Lexical Summary kabar: To be much, to multiply, to increase Original Word: כָּבַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance in abundance, multiply A primitive root; properly, to plait together, i.e. (figuratively) to augment (especially in number or quantity, to accumulate) -- in abundance, multiply. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be much or many NASB Translation abundance (1), multiplies (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [כָּבַר] verb be much, many (Assyrian kabâru, be great, mighty; kabru, great, huge; Arabic  be great, in body, rank, or age,  great, noble, aged; Ethiopic  be honoured, magnified;  honoured, glorious; Sabean epithet כבר HalEt. Sab. JAs Dec. 1874, No. 90; Syriac  ,  for Hebrew רָבָה, הִרְבָּה,  (rare) much; Zinjirli be abundant, numerous) — Hiph`il (only Elihu) make many, Job 35:16 בִּבְלִי דַעַת מִלִּין יַכְבִּר (compare וְיֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו Job 34:37) > make great, BuBeitr. 138, comparing Job 8:2; מַכְבִּיר with the force of a substantive (Ew§ 160 c) Job 36:31 לְמַכְֶבִּיר יתן אכל giveth food in abundance (= prose לָרֹב, e.g. 2 Chronicles 11:23). Topical Lexicon Word Picture and Concept The verb conveys the idea of piling up, making something dense or “thick.” In Job 35:16 it pictures speech becoming swollen—an accumulation of words that obscures, rather than clarifies, truth. The imagery presents an excess that loses focus, warning that quantity of words must never substitute for spiritual insight. Biblical Occurrence and Context Job 35:16 records Elihu’s rebuke: “So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies words without knowledge”. Elihu does not fault Job for speaking, but for letting pain push his speech beyond the boundary of reverent wisdom. The single use is therefore strategic, framed within the great discourse on suffering, sovereignty, and righteousness. It reminds readers that, amid perplexity, unanchored talk can drift into presumption against God. Theological Emphasis on Speech Scripture consistently treats speech as a moral act (Proverbs 18:21; James 3:9-10). Job’s example crystallizes three theological truths: 1. Words reveal heart posture (Matthew 12:34). The verb in Job 35:16 anchors these truths by portraying speech that has grown “thick,” crowding out discernment. Historical and Cultural Backdrop Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature often warns against loquacity. In Egyptian “Instructions of Ptah-hotep,” silence is extolled; Mesopotamian proverbs advise measured speech before deities. Job, set in a patriarchal milieu, shares that cultural respect for restraint. Yet the Spirit-inspired text pushes beyond mere etiquette: it links speech discipline to covenant fidelity. Intertextual Connections Though the exact verb appears only once, its theme resonates widely: These passages echo Job 35:16 by urging believers to couple speech with reverence and knowledge. Implications for Discipleship and Ministry 1. Pastoral Counseling: Suffering saints often “multiply words” from pain. Counselors model patient listening, then guide speech toward worship (Psalm 62:8). Homiletical and Devotional Insights • Sermon Title: “Thick Words and Thin Wisdom.” Text: Job 35:16; Cross-references: Proverbs 10:19; James 1:19. Christological and Gospel Connections Jesus Christ embodies perfect speech; He speaks nothing except what the Father commands (John 12:49-50). At the cross He utters seven measured sayings, each laden with redemptive power. In contrast to Job’s “multiplied words,” the incarnate Word (John 1:1) speaks with authority and grace. Union with Christ, therefore, is the ultimate remedy for uncontrolled speech, as believers learn to let “the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Forms and Transliterations יַכְבִּֽר׃ יכבר׃ yachBir yaḵ·bir yaḵbirLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 35:16 HEB: דַ֝֗עַת מִלִּ֥ין יַכְבִּֽר׃ פ NAS: emptily; He multiplies words KJV: in vain; he multiplieth words INT: knowledge words multiplies 1 Occurrence |
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