What Does Job 8:5 Mean in the King James?

If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

Job 8:5 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

“Betimes” carries the Hebrew root of dawn, so the verse joins dawn-like seeking with a plea for favor.

THE MEANING

The verse places an early turn toward God beside an appeal to the Almighty. Seeking and supplication move together: attention turns toward God, and need is voiced. This line states the appeal without declaring its outcome.

THE ROOT

תשחר

teshachar

GROWS FROM

שחר

Dawn; as a verb, to seek early or earnestly, like the first light of day.

“seek ... betimes” in this verse is teshachar. English separates “seek” from “betimes,” but the Hebrew verb carries the dawn image within it. The verse pictures seeking as a first movement toward God, not merely as a request made later.

ALSO GROWS

shachar: dawn, first light

שַׁחַר

This noun shares the root behind “betimes,” keeping the image of dawn inside the act of seeking.

yeshacharuneni: they will seek me early

יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי

Hosea uses this form for seeking God in affliction, showing the same dawn-root turning up in a plea made under pressure.

תתחנן

titchannan

GROWS FROM

חנן

To show favor or seek favor.

“Supplication” can sound like a formal kind of prayer, but the Hebrew word belongs to the family of favor. The plea is an appeal to be met with favor.

ALSO GROWS

chen: favor

חֵן

This noun names the favor sought in the supplication.

channun: gracious, showing favor

חַנּוּן

This related word describes the quality the appeal seeks from the Almighty.

THE PATTERN

Seeking God is pictured as the first movement of longing, returning in distress and taking priority among competing concerns.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalm 63:1 · KJVThe psalm joins early seeking with deep longing, echoing Job’s dawn-rooted word.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 5:15 · KJVThe verse places early seeking in the midst of affliction, as Job’s line places seeking beside a plea.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33 · KJV“Seek ye first” carries the same pattern of turning toward God as a first priority.

THE THREAD

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 5:15 · KJV

Job’s “seek ... betimes” and Hosea’s “seek me early” grow from ⁨שחר⁩ (shachar, dawn; to seek early). The shared root makes the image plain: even in affliction, seeking turns toward God like the first light.

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