Job 8 · Verse 16

Job 8:16

He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
Job 8:16, King James Version

Job 8:16 in other translations

BSBHe is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.
WEBHe is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.
ASVHe is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.
YLTGreen he is before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.
DARBYHe is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;
BBEHe is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.
WebsterHe is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

What does Job 8:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. before the sun--that is, he (the godless) is green only before the sun rises; but he cannot bear its heat, and withers. So succulent plants like the gourd (Jon 4:7, 8). But the widespreading in the garden does not quite accord with this. Better, "in sunshine"; the sun representing the smiling fortune of the hypocrite, during which he wondrously progresses [Umbreit]. The image is that of weeds growing in rank luxuriance and spreading over even heaps of stones and walls, and then being speedily torn away.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 He is green before the sun - This is another metaphor. The wicked is represented as a luxuriant plant, in a good soil, with all the advantages of a good situation; well exposed to the sun; the roots intervolving themselves with stones, so as to render the tree more stable; but suddenly a blast comes, and the tree begins to die. The sudden fading of its leaves, etc., shows that its root is become as rottenness, and its vegetable life destroyed. I have often observed sound and healthy trees, which were flourishing in all the pride of vegetative health, suddenly struck by some unknown and incomprehensible blast, begin to die away, and perish from the roots. I have seen also the prosperous wicked, in the inscrutable dispensations of the Divine providence, blasted, stripped, made bare, and despoiled, in the same way.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 8:8-19

Bildad discourses well of hypocrites and evil-doers, and the fatal end of all their hopes and joys. He proves this truth of the destruction of the hopes and joys of hypocrites, by an appeal to former times. Bildad refers to the testimony of the ancients. Those teach best that utter words out of their heart, that speak from an experience of spiritual and divine things. A rush growing in fenny ground, looking very…

Read the full comment on Job 8:8-19 →

Job 8:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

רָטֹ֣בra.To[is] a fresh [plant]H7373
ה֭וּאhu'heH1931
לִפְנֵי\־lif.nei-<to> beforeH6440
שָׁ֑מֶשׁSha.mesh[the] sunH8121
וְעַ֥לve.'Aland overH5921
גַּ֝נָּת֗וֹga.na.Togarden itsH1593
יֹֽנַקְתּ֥וֹyo.nak.Toyoung shoot[s] itsH3127
תֵצֵֽא\׃te.Tze'it goes outH3318

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 8:16

  • Psalms 80:11

    She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

  • Job 21:7-15

    Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. …

  • Psalms 37:35-36

    I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

  • Psalms 73:3-12

    For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. …

  • Job 5:3

    I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

  • Jeremiah 11:16

    The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
green.
21:7-15; Ps 37:35,36; 73:3-12
his branch.
5:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 8:15

    He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

  • Job 8:16

    He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

  • Job 8:17

    His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

Read all of Job 8

Job 8:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		A manera de un árbol, está verde delante del sol, y sus renuevos salen sobre su huerto;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Il est verdoyant devant le soleil, et son rameau s’étend sur son jardin;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Saftvoll ist er vor der Sonne, und seine Schößlinge dehnen sich aus über seinen Garten hin;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Humectus videtur antequam veniat sol, et in ortu suo germen ejus egredietur.