JOB 3:12 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

OET (OET-RV) Why was I accepted onto her lap?
 ⇔ ≈And onto those breasts to suckle?

Key: yellow:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BSB Why were there knees to receive me,
⇔ and breasts that I should be nursed?

OEB Why on the knees was I welcomed,
⇔ And why were there breasts to suck?

WEB Why did the knees receive me?
⇔ Or why the breast, that I should nurse?

NET Why did the knees welcome me,
 ⇔ and why were there two breasts
 ⇔ that I might nurse at them?

LSV Why have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?

FBV Why was there a lap for me to lie on, or breasts for me to suck?

T4T I wish that my mother had not [RHQ] allowed me to live.
⇔ I wish that she had not nursed me.

LEB • the knees receive me and the breasts, that I could suck?

BBE Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

MOF No MOF JOB book available

JPS Why did the knees receive me? And wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

ASV Why did the knees receive me?
 ⇔ Or why the breasts, that I should suck?

DRA Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

YLT Wherefore have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?

DBY Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

RV Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts, that I should suck?

WBS Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts that I should be nursed?

KJB Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

BB Why set they me vpon their knees? why gaue they me sucke with their brestes?
(Why set they me upon their knees? why gave they me suck with their brestes?)

GNV Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?
(Why did the knees prevent me? and why did I suck the breasts? )

CB Why set they me vpo yeir knees? Why gaue they me suck with their brestes?
(Why set they me upo yeir knees? Why gave they me suck with their brestes?)

WYC Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis?
(Whi was I taken on knees? why was I suclid with teetis?)

LUT Warum hat man mich auf den Schoß gesetzet? Warum bin ich mit Brüsten gesäuget?
(Warum has man me on the Schoß gesetzet? Warum bin I with Brüsten gesäuget?)

CLV Quare exceptus genibus? cur lactatus uberibus?

BRN And why did the knees support me? and why did I suck the breasts?

BrLXX Ἱνατί δὲ συνήντησάν μοι τὰ γόνατα; ἱνατί δὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα;
(Hinati de sunaʸntaʸsan moi ta gonata? hinati de mastous ethaʸlasa? )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Complaints

The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).

Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).

Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Passages for Further Study

Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּ⁠נִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּ⁠מַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק

why receive,me knees and,why breasts that/for/because/then/when suck

Job is using the question form for emphasis. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: “I wish that knees had not welcomed me, and breasts, that I should have sucked!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּ⁠נִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּ⁠מַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק

why receive,me knees and,why breasts that/for/because/then/when suck

Job is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “Why did knees welcome me, and why did breasts welcome me so that I could suck?”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּ⁠נִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּ⁠מַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק

why receive,me knees and,why breasts that/for/because/then/when suck

Job is using parts of his mother to mean all of his mother in the act of nursing him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Why did my mother hold me on her knees and nurse me?”

Parallel JOB 3:12