כִּֽי־֭חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־֝כֹּ֗פֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃
(Job 36:18)
For wrath lest it entice you into doubt, and abundance of ransom do not let it turn you aside
Why the Stems Matter Here
This verse sits within Elihu’s discourse, a caution to Job against being pulled off course—whether by the consuming power of anger or by the deceptive weight of wealth. Both dangers are portrayed with verbs in the Hiphil, the causative stem. The grammar makes wrath and ransom into active agents that pressure Job, rather than neutral realities he simply observes.
Verb Analysis
1) יְסִיתְךָ — “lest it entice you”
- Root: סות (often written סית as a variant in later texts). Core meaning: “to incite, entice, seduce.”
- Binyan: Hiphil (causative).
- Morphology: Imperfect 3ms + 2ms suffix. Diagnostic hireq under the first radical and yod as a mater lectionis point to Hiphil.
- Function: Wrath acts as a tempter, causing Job to enter a state of doubt (סָפֶק, not mockery but “uncertainty” or “controversy”).
- Literary Effect: The Hiphil amplifies wrath into a personified force, something external that lures Job rather than a feeling he generates himself.
2) יַטֶּךָּ — “do not let it turn you aside”
- Root: נטה (“to stretch, incline, bend”).
- Binyan: Hiphil (causative).
- Morphology: Imperfect 3ms + 2ms suffix. The doubled ט with dagesh is typical for Hiphil in this root.
- Function: Wealth is depicted as a bending power—causing someone to incline or turn aside.
- Discourse Effect: The negative command (אַל) emphasizes vigilance: Job must not let wealth bend his course away from righteousness.
Binyanim in Tension
| Verb | Root | Binyan | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| יְסִיתְךָ | סות | Hiphil | Causative: wrath entices into doubt |
| יַטֶּךָּ | נטה | Hiphil | Causative: wealth bends you aside |
Echoes of the Stem
Both verbs are Hiphil, and both place Job in a web of external pressures. Wrath does not merely flare—it actively seduces. Wealth does not simply sit—it actively bends. The symmetry of forms intensifies Elihu’s warning: Job is caught between forces that seek to move him, and his struggle is not just internal willpower but resistance against causative powers pressing on him. The binyanim themselves dramatize the tension—every syllable carries the sense of being acted upon.