Job 8:11

Can the papyrus plant grow tall ¹  where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish ²  without water?

Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?

"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water?

"Can papyrus reeds grow where there is no marsh? Can bulrushes flourish where there is no water?

Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water?

Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

"Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water?

"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water?

Can the papyrus plant grow tall ¹  where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish ²  without water?

¹ sn H. H. Rowley observes the use of the words for plants that grow in Egypt and suspects that Bildad either knew Egypt or knew that much wisdom came from Egypt. The first word refers to papyrus, which grows to a height of six feet (so the verb means “to grow tall; to grow high”). The second word refers to the reed grass that grows on the banks of the river (see Gen 41:2, 18).

² tn The two verbs, גָּאָה (ga’ah) and שָׂגָה (sagah), have almost the same meanings of “flourish, grow, become tall.”