Job 5:3
New International Version
I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

New Living Translation
I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster.

English Standard Version
I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.

Berean Standard Bible
I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

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

New King James Version
I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

New American Standard Bible
“I have seen the fool taking root, And I cursed his home immediately.

NASB 1995
“I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.

NASB 1977
“I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.

Legacy Standard Bible
I have seen the ignorant fool taking root, And I cursed his abode suddenly.

Amplified Bible
“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering], But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

Christian Standard Bible
I have seen a fool taking root, but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I have seen a fool taking root, but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.

American Standard Version
I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Contemporary English Version
I have seen fools take root. But God sends a curse, suddenly uprooting them

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have seen a stubborn fool take root, but I quickly cursed his house.

Good News Translation
I have seen fools who looked secure, but I called down a sudden curse on their homes.

International Standard Version
"I myself saw a fool becoming established, but I suddenly cursed where he lived.

Majority Standard Bible
I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

NET Bible
I myself have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his place of residence.

New Heart English Bible
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

World English Bible
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I have seen the perverse taking root, "" And I mark his habitation straight away,

Young's Literal Translation
I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

Smith's Literal Translation
I saw the foolish one taking root, and suddenly I shall curse his habitation.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen a fool with a strong root, and I cursed his beauty immediately.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have seen a fool with a strong root, and I have cursed his excellence without hesitation.

New American Bible
I have seen a fool spreading his roots, but I cursed his household suddenly:

New Revised Standard Version
I have seen fools taking root, but suddenly I cursed their dwelling.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have seen the wicked prosper; but his habitation is suddenly destroyed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I have seen the wicked who prospers and his dwelling is suddenly destroyed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I have seen the foolish taking root; But suddenly I beheld his habitation cursed.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I have seen foolish ones taking root: but suddenly their habitation was devoured.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eliphaz Continues: God Blesses those who Seek Him
2For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. 3I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. 4His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.…

Cross References
Proverbs 14:11
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

Psalm 37:35-36
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, / yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.

Proverbs 24:19-20
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. / For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Psalm 73:18-20
Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. / How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! / Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.

Proverbs 3:33
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.

Psalm 92:7
that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

Proverbs 11:21
Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

Matthew 7:26-27
But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

1 Corinthians 3:19-20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” / And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

James 1:10-11
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Isaiah 14:12-15
How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. / You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ...

Ezekiel 31:10-14
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height, / I delivered it into the hand of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with it according to its wickedness. I have banished it. / Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it. ...

Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

Psalm 49:16-17
Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. / For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.


Treasury of Scripture

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

taking.

Job 27:8
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Psalm 37:35,36
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree…

Psalm 73:3-9,18-20
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…

cursed.

Deuteronomy 27:15-26
Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen…

Psalm 69:25
Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

Acts 1:20
For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

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Job 5
1. Eliphaz shows that the end of the wicked is misery;
6. that man is born to trouble;
8. that God is to be regarded in affliction;
17. the happy end of God's correction.














I have seen
The phrase "I have seen" indicates personal observation and experience. In the context of the Book of Job, this is Eliphaz speaking, one of Job's friends. The Hebrew root for "seen" is "ra'ah," which implies not just physical sight but also understanding and insight. Eliphaz claims to have witnessed the consequences of foolishness firsthand, suggesting that his advice is based on real-life experiences and observations. This sets the stage for his argument that the wicked, or foolish, will ultimately face ruin.

a fool
The term "fool" in Hebrew is "nabal," which refers to someone who is morally deficient, lacking wisdom, and often rebellious against God. In the wisdom literature of the Bible, a fool is not merely someone who lacks intelligence but someone who rejects God's ways and wisdom. Eliphaz uses this term to describe those who live without regard for God's laws, implying that their end is destruction.

taking root
The imagery of "taking root" suggests stability, growth, and establishment. In the ancient Near Eastern context, roots symbolize a foundation and the potential for flourishing. However, Eliphaz uses this imagery ironically, as the fool's apparent stability is deceptive and temporary. The Hebrew word "sharash" conveys the idea of becoming firmly established, yet Eliphaz warns that this is a false security for the fool.

but suddenly
The word "suddenly" indicates an unexpected and abrupt change. In Hebrew, "pith'owm" conveys the idea of something happening without warning. This serves as a cautionary note that the apparent success and stability of the fool can be swiftly overturned. It underscores the unpredictability of life and the ultimate justice of God, who can bring about change in an instant.

his house
"His house" symbolizes the fool's life, family, and possessions. In biblical times, a house was not just a physical structure but represented one's legacy, security, and social standing. The Hebrew word "bayith" encompasses all these aspects. Eliphaz suggests that the fool's entire existence and everything he has built can be affected by his actions and choices.

was cursed
The phrase "was cursed" indicates divine judgment and misfortune. In Hebrew, "arar" means to bind with a curse, implying that the fool's downfall is not merely a natural consequence but a result of divine intervention. In the biblical worldview, a curse is a serious matter, often reflecting God's disfavor and the reversal of blessings. Eliphaz uses this to emphasize that the fool's apparent success is fleeting and ultimately leads to ruin.

(3) I cursed.--The word means, "I was able to declare distinctly, and I did declare without hesitation, that his lot would be as follows." All these general results of experience have the sting of insinuation in them that they contain the key to Job's unfortunate condition. There is secret unsoundness there which is the cause of the manifest and open misery. It is impossible that a man so stricken should be otherwise than, for some unknown reason, the guilty victim of the righteous wrath of a just judge.

Verse 3. - I have seen the foolish taking root. The "I" is emphatic. "I myself have seen," etc. What Eliphaz had seen was that folly, i.e. sinful infatuation, was always punished. It might seem to prosper: the foolish man might seem to be taking root; but Eliphaz was not deceived by appearances - he saw through them, he knew that there was a curse upon the man's house, and so pronounced it accursed. And the ruin which he had foreseen, it is implied, followed. But suddenly; rather, immediately, without hesitation. I cursed his habitation; i.e. "pronounced it accursed, declared that the curse of God rested upon it?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אֲ‍ֽנִי־ (’ănî-)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

have seen
רָ֭אִיתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

a fool
אֱוִ֣יל (’ĕ·wîl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 191: Foolish

taking root,
מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ (maš·rîš)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8327: To root, strike into the soil, to pluck from it

but suddenly
פִתְאֹֽם׃ (p̄iṯ·’ōm)
Adverb
Strong's 6597: Suddenness, suddenly

his house
נָוֵ֣הוּ (nā·wê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5116: Abode of shepherd or flocks, habitation

was cursed.
וָאֶקּ֖וֹב (wā·’eq·qō·wḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5344: To puncture


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OT Poetry: Job 5:3 I have seen the foolish taking root (Jb)
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