אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹ֑ו וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בֹּ֝֗ו לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃
(Job 8:18)
If it swallows him from his place, then it will deny him, saying: “I have not seen you.”
Word-by-Word Explanation
- אִם־ – “if.” A conditional particle that sets up a possibility or situation.
- יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ – “it swallows him.” From בָּלַע (“to swallow, engulf”), imperfect 3rd masculine singular. The suffix -נּוּ = “him.”
- מִמְּקֹומֹו – “from his place.” The preposition מִן (“from”) assimilates before מָקוֹם, giving מִמְּקוֹם. The suffix -וֹ = “his.”
- וְכִחֶשׁ – “and it will deny.” From כָּחַשׁ (“to deny, lie, deceive”). This is a vav + imperfect (not wayyiqtol), functioning here as a consequence clause: “and so it will deny him.”
- בֹּו – “concerning him / about him.” Preposition בְּ + suffix -וֹ (“him”).
- לֹא – “not.” Negation particle.
- רְאִיתִיךָ – “I have seen you.” From רָאָה (“to see”), perfect 1st person singular + suffix -ךָ (“you,” masculine singular). With לֹא, the phrase is: “I have not seen you.”
Word Order and Sentence Flow
The verse has a conditional structure:
- אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹו – “If it swallows him from his place…”
- וְכִחֶשׁ בֹּו – “…then it will deny him…”
- לֹא רְאִיתִיךָ – “…saying: ‘I have not seen you.’”
The subject is the “place” itself, which is personified. First, it swallows him up; then, in bitter irony, it lies and denies he was ever there: “I have not seen you.”
Conditional Flow Diagram
| Condition | Consequence | Denial Speech |
|---|---|---|
| אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹו If it swallows him from his place |
וְכִחֶשׁ בֹּו Then it will deny him |
לֹא רְאִיתִיךָ “I have not seen you.” |
Hebrew Sentence Building
This is not simple narrative but Hebrew poetry, so the verb וְכִחֶשׁ is best understood as “and it will deny,” a future consequence. The irony lies in the denial: the place did indeed “see” him, since it once contained him, yet now disowns him with a false claim. Hebrew poetry often personifies the earth in this way to drive home its sharp images.
Hebrew Unlocked!
Here you’ve met a conditional structure (אִם), suffixes attached to verbs (-נּוּ = “him,” -ךָ = “you”), and the subtle use of vav + imperfect to express consequence. You also saw how Hebrew poetry makes the ground itself speak, only to lie and deny what it once held. Step by step, you are learning how Hebrew’s grammar and imagery work together to create unforgettable poetry.
