בָּ֭נָיו יְרַצּ֣וּ דַלִּ֑ים וְ֝יָדָ֗יו תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָה אֹונֹֽו׃
(Job 20:10)
His sons will seek favor from the poor, and his hands will return his strength.
“Each suffix and verb you unpack is another key to hearing Hebrew’s poetic irony.”
Word-by-Word Explanation
- בָּנָיו — “his sons.” From בֵּן (“son”) + plural + suffix -ָיו (“his”).
- יְרַצּוּ — “they will seek favor / beg.” Qal imperfect 3mp from רָצָה (“to be pleased, accept”). In this poetic context, it conveys humiliation: “seek favor from” or “beg from.”
- דַלִּים — “the poor.” Plural of דַּל (“poor, weak, lowly”). The ironic reversal is that the rich man’s children now depend on those they once despised.
- וְיָדָיו — “and his hands.” Conjunction וְ + noun יָד (“hand”) + suffix -ָיו (“his”).
- תָּשֵׁבְנָה — “will return.” Qal imperfect feminine plural from שׁוּב (“to return”), agreeing with יָדָיו (“his hands”).
- אֹונֹו — “his strength / wealth.” From אֹון (“strength, vigor, wealth”) + suffix -וֹ (“his”). The sense here is ironic: his own hands undo what his strength had gained.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
The verse is arranged as two parallel lines of poetic reversal:
- בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים — “His sons will beg from the poor.”
- וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אֹונֹו — “And his hands will return his strength.”
In Job’s poetic irony, the proud man’s children are reduced to dependence, and his own strength is not a gain but something surrendered. What he built is given back — a loss, not a restoration.
Parallelism Chart
| First Clause | Second Clause |
|---|---|
| בָּנָיו — his sons | וְיָדָיו — his hands |
| יְרַצּוּ — will seek favor | תָּשֵׁבְנָה — will return |
| דַלִּים — the poor | אֹונֹו — his strength |
How the Sentence Works (Beginner’s View)
- Suffixes show possession: -ָיו = “his” (sons, hands), -וֹ = “his” (strength).
- Imperfect verbs: יְרַצּוּ and תָּשֵׁבְנָה signal future results — the downfall yet to come.
- Poetic irony: The once-mighty man’s children are reduced to beggars, and his strength is not restored but given back, undone by his own hands.
Hebrew Unlocked!
By following this verse step by step, you’ve learned how Hebrew uses suffixes for possession, imperfect verbs for future consequence, and parallelism to intensify irony. Instead of a rich man’s triumph, Job paints his collapse: sons begging, strength returned. You’re seeing how Biblical Hebrew weds grammar and meaning into sharp, unforgettable poetry.
