche was bareyn; and the Lord herde him, and yaf conseiuyng to Rebecca.
Forsothe the Lord seiy that he dispiside Lya, and openyde hir wombe while the sistir dwellide bareyn.
and whanne the hosebonde hadde entrid to hir, sche conseyuede, and childide a sone.
And Rachel seide, the Lord demede to me, and herde my preier, and yaf a sone to me; and therfor sche clepide his name Dan.
and Lia seide, This is for my blis, for alle wymmen schulen seie me blessid; therfor sche clepide hym Aser.
Forsothe Ruben yede out in to the feeld in the tyme of wheete heruest, and foond mandragis, whiche he brouyte to Lya, his modir. And Rachel seide, Yyue thou to me a part of the mandragis of thi sone.
And Jacob bolnyde, and seide with strijf, For what cause of me, and for what synne of me, hast thou come so fersly aftir me,
To whiche he answeride, Nyle ye drede; whether we moun ayenstonde Goddis wille?
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Yea, whereto [might] the strength of their hands [profit] me,.... For though they were strong, lusty, hale men, able to do business, yet their strength was to sit still and fold their hands in their bosoms, so that their strength was of no profit or avail to themselves or others; they were so slothful and lazy, that Job could not employ them in any business of his to any advantage to himself; and this may be one reason, among others, why he disdained to set them with the dogs of his flock to keep it; for the fathers seem to be intended all along to Job 30:8; though it matters not much to which of them the words are applied, since they were like father like son:
in whom old age was perished? who did not arrive to old age, but were soon consumed by their lusts, or cut off for their sins; and so the strength and labour of their hands, had they been employed, would have been of little worth; because the time of their continuance in service would have been short, especially being idle and slothful: some understand it of a lively and vigorous old age, such as was in Moses; but this being not in them, they were unfit for business, see Job 5:26; or they had not the endowments of old age, the experience, wisdom, and prudence of ancient persons, to contrive, conduct, and manage affairs, or direct in the management of them, which would make up for lack of strength and labour. Ben Gersom, Bar Tzemach, and others, interpret the word of time, or the time of life, that was perished or lost in them; their whole course of life, being spent in sloth and idleness, was all lost time.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me - There has been much difference of opinion respecting the meaning of this passage. The general sense is clear. Job means to describe those who were reduced by poverty and want, and who were without respectability or home, and who had no power in any way to affect him. He states that they were so abject and worthless as not to be worth his attention; but even this fact is intended to show how low he was himself reduced, since even the most degraded ranks in life did not show any respect to one who had been honored by princes. The Vulgate renders this, “The strength - virtus - of whose hands is to me as nothing, and they are regarded as unworthy of life.” The Septuagint, “And the strength of their hands what is it to me? Upon whom perfection - συντέλεια sunteleia - has perished.” Coverdale, “The power and strength of their hands might do me no good, and as for their age, it is spent and passed away without any profit.” The literal translation is, “Even the strength of their hands, what is it to me?” The meaning is, that their power was not worth regarding. They were abject, feeble, and reduced by hunger - poor emaciated creatures, who could do him neither good nor evil. Yet this fact did not make him feel less the indignity of being treated by such vagrants with scorn.
In whom old age was perished - Or, rather, in whom vigor, or the power of accomplishing, anything, has ceased. The word כלח kelach, means “completion,” or the act or power of finishing or completing anything. Then it denotes old age - age as “finished” or “completed;” Job 5:26. Here it means the maturity or vigor which would enable a man to complete or accomplish anything, and the idea is, that in these persons this had utterly perished. Reduced by hunger and want, they had no power of effecting anything, and were unworthy of regard. The word used here occurs only in this book in Hebrew Job 5:26; Job 30:2, but is common in Arabic; where it refers to the “wrinkles,” the “wanness,” and the “austere aspect” of the countenance, especially in age. See “Castell’s Lex.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 30:2. The strength of their hands profit me — He is speaking here of the fathers of these young men. What was the strength of their hands to me? Their old age also has perished. The sense of which I believe to be this: I have never esteemed their strength even in their most vigorous youth, nor their conduct, nor their counsel even in old age. They were never good for any thing, either young or old. As their youth was without profit, so their old age was without honour. See Calmet.
Mr. Good contends that the words are Arabic, and should be translated according to the meaning in that language, and the first clause of the third verse joined to the latter clause of the second, without which no good meaning can be elicited so as to keep properly close to the letter. I shall give the Hebrew text, Mr. Good's Arabic, and its translation: -
The Hebrew text is this: -
עלימו אבד כלח
aleymo abad calach
בחסר ובכפן גלמוד
becheser ubechaphan galmud
The Arabic version this: -
[Arabic]
[Arabic]
Which he translates thus: -
"With whom crabbed looks are perpetual,
From hunger and flinty famine."
This translation is very little distant from the import of the present Hebrew text, if it may be called Hebrew, when the principal words are pure Arabic, and the others constructively so.
