Job 8:11 kjv
Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?
Job 8:11 nkjv
"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water?
Job 8:11 niv
Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?
Job 8:11 esv
"Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
Job 8:11 nlt
"Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh?
Can marsh grass flourish without water?
Job 8 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit... | Righteous flourish, well-nourished |
| Jer 17:7-8 | Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord... He is like a tree planted... | Trust in God leads to thriving, like well-watered tree |
| Prov 12:3 | No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. | Wicked instability vs. righteous rootedness |
| Ps 92:12 | The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. | Righteous depicted as strong, flourishing trees |
| Isa 5:24 | ...as the root rots away and their blossom blows away like dust... | Ungodly wither like a rotting root |
| Hos 9:16 | Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they bear no fruit. | Consequences of apostasy: no fruit, dried up |
| Mt 3:10 | Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree...cut down. | Unfruitful/wicked judgment |
| Mt 7:19 | Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | Judgment on those not bearing fruit |
| Jdg 15:6 | Simeon is withered; its root is dried up; it bears no fruit... | Desolation, lacking fruitfulness |
| Prov 11:28 | Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. | Trust in wealth withers, righteousness flourishes |
| Ezek 17:9-10 | Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit... | Judgment upon broken covenant, dried vine |
| Ps 37:2 | For they soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. | Transient nature of the wicked's prosperity |
| Ps 37:35-36 | I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a luxuriant tree... then he was gone. | Sudden disappearance of the wicked |
| Jm 1:11 | For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass... | Rich man withering, akin to dying grass |
| Isa 40:24 | ...he blows on them and they wither, and the whirlwind carries them away. | God's power causing the mighty to wither |
| Jude 1:12 | ...autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted. | False teachers depicted as barren trees |
| John 15:6 | If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers... | Lack of spiritual connection leads to withering |
| Prov 2:22 | but the wicked will be cut off from the land... | Wicked removed from the land's blessing |
| Ps 52:5 | But God will break you down forever...tear you from the land of the living. | Divine judgment leads to removal, uprooting |
| Ps 73:17-19 | ...until I understood their end. Surely you set them in slippery places... | The eventual demise of the wicked is revealed |
| Gen 2:6 | But a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. | Water as essential for life from creation |
Job 8 verses
Job 8 11 Meaning
Job 8:11 is a rhetorical question posed by Bildad, one of Job’s friends, suggesting that certain plants, specifically papyrus and marsh plants, cannot thrive or even exist without their essential environmental elements: mire and water, respectively. The expected answer is an emphatic "no." This serves as an analogy to support Bildad's belief that wickedness (represented by the plant perishing) cannot escape its consequences and that prosperity is directly tied to righteousness (like a plant thriving in its proper environment).
Job 8 11 Context
Job 8:11 is part of Bildad the Shuhite's first speech to Job, immediately following Eliphaz's and Job's initial responses. Bildad's core argument in this chapter is based on conventional wisdom and retribution theology: God is just, and He punishes the wicked while rewarding the righteous. He begins by questioning Job's integrity (Job 8:2) and then posits that if Job’s children sinned, God justly punished them (Job 8:4). He then suggests that if Job genuinely sought God and was pure, God would restore him (Job 8:5-7). The verses preceding 8:11 call Job to remember the wisdom of the ancients and inquire into the lessons of past generations, setting up his argument that the short-lived prosperity of the wicked is akin to plants that thrive only under specific conditions but quickly perish when those conditions are removed. The verse serves as a general natural law observation that he will then apply directly to the ungodly, whose "hope perishes" (Job 8:13).
Job 8 11 Word analysis
- Can (הֲ, ha-): An interrogative particle at the beginning of the phrase. It introduces a rhetorical question, expecting a clear, negative answer, emphasizing the impossibility of the stated scenario.
- papyrus (גֹּמֶא, gōmeh): This refers to the papyrus plant (Cyperus papyrus), a tall, reed-like plant that grew abundantly in marshy areas, particularly along the Nile River in Egypt. Its mention here evokes its strong dependency on a specific wetland environment. It was widely used for paper, boats, and other necessities.
- grow up (יִגְאֶה, yiḡ’eh): From the root גאה (ga’ah), meaning to grow tall, lift up, become majestic, or flourish. It implies healthy, vigorous growth, not merely survival.
- without (בְּלֹא, bəlo’): A preposition meaning "without" or "lack of." It highlights the absolute necessity of the accompanying element.
- mire (בִּצָּה, biṣṣah): Refers to a swamp, bog, or marshy ground. It is the muddy, wet soil characteristic of wetland environments, essential for the growth of papyrus. The term denotes an environment rich in stagnant water and mud.
- Can (הֲ, ha-): Repeats the interrogative particle, reinforcing the rhetorical nature and impossibility of the second statement.
- the marsh plant (אָחוּ, ’āḥu): Also rendered "reed-grass" or "sedge." This term likely refers to various kinds of water-reeds or aquatic grasses common in similar marshy environments, often associated with rivers like the Nile (Gen 41:2, 18, Isa 19:7).
- flourish (יִשְׂגֶּה, yiśgeh): From the root שׂגא (saḡah), meaning to grow great, increase, abound, or flourish. Similar in meaning to
ga'ah, it emphasizes prosperity and robust growth. - without (בְּלִי, bəli): Similar to
bəlo’, indicating a lack or absence, and thus, an impossibility without it. - water (מָיִם, mayim): The essential fluid for all plant life. Its direct mention emphasizes the most fundamental requirement for aquatic plants.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Can papyrus grow up without mire?": This initial rhetorical question sets up a clear premise based on a commonly observed natural phenomenon. The linking of specific plant (
gomeh) to specific soil condition (bitzah) highlights an absolute dependence. It implies an impossibility, meaning "Papyrus cannot possibly grow up without mire." - "Can the marsh plant flourish without water?": This second rhetorical question mirrors the first, using a slightly different type of marsh vegetation (
achu) and the broader, more universal need for "water." The repetition strengthens the certainty of the "no" answer and reinforces the analogy to be drawn, indicating an equally absolute dependency. The use of "grow up" and "flourish" collectively underscore the idea of vibrant, healthy existence versus mere survival. - The combined rhetorical questions: Together, they establish a foundational, undeniable truth from nature: for something to thrive, it must have the conditions specific to its nature. Bildad uses this undeniable natural principle to pivot to his theological argument regarding the prosperity of the righteous and the inevitable demise of the wicked. He assumes a direct correlation: righteousness is the "mire/water" for human flourishing, and sin is its absence, leading to perishing.
Job 8 11 Bonus section
- Irony of Application: While the natural observation in Job 8:11 is undeniably true, its application by Bildad is flawed in the context of Job's specific situation. Job's suffering is not due to his ungodliness, a point central to the entire book's narrative. Bildad's speech exemplifies the misapplication of a true general principle to a specific, unique case without proper discernment or understanding of God's deeper purposes.
- Cultural Context (Nile connection): The papyrus and "marsh plant" (
achu) strongly evoke imagery of the Nile River delta. These plants were incredibly common and dependent on the rich, muddy, and wet conditions of that region. The audience would have immediately recognized the absolute dependency being described, making the analogy vivid and compelling within their shared understanding of the natural world. - Theological Blind Spot: Bildad's assertion reveals a theological blind spot prevalent in his circles – a strict cause-and-effect relationship where blessing directly follows righteousness and suffering directly follows sin. The Book of Job directly challenges this dogma, highlighting that divine wisdom operates in ways that human reason, even through ancient proverbs, cannot fully grasp.
- Proverbial Wisdom: This verse has the ring of ancient Near Eastern proverbial wisdom, which often drew parallels between natural phenomena and moral/spiritual truths. It highlights how common wisdom, while often generally true, can be severely limited when applied rigidly or without spiritual discernment to specific, complex situations.
Job 8 11 Commentary
Job 8:11 functions as a crucial piece of conventional wisdom in Bildad's argument against Job. Using the undeniable reality of a papyrus or marsh plant's dependence on mire and water, Bildad draws an analogy that aligns with the rigid retribution theology of his time: just as these plants cannot flourish without their essential elements, so too can an individual not prosper without righteousness. The rhetorical questions demand a clear "no" and aim to illustrate that an "ungodly" person, by definition, lacks the foundational spiritual nourishment required for true, lasting life, hence their ultimate demise. This verse, though rooted in a universal natural observation, becomes flawed in its application to Job's situation. Bildad assumes Job's suffering is a direct result of hidden sin, effectively labeling Job as "without mire and water" for his soul. However, the book of Job as a whole challenges this simplistic correlation, demonstrating that suffering can exist outside the bounds of sin, thus making Bildad's otherwise valid analogy tragically misapplied to the righteous Job. The verse, therefore, represents both a clear biblical truth about necessary conditions for thriving, and a subtle pointer to the inadequacy of a purely retributive framework for understanding divine justice in all its complexities.