Job 22:9
New International Version
And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless.

New Living Translation
You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.

English Standard Version
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

Berean Standard Bible
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

King James Bible
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

New King James Version
You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

New American Standard Bible
“You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of orphans has been crushed.

NASB 1995
“You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

NASB 1977
“You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

Legacy Standard Bible
You have sent widows away empty, And the might of the orphans has been crushed.

Amplified Bible
“You have sent widows away empty-handed, And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.

Christian Standard Bible
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

American Standard Version
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Contemporary English Version
You have turned away widows and have broken the arms of orphans.

English Revised Version
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You send widows away empty-handed, and the arms of orphans are broken.

Good News Translation
You not only refused to help widows, but you also robbed and mistreated orphans.

International Standard Version
You sent away widows empty-handed, and broke the outstretched arms of orphans.

Majority Standard Bible
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

NET Bible
you sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you crushed.

New Heart English Bible
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

World English Bible
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You have sent widows away empty, "" And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

Young's Literal Translation
Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou didst send away widows empty, and the arms of the orphans will be broken.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.

New American Bible
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the resources of orphans are destroyed.

New Revised Standard Version
You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you have crushed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless you have broken.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A widow you have sent away with nothing and the arm of the orphan was brought low
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But thou hast sent widows away empty, and has afflicted orphans.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eliphaz Exhorts Job
8while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it. 9You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed. 10Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;…

Cross References
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

Matthew 25:42-43
For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, / I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’

Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.

Isaiah 10:2
to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Exodus 22:22-24
You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. / If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. / My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

Psalm 82:3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. / Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 31:8-9
Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. / Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Jeremiah 5:28
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

Amos 2:6-7
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. / They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.

Ezekiel 22:7
Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.


Treasury of Scripture

You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

widows

Job 24:3,21
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge…

Job 29:12,13
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him…

Job 31:16-18,21
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; …

arms

Psalm 10:15
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

Psalm 37:17
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

Ezekiel 30:22
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

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Arms Broke Broken Bruised Cause Child Crushed Empty Empty-Handed Fatherless Hearing Orphans Strength Support Widows
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Arms Broke Broken Bruised Cause Child Crushed Empty Empty-Handed Fatherless Hearing Orphans Strength Support Widows
Job 22
1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness profits not God
5. He accuses Job of various sins
21. He exhorts him to repentance, with promises of mercy














You sent widows away empty-handed
In the ancient Near Eastern context, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society. The Hebrew word for "widow" is "אַלְמָנָה" (almanah), which signifies a woman who has lost her husband and, consequently, her primary source of economic support and protection. The Mosaic Law, as seen in passages like Exodus 22:22-24, emphasizes the importance of caring for widows, highlighting God's compassion and justice. Eliphaz, the speaker in this verse, accuses Job of failing in this moral duty, suggesting a breach of divine law and social ethics. This accusation is part of Eliphaz's broader argument that Job's suffering is a result of his alleged sins. However, from a conservative Christian perspective, this reflects a misunderstanding of Job's character and the nature of his trials, as Job is described elsewhere as a righteous man (Job 1:1).

and the strength of the fatherless was crushed
The "fatherless," or "יָתוֹם" (yathom) in Hebrew, refers to orphans who, like widows, were particularly vulnerable in ancient society. The "strength" of the fatherless, or their ability to survive and thrive, depended heavily on the protection and provision of the community. The term "crushed" implies a deliberate act of oppression or neglect, which is a serious accusation against Job. In the broader biblical narrative, God is portrayed as a defender of orphans (Psalm 68:5), and His people are called to reflect His character by caring for them. Eliphaz's charge against Job is intended to paint him as unjust and unmerciful. However, the book of Job ultimately reveals that Job's suffering is not a direct result of personal sin, challenging the simplistic retribution theology that Eliphaz represents. This verse serves as a reminder of the biblical call to uphold justice and mercy, especially towards the marginalized, while also cautioning against the presumption of understanding God's purposes in suffering.

Verse 9. - Thou hast sent widows away empty. Job, on the contrary, declares that he "caused the widow s heart to sing for joy" (Job 29:13). The sin of oppressing widows was one of which Job deeply felt the heinousness. He is certainly a priori not likely to have committed it (Job 1:1; Job 4:3, 4), and the prejudiced testimony of Eliphaz will scarcely convince any dispassionate person to the contrary. And the arms of the fatherless have been broken; i.e. the strength of the fatherless has been (by thy fault) taken flora them. Job has allowed them to be oppressed and ruined. The reply of Job is, "When the ear heard, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him" (Job 29:11, 12; see also Job 31:21, 22).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You sent widows
אַ֭לְמָנוֹת (’al·mā·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

away
שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ (šil·laḥ·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

empty-handed,
רֵיקָ֑ם (rê·qām)
Adverb
Strong's 7387: Emptily, ineffectually, undeservedly

and the strength
וּזְרֹע֖וֹת (ū·zə·rō·‘ō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

of the fatherless
יְתֹמִ֣ים (yə·ṯō·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3490: A bereaved person

was crushed.
יְדֻכָּֽא׃ (yə·ḏuk·kā)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1792: To crumble, to bruise


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OT Poetry: Job 22:9 You have sent widows away empty (Jb)
Job 22:8
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