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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Job 4:4

Your words have comforted those who fell, and you have strengthened those who could not stand.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Doubting;   Thompson Chain Reference - Kind Words;   Silence-Speech;   Social Duties;   Words;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Eliphaz;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ignorance;   Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Knee, Kneel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Feeble Knees;   Job, Book of;   Knee;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Your words have steadied the one who was stumblingand braced the knees that were buckling.
Hebrew Names Version
Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.
King James Version
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
English Standard Version
Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
New English Translation
Your words have supported those who stumbled, and you have strengthened the knees that gave way.
Amplified Bible
"Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.
New American Standard Bible
"Your words have helped the stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.
World English Bible
Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thy wordes haue confirmed him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the weake knees.
Legacy Standard Bible
Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,And you have encouraged feeble knees.
Berean Standard Bible
Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have stabilized the knees that were buckling.
Contemporary English Version
have guided and encouraged many in need.
Complete Jewish Bible
your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have strengthened the weak-kneed.
Darby Translation
Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:
Easy-to-Read Version
Your words helped those who were ready to fall. You gave strength to those who could not stand by themselves.
George Lamsa Translation
Your words have upheld the weak, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.
Good News Translation
When someone stumbled, weak and tired, your words encouraged him to stand.
Lexham English Bible
Your words have raised up the one who stumbles, and you have strengthened knees giving way.
Literal Translation
Your words have upheld him who was falling, and you have made feeble knees strong.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thy wordes haue set vp those that were fallen, thou hast refresshed the weake knees.
American Standard Version
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.
Bible in Basic English
He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thy wordes haue set vp him that was falling, thou hast refreshed the weake knees.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
King James Version (1611)
Thy words haue vpholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and hast supported the failing with words, and hast imparted courage to feeble knees.
English Revised Version
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast confirmed the feeble knees.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Update Bible Version
Your words have upheld him that was falling, And you have made firm the feeble knees.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
New King James Version
Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees;
New Living Translation
Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees.
New Life Bible
Your words have helped him stand who would have fallen. You have given strength to weak knees.
New Revised Standard
Your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Him that was stumbling, have thy words raised up, and, sinking knees, hast thou strengthened.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:
Revised Standard Version
Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
Young's Literal Translation
The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: 2 "If someone tried to speak with you, would you be upset? I cannot keep from speaking. 3 Think about the many people you have taught and the weak hands you have made strong. 4 Your words have comforted those who fell, and you have strengthened those who could not stand. 5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; trouble hits you, and you are terrified. 6 You should have confidence because you respect God; you should have hope because you are innocent.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

upholden: Psalms 145:14, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 16:23, Proverbs 16:24, 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 7:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:14

feeble knees: Heb. bowing knees, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:4, Daniel 5:6, Hebrews 12:12

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 23:16 - strengthened Job 6:14 - To him Job 6:25 - forcible Job 6:26 - reprove Job 16:5 - But I would Job 26:2 - helped Job 27:11 - teach Job 29:25 - one that Job 42:11 - they bemoaned Proverbs 10:21 - feed Proverbs 27:17 - so Ecclesiastes 4:10 - if Ecclesiastes 10:12 - words Ezekiel 21:7 - all hands Luke 22:43 - strengthening Galatians 6:1 - restore Revelation 3:2 - strengthen

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
So Cain went away from the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:17
He had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city, which he named after his son Enoch.
Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two women, Adah and Zillah.
Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the first person to live in tents and raise cattle.
Genesis 15:17
After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing torch passed between the halves of the dead animals.
Exodus 13:12
you must give him every firstborn male. Also every firstborn male animal must be given to the Lord .
Leviticus 9:24
Fire came out from the Lord and burned up the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and bowed facedown on the ground.
Numbers 16:35
Then a fire came down from the Lord and destroyed the two hundred fifty men who had presented the incense.
Numbers 18:12
"And I give you all the best olive oil and all the best new wine and grain. This is what the Israelites give to me, the Lord , from the first crops they harvest.
Numbers 18:17
"But you must not make a payment for the firstborn ox or sheep or goat. Those animals are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire. The smell is pleasing to the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thy words have up, holden him that was falling,.... Or "stumbling" m; that was stumbling at the providence of God in suffering good men to be afflicted, and wicked men to prosper; which has been the stumbling block of God's people in all ages; see

Psalms 73:2; or that was stumbling and falling off from the true religion by reason of the revilings and reproaches of men, and their persecutions for it; which is sometimes the case, not only of nominal professors, Matthew 13:21; but of true believers, though they do not so stumble and fall as to perish: or else being under afflictions themselves, were ready to sink under them, their strength being small; now Job was helped to speak such words of comfort and advice to persons in any and every of these circumstances as to support them and preserve them from failing, and to enable them to keep their place and station among the people of God. The Targum interprets it of such as were falling into sin; the words of good men to stumbling and falling professors, whether into sin, or into affliction by it, are often very seasonable, and very useful, when attended with the power and Spirit of God:

and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees; that were tottering and trembling, and bending, and not able to bear up under the weight of sin, which lay as an heavy burden, too heavy to bear; or of afflictions very grievous and intolerable; to such persons Job had often spoken words that had been useful to alleviate their troubles, and support them under them. It may be observed, that the cases and circumstances of good men in early times were much the same as they are now; that there is no temptation or affliction that befalls the saints but what has been common; and that Job was a man of great gifts, grace, and experience, and had the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season to every weary soul, in whatsoever condition they were: and all this, so very laudable in him, is not observed to his commendation, but to his reproach; to show that he was not a man of real virtue, that he contradicted himself, and did not act according to his profession and principles, and the doctrines he taught others, and was an hypocrite at heart; though no such conclusion follows, supposing he had not acted according to his principles and former conduct; for it is a difficult thing for any good man to act entirely according to them, or to behave the same in prosperity as in adversity, or to take that advice themselves in affliction, and follow it, they have given to others, and yet not be chargeable with hypocrisy. It would have been much better in Eliphaz and his friends to have made another use of Job's former conduct and behaviour, namely, to have imitated it, and endeavoured to have strengthened, and upheld him in his present distressed circumstances; instead of that, he insults him, as follows.

m כושל "offendentem", Cocceius; "impingentem", Drusius, Schmidt, Schultens, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thy words have upholden him that was falling - That is, either falling into sin, or sinking under calamity and trial. The Hebrew will bear either interpretation, but the connection seems to require us to understand it of one who was sinking under the weight of affliction.

The feeble knees - Margin, “bowing.” The knees support the frame. If they fail, we are feeble and helpless. Hence, their being weak, is so often used in the Bible to denote imbecility. The sense is, that Job, in the days of his own prosperity, had exhorted others to submit to God; had counselled them in such a manner as actually to give them support, and that the same views should now have sustained him which he had so successfully employed in comforting others.


 
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