Poetry of Parallelism: The Enigmatic Syntax of Job 5:7

כִּֽי־֭אָדָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־֝רֶ֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃

Job 5:7 stands as one of the most cryptic and evocative verses in the Book of Job. The verse presents two parallel poetic lines that pair abstract metaphors with declarative truths:

“For man is born to toil, and the sons of Reshef fly upward.”

The poetic force lies not only in the stark imagery but also in the grammar. This article examines the syntactic structure of Hebrew poetry, with special attention to the parallelism between אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָּד and וּבְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף, and what happens when syntax serves mystery rather than clarity.

Word-by-Word Morphology

1. כִּֽי (kī) –
   Root: – ;
   Form: subordinating conjunction;
   Translation: “For / because”;
   Notes: Often marks causal or explanatory clauses in poetry and wisdom literature.
2. אָדָם (ʾādām) –
   Root: א־ד־ם;
   Form: masculine singular noun;
   Translation: “man” or “human”;
   Notes: Generic use of humankind.
3. לְעָמָל (ləʿāmāl) –
   Root: ע־מ־ל;
   Form: preposition + masculine noun;
   Translation: “for toil”;
   Notes: Indicates purpose or destiny: “for hardship / labor.”
4. יוּלָּד (yullād) –
   Root: י־ל־ד;
   Form: Pual imperfect 3ms;
   Translation: “is born”;
   Notes: Passive form—“man is born (for)…”
5. וּבְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף (ūvənê-Reshef) –
   Root: ב־נ־ה, proper noun רֶשֶׁף;
   Form: conjunction + construct noun + proper noun;
   Translation: “and the sons of Reshef”;
   Notes: Reshef may refer to a Canaanite deity, lightning, or burning heat—imagery of chaos or destruction.
6. יַגְבִּיהוּ (yagbīhū) –
   Root: ג־ב־ה;
   Form: Hifil imperfect 3mp;
   Translation: “they cause to soar / raise high”;
   Notes: Hifil stem gives causative sense—“they make… rise”
7. עוּף (ʿūf) –
   Root: ע־ו־ף;
   Form: infinitive or noun;
   Translation: “flight” or “to fly”;
   Notes: May serve as object of the verb: “they raise flight” or “they fly upward”

Parallelism and Interpretation

These two lines mirror one another in structure but contrast in tone. The first clause is grounded: man, toil, earth. The second soars: sons of fire or lightning, lifting flight skyward. The verse may encode an antithetical parallelism where suffering below parallels danger or wrath above.

Reshef and the Imagery of Fire

The phrase בְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף is rare and open to interpretation. רֶשֶׁף may be:

• A Canaanite deity associated with plague, fire, or lightning
• A poetic personification of burning arrows or destructive agents
• A symbol of chaos, war, or divine wrath

In Deuteronomy 32:24, we read רֶשֶׁף וְקֶטֶב—“Reshef and pestilence.” Here in Job, “sons of Reshef” may symbolize unstoppable forces—fiery, upward-moving, beyond human control. This enriches the poetic tension: humanity is born for labor, but chaos rises like flame or lightning, unstoppable.

The Destiny of Dust, the Ascent of Flame

Job 5:7 offers more than fatalism—it sets human struggle within a cosmic structure. Hebrew poetry does not always explain; it often juxtaposes. The grammar here supports contrast: the passive verb יוּלָּד versus the active יַגְבִּיהוּ; the grounded אָדָם versus the soaring בְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף. The sentence structure mirrors the drama of the cosmos: earthbound toil versus ascending fire.

Thus, Job’s lament takes shape not only in images, but in syntax—in the very architecture of the Hebrew clause.