Job 19:10
He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.
Original Language Analysis
סָ֭בִיב
me on every side
H5439
סָ֭בִיב
me on every side
Strong's:
H5439
Word #:
2 of 6
(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
וָאֵלַ֑ךְ
H1980
וָאֵלַ֑ךְ
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
3 of 6
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וַיַּסַּ֥ע
hath he removed
H5265
וַיַּסַּ֥ע
hath he removed
Strong's:
H5265
Word #:
4 of 6
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e., start on a journey
Historical Context
Trees symbolized life, stability, and continuity. Uprooting destroyed all of this. Job uses this agricultural imagery to describe the comprehensive destruction of his life and hope.
Questions for Reflection
- How does hope survive when it feels completely uprooted?
- What does Christ as our root mean for enduring devastation?
Analysis & Commentary
'He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.' The imagery: God 'destroyed' (יִתְּצֵנִי, yittetseni—broke down, demolished) Job on 'every side' (סָבִיב, saviv—all around), so 'I am gone' (וָאֵלֵךְ, va'elekh—I depart/perish), and 'hope' (תִּקְוָתִי, tiqvati) uprooted 'like a tree' (כָּעֵץ, ka'ets). Trees uprooted die. Job feels hope destroyed at the root. Yet paradoxically, chapter 14:7 noted trees can sprout again—perhaps unconscious hope persists. This metaphor appears throughout Scripture (Jeremiah 1:10, Psalm 52:5). The violence of uprooting captures the totality of devastation. Yet Job's continued speech and eventual restoration prove hope has deeper roots than Job realizes. Christ is the true root (Isaiah 11:1, Revelation 5:5, 22:16).