The Meaning of Job 36:12 Explained

Job 36:12

KJV: But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

YLT: And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.

Darby: But if they hearken not, they shall pass away by the sword, and expire without knowledge.

ASV: But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But if they obey  not, they shall perish  by the sword,  and they shall die  without knowledge. 

What does Job 36:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 36:1-33 - He Despiseth Not Any
God is mighty, but He does not despise thee, though thou be the least of saints. His eyes are upon thee for good, and He will set thee before His throne forever. He will stoop to thy low dungeon, whispering instruction to thine ear and commanding thee to return. There are broad places before thee in which there shall be no straitness; tables await thee full of fatness. Thy path leads from thy present prison-house into liberty and light.
Remember the unsearchable numbers of His years. Behold the wonderful machinery by which He collects from ocean, lake, and stream the clouds which, like floating cisterns, carry the waters to be bleached in the snow of the hills, and oxidized in the torrent beds! There is more love than terror in creation. Nature's myriad voices proclaim with Scripture, "God is love." He cannot, therefore, be indifferent to the righteous man or neglect him. He may discipline him to make him hate sin; but, when this end is attained, He will assuredly withdraw His rod, Job 36:10-11. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 36

1  Elihu shows how God is just in his ways
16  How Job's sins hinder God's blessings
24  God's works are to be magnified

What do the individual words in Job 36:12 mean?

But if not they do obey by the sword they shall perish and they shall die without knowledge
וְאִם־ לֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁ֣לַח יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְ֝יִגְוְע֗וּ כִּבְלִי־ דָֽעַת‪‬

וְאִם־  But  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִ֭שְׁמְעוּ  they  do  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּשֶׁ֣לַח  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלַח 
Sense: weapon, missile, sprout.
יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ  they  shall  perish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
וְ֝יִגְוְע֗וּ  and  they  shall  die 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּוַע  
Sense: to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die.
כִּבְלִי־  without 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adverb
Root: בְּלִי 
Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
דָֽעַת‪‬  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.