Job 31:18

Authorized King James Version

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
כִּ֣י
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
#2
מִ֭נְּעוּרַי
For from my youth
(only in plural collective or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)
#3
גְּדֵלַ֣נִי
he was brought up
to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride)
#4
כְאָ֑ב
H1
with me as with a father
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
#5
וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן
womb
the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything
#6
אִמִּ֣י
her from my mother's
a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
#7
אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃
and I have guided
to guide; by implication, to transport (into exile, or as colonists)

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Job Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection