Job 5:11

Authorized King James Version

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
לָשׂ֣וּם
To set up
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
#2
שְׁפָלִ֣ים
those that be low
depressed, literally or figuratively
#3
לְמָר֑וֹם
on high
altitude, i.e., concretely (an elevated place), abstractly (elevation, figuratively (elation), or adverbially (aloft)
#4
וְ֝קֹֽדְרִ֗ים
that those which mourn
to be ashy, i.e., dark-colored; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments)
#5
שָׂ֣גְבוּ
may be exalted
to be (causatively, make) lofty, especially inaccessible; by implication, safe, strong; used literally and figuratively
#6
יֶֽשַׁע׃
to safety
liberty, deliverance, prosperity

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