Lexical Summary hakar: To recognize, to acknowledge, to discern Original Word: הָכַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make self strange A primitive root; apparently to injure -- make self strange. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition perhaps to wrong NASB Translation wrong (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [הָכַר] verb only Qal or Hiph`il (Ges§ 53 R. 4 Köi. 251) Imperfect2masculine plural תַּהְכְּרוּ in phrase לֹאתֵֿבשׁוּ תַהְכְּרוּלִֿי Job 19:3, sense very dubious; Schult Thes De and others (as Hiph`il) ye came me (לְ = accusative) to wonder (compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Context in JobThe solitary appearance of הָכַר lies in Job 19:3, where Job bursts out, “Ten times now you have reproached me; you are not ashamed to wrong me” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb bears the sense of acting toward someone as a stranger—treating an intimate as though he were foreign, unrecognized, even despised. Job’s complaint is not merely that his friends have argued with him; they have deliberately distanced themselves, converting fellowship into alienation. The lament stands at the heart of Job’s wider protest that all human solidarity seems to have collapsed around him (Job 19:13–19). Semantic Field of Estrangement and Mistreatment Although הָכַר is unique in its form here, the concept it conveys resonates with parallel Hebrew ideas: • Rejection of covenant relationship (cf. Isaiah 1:2–4). Job’s friends, intent on defending their retribution theology, choose estrangement over mercy. The verb pictures not a passive distancing but an active redesignation of Job as “other,” undermining his claim to righteous standing before God. Patterns of “Ten Times” Job’s “ten times” echoes Jacob’s complaint against Laban, “You have changed my wages ten times” (Genesis 31:7), and foreshadows the LORD’s indictment of Israel, “They have tested Me these ten times” (Numbers 14:22). Across Scripture, the phrase marks persistent, willful behavior that hardens despite corrective opportunities. Job thus places his friends in a biblical lineage of obstinate offenders. Theological Implications 1. Sin against Neighbor is Sin against God By treating Job as foreign, the friends violate the fundamental command to love one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). Their theological reasoning collapses into moral failure, showing how orthodoxy without compassion becomes cruelty. 2. Suffering Tests Community Job’s affliction exposes whether relationships are grounded in transactional blessing or covenant faithfulness. True fellowship endures when prosperity vanishes. 3. Foreshadowing the Righteous Sufferer Job’s experience anticipates the greater rejection of Jesus Christ, “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3). Both figures suffer estrangement unjustly, yet entrust themselves to God’s vindication. Echoes Across Scripture • Innocent suffering misunderstood: Joseph with his brothers (Genesis 37:4). These parallels reinforce the canonical theme that God ultimately rights relational wrongs, honoring those who remain faithful amid estrangement. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Uphold Compassion over Explanation When walking with sufferers, resist the urge to diagnose their pain; prioritize presence and empathy. • Guard Against Estrangement Church communities must beware subtle ways of treating wounded members as outsiders—through silence, suspicion, or spiritual blame. • Model Persistent Solidarity Just as Christ “will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), believers are called to steadfast fellowship, especially when explanations fail. Historical Significance Jewish and Christian interpreters across the centuries have seen in Job 19:3 both a moral warning and a comfort. Medieval rabbis underscored the gravity of humiliating the afflicted, while early church fathers found a prototype of Christ’s passion. Reformation expositors highlighted the pastoral necessity of charitable judgment. Modern missions literature often cites the verse when addressing stigma surrounding illness and poverty. Conclusion Though occurring only once, הָכַר in Job 19:3 exposes a perennial human failing: the temptation to estrange the afflicted. Scripture insists that covenant love must override such impulses, pointing ultimately to the One who reverses estrangement and reconciles all who trust in Him. Forms and Transliterations תַּהְכְּרוּ־ תהכרו־ tah·kə·rū- tahkeru tahkərū-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 19:3 HEB: לֹֽא־ תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־ לִֽי׃ NAS: me; You are not ashamed to wrong me. KJV: me: ye are not ashamed [that] ye make yourselves strange to me. INT: are not ashamed to wrong 1 Occurrence |
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); others (as Qal) ye deal hardy with, wrong me (so context seems rather to require, see Ges in Add84 Rob-Ges Ew Di Da RV; compare Arabic 
wrong, detract from; Manuscripts read תחכרו, which is preferable, if this meaning be adopted; ᵐ5 ἑπίκεισθέ μοι, ᵑ9 opprimentes); conjectures are תְּחָֽרְפוּ OlHiob; תַּחַבְרוּ אֵלָ֑י Me; Siegf תִּתְחַבְּרוּ.