הֵ֤ן קֶ֣דֶם אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וְ֝אָחֹ֗ור וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֹֽו׃
(Job 23:8)
Poetry of Absence
This verse from Job powerfully expresses the despair of divine absence. The syntax is both elliptical and compressed, typical of Biblical Hebrew poetry, but particularly poignant here. Job’s search for God turns into a journey through linguistic voids—forward, backward, but without understanding.
Clause-by-Clause Breakdown
1. הֵן קֶ֣דֶם אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ
– הֵן – “Behold,” marks a shift to a narrative declaration.
– קֶ֣דֶם – “forward” or “east,” serving as a directional adverb.
– אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ – “I go” (1cs, qal imperfect), a dynamic action verb.
– וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ – “but he is not there,” using a negative existential construction (literally: “and he is not”).
The clause builds tension: movement yields no divine encounter.
2. וְאָחֹ֗ור וְלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֹֽו
– וְאָחֹ֗ור – “and backward” (adverbial use, no verb).
– וְלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֹֽו – “and I do not perceive him”
– אָבִין is hiphil imperfect 1cs from ב־י־ן, causative: “to perceive, understand.”
– לֹו – “to him,” expressing indirect object.
Here, the verb “understand/perceive” is used instead of “see,” which gives the clause an added cognitive-emotional dimension.
Chiasm and Parallelism
There is syntactic parallelism in direction:
– First clause: forward (קֶ֣דֶם)… then nothing.
– Second clause: backward (אָחֹ֗ור)… no understanding.
This mirrors Job’s confusion. Movement is physically linear but grammatically paralyzed. Syntax serves the poetic function of despair.
Why the Imperfect?
The use of the imperfect tense (אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ, אָבִ֥ין) conveys repeated or attempted action—Job keeps trying but never arrives.
Disorientation as Structure
The syntax reflects theological disorientation:
– No main clause leads to resolution.
– No mention of God by name—only inference: אֵינֶ֑נּוּ, לֹו.
– The verbs do not deliver success, only negation.
Syntax That Wanders
This verse is a syntactic journey mirroring spiritual dislocation. Job moves, but grammar negates. The parallel clauses—moving forward and back—collapse under the weight of the missing subject: God. What remains is a structure of absence.
