Bible Strands

Job 34:14

If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elihu addresses Job in a discourse on divine sovereignty, placing this clause between a declaration of God’s charge over the earth and a statement of universal human mortality.

The words — לֵב (lev) translates literally as heart, and רוּחַ (ruach) translates literally as spirit or breath, both denoting the divine faculties that initiate and sustain life.

The thread — The withdrawal of breath to end life is recorded in Psalms 104:29, while Job 7:17 describes God setting His heart upon man, and Job 9:4 notes God’s wisdom in heart.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge that human life is entirely contingent on God’s active will rather than on any inherent or permanent human condition.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אִם־'im-ifיָשִׂ֣יםya.Simhe will setאֵלָ֣יו'e.La/vto/ itלִבּ֑וֹli.B/oheart/ hisרוּח֥וֹru.Ch/ospirit/ hisוְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹve./nish.ma.T/oand/ breath/ hisאֵלָ֥יו'e.La/vto/ himselfיֶאֱסֹֽף׃ye.'e.Sofhe will gather

King James Version

If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

Cross-references