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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 5:3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/5-3.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/15/18_Job_05_03.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 5:3 - Eliphaz Continues: God Blesses those who Seek Him" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed." /><script type="application/javascript" 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src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/5-2.htm" title="Job 5:2">◄</a> Job 5:3 <a href="/job/5-4.htm" title="Job 5:4">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/5.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/5.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/5.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/5.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/5.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/5.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“I have seen the fool taking root, And I cursed his home immediately.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/5.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />I have seen the ignorant fool taking root, And I cursed his abode suddenly.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering], But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool taking root, but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool taking root, but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/5.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />I have seen fools take root. But God sends a curse, suddenly uprooting them <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/5.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I have seen a stubborn fool take root, but I quickly cursed his house.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/5.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I have seen fools who looked secure, but I called down a sudden curse on their homes. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/5.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"I myself saw a fool becoming established, but I suddenly cursed where he lived. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/5.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I myself have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his place of residence. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/5.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />I have seen the perverse taking root, "" And I mark his habitation straight away,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />I saw the foolish one taking root, and suddenly I shall curse his habitation.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool with a strong root, and I cursed his beauty immediately. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />I have seen a fool with a strong root, and I have cursed his excellence without hesitation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/5.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />I have seen a fool spreading his roots, but I cursed his household suddenly: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />I have seen fools taking root, but suddenly I cursed their dwelling.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />I have seen the wicked prosper; but his habitation is suddenly destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />I have seen the wicked who prospers and his dwelling is suddenly destroyed<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />I have seen the foolish taking root; But suddenly I beheld his habitation cursed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And I have seen foolish ones taking root: but suddenly their habitation was devoured.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/5-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=683" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/5.htm">Eliphaz Continues: God Blesses those who Seek Him</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">2</span>For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. <span class="reftext">3</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/589.htm" title="589: ’ănî- (Pro-1cs) -- I. Contracted from 'anokiy; I.">I</a> <a href="/hebrew/7200.htm" title="7200: rā·’î·ṯî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- To see. A primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively.">have seen</a> <a href="/hebrew/191.htm" title="191: ’ĕ·wîl (N-ms) -- Foolish. From an unused root; silly.">a fool</a> <a href="/hebrew/8327.htm" title="8327: maš·rîš (V-Hifil-Prtcpl-ms) -- To deal with the roots. A primitive root; to root, i.e. Strike into the soil, or to pluck from it.">taking root,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6597.htm" title="6597: p̄iṯ·’ōm (Adv) -- Suddenness, suddenly. Or pith.om; from petha'; instantly.">but suddenly</a> <a href="/hebrew/5116.htm" title="5116: nā·wê·hū (N-msc:: 3ms) -- Or navah; from navah; at home; hence lovely; also a home, of God, men, flocks, or wild animals.">his house</a> <a href="/hebrew/6895.htm" title="6895: wā·’eq·qō·wḇ (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs) -- To utter a curse against, curse. A primitive root; to scoop out, i.e. to malign or execrate.">was cursed.</a> </span><span class="reftext">4</span>His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/14-11.htm">Proverbs 14:11</a></span><br />The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/37-35.htm">Psalm 37:35-36</a></span><br />I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, / yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/24-19.htm">Proverbs 24:19-20</a></span><br />Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. / For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/73-18.htm">Psalm 73:18-20</a></span><br />Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. / How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! / Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/3-33.htm">Proverbs 3:33</a></span><br />The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/92-7.htm">Psalm 92:7</a></span><br />that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/11-21.htm">Proverbs 11:21</a></span><br />Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/7-26.htm">Matthew 7:26-27</a></span><br />But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/12-16.htm">Luke 12:16-21</a></span><br />Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/3-19.htm">1 Corinthians 3:19-20</a></span><br />For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” / And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/1-10.htm">James 1:10-11</a></span><br />But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/14-12.htm">Isaiah 14:12-15</a></span><br />How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. / You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/31-10.htm">Ezekiel 31:10-14</a></span><br />Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height, / I delivered it into the hand of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with it according to its wickedness. I have banished it. / Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/17-11.htm">Jeremiah 17:11</a></span><br />Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/49-16.htm">Psalm 49:16-17</a></span><br />Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. / For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.</p><p class="hdg">taking.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/27-8.htm">Job 27:8</a></b></br> For what <i>is</i> the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/37-35.htm">Psalm 37:35,36</a></b></br> I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/73-3.htm">Psalm 73:3-9,18-20</a></b></br> For I was envious at the foolish, <i>when</i> I saw the prosperity of the wicked… </p><p class="hdg">cursed.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/27-15.htm">Deuteronomy 27:15-26</a></b></br> Cursed <i>be</i> the man that maketh <i>any</i> graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth <i>it</i> in <i>a</i> secret <i>place</i>. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/69-25.htm">Psalm 69:25</a></b></br> Let their habitation be desolate; <i>and</i> let none dwell in their tents.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/acts/1-20.htm">Acts 1:20</a></b></br> For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezra/8-32.htm">Abode</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/21-15.htm">Beheld</a> <a href="/job/3-8.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/job/3-8.htm">Cursed</a> <a href="/nehemiah/11-36.htm">Dwelling</a> <a href="/job/5-2.htm">Fool</a> <a href="/job/5-2.htm">Foolish</a> <a href="/ezra/7-15.htm">Habitation</a> <a href="/job/1-19.htm">House</a> <a href="/nehemiah/5-11.htm">Immediately</a> <a href="/job/3-8.htm">Mark</a> <a href="/job/5-2.htm">Perverse</a> <a href="/2_kings/19-30.htm">Root</a> <a href="/2_samuel/3-12.htm">Straightway</a> <a href="/job/1-19.htm">Suddenly</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/job/5-24.htm">Abode</a> <a href="/job/19-27.htm">Beheld</a> <a href="/job/10-15.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/job/24-18.htm">Cursed</a> <a href="/job/8-22.htm">Dwelling</a> <a href="/psalms/14-1.htm">Fool</a> <a href="/job/12-17.htm">Foolish</a> <a href="/job/5-24.htm">Habitation</a> <a href="/job/7-10.htm">House</a> <a href="/proverbs/7-22.htm">Immediately</a> <a href="/job/7-20.htm">Mark</a> <a href="/job/6-30.htm">Perverse</a> <a href="/job/14-8.htm">Root</a> <a href="/psalms/48-5.htm">Straightway</a> <a href="/job/9-23.htm">Suddenly</a><div class="vheading2">Job 5</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/5-1.htm">Eliphaz shows that the end of the wicked is misery;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/5-6.htm">that man is born to trouble;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/5-8.htm">that God is to be regarded in affliction;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/5-17.htm">the happy end of God's correction.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/job/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>I have seen a fool taking root</b><br>This phrase suggests the observation of a fool, someone who lacks wisdom and understanding, beginning to establish themselves or gain stability. In biblical terms, a "fool" often refers to someone who rejects God’s wisdom (<a href="/proverbs/1-7.htm">Proverbs 1:7</a>). The imagery of "taking root" implies a sense of permanence or growth, similar to a plant establishing itself in the soil. This can be seen as a warning against the apparent success of the wicked, which is temporary and deceptive (<a href="/psalms/37-35.htm">Psalm 37:35-36</a>). The fool's prosperity is superficial and lacks the foundation of righteousness.<p><b>but suddenly his house was cursed</b><br>The suddenness of the curse indicates the unexpected and swift nature of divine judgment. In biblical culture, a "house" often symbolizes one's family, legacy, or personal affairs. The curse implies a reversal of fortune, where what seemed stable and prosperous is now under divine disfavor. This reflects the biblical principle that God opposes the proud and brings judgment upon those who live in folly (<a href="/proverbs/3-33.htm">Proverbs 3:33</a>). The curse can be seen as a fulfillment of the warnings found throughout Scripture that those who reject God’s wisdom will ultimately face ruin (<a href="/proverbs/14-11.htm">Proverbs 14:11</a>). This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of worldly success without God.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/eliphaz_the_temanite.htm">Eliphaz the Temanite</a></b><br>One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. Eliphaz is the speaker in this verse, offering his perspective on the fate of the foolish.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/job.htm">Job</a></b><br>The central figure of the Book of Job, known for his suffering and faithfulness. Job is the recipient of Eliphaz's counsel.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_fool.htm">The Fool</a></b><br>Represents those who live without wisdom or reverence for God. In the context of this verse, the fool is someone who appears to prosper temporarily.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_house.htm">The House</a></b><br>Symbolizes the life and legacy of the fool. The sudden curse upon the house indicates the ultimate downfall of those who reject wisdom.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/teman.htm">Teman</a></b><br>A region in Edom, known for its wise men. Eliphaz, being a Temanite, is presumed to be wise, though his counsel is later shown to be flawed.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_illusion_of_prosperity.htm">The Illusion of Prosperity</a></b><br>The fool may seem to prosper and take root, but this is temporary. True prosperity is rooted in wisdom and reverence for God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_foolishness.htm">The Consequences of Foolishness</a></b><br>A life lived without wisdom and godly principles will ultimately face ruin. The curse on the fool's house serves as a warning.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_a_firm_foundation.htm">The Importance of a Firm Foundation</a></b><br>Building one's life on the foundation of God's wisdom ensures stability and blessing, unlike the fool's unstable foundation.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/discernment_in_counsel.htm">Discernment in Counsel</a></b><br>Eliphaz's words remind us to discern the counsel we receive. Not all advice, even from seemingly wise sources, aligns with God's truth.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_suffering.htm">The Role of Suffering</a></b><br>Suffering can be a tool for growth and reflection, prompting us to examine the foundations of our lives and seek God's wisdom.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_job_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Job 5</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_job_5_3_show_a_fool's_brief_rise.htm">In Job 5:3, how could a fool suddenly flourish only to be cursed, and does this reflect any historical or archeological anomaly? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_the_definition_of_actual_grace.htm">How can a young man purify his path?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/common_questions_about_proverbs.htm">What are common questions about proverbs?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_there_truly_no_god.htm">Is there truly no God?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/job/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) <span class= "bld">I cursed.</span>--The word means, "I was able to declare distinctly, and I did declare without hesitation, that his lot would be as follows." All these general results of experience have the sting of insinuation in them that they contain the key to Job's unfortunate condition. There is secret unsoundness there which is the cause of the manifest and open misery. It is impossible that a man so stricken should be otherwise than, for some unknown reason, the guilty victim of the righteous wrath of a just judge.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">I have seen the foolish taking root</span>. The "I" is emphatic. "<span class="accented">I</span> <span class="accented">myself</span> have seen," etc. What Eliphaz had seen was that folly, <span class="accented">i.e.</span> sinful infatuation, was always punished. It might seem to prosper: the foolish man might seem to be taking root; but Eliphaz was not deceived by appearances - he saw through them, he knew that there was a curse upon the man's house, and so pronounced it accursed. And the ruin which he had foreseen, it is implied, followed. But suddenly; rather, <span class="accented">immediately</span>, <span class="accented">without hesitation.</span> I cursed his habitation; <span class="accented">i.e.</span> "pronounced it accursed, declared that the curse of God rested upon it?" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/5-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">I</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲ‍ֽנִי־</span> <span class="translit">(’ănî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_589.htm">Strong's 589: </a> </span><span class="str2">I</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have seen</span><br /><span class="heb">רָ֭אִיתִי</span> <span class="translit">(rā·’î·ṯî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7200.htm">Strong's 7200: </a> </span><span class="str2">To see</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a fool</span><br /><span class="heb">אֱוִ֣יל</span> <span class="translit">(’ĕ·wîl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_191.htm">Strong's 191: </a> </span><span class="str2">Foolish</span><br /><br /><span class="word">taking root,</span><br /><span class="heb">מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ</span> <span class="translit">(maš·rîš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8327.htm">Strong's 8327: </a> </span><span class="str2">To root, strike into the soil, to pluck from it</span><br /><br /><span class="word">but suddenly</span><br /><span class="heb">פִתְאֹֽם׃</span> <span class="translit">(p̄iṯ·’ōm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6597.htm">Strong's 6597: </a> </span><span class="str2">Suddenness, suddenly</span><br /><br /><span class="word">his house</span><br /><span class="heb">נָוֵ֣הוּ</span> <span class="translit">(nā·wê·hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5116.htm">Strong's 5116: </a> </span><span class="str2">Abode of shepherd or flocks, habitation</span><br /><br /><span class="word">was cursed.</span><br /><span class="heb">וָאֶקּ֖וֹב</span> <span class="translit">(wā·’eq·qō·wḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5344.htm">Strong's 5344: </a> </span><span class="str2">To puncture</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/5-3.htm">Job 5:3 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/5-3.htm">OT Poetry: Job 5:3 I have seen the foolish taking root (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/5-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 5:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 5:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/5-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 5:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 5:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>