שׁוּר

Numbers 23:9 אֲשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ I observe him

For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.

Here: "I gaze at him / I watch him." This is a poetic verb for looking intently or surveying. The same pair of verbs comes back in Balaam's later oracle: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near" (Num 24:17).

Numbers 24:17 אֲשׁוּרֶ֖נּוּ I observe him

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.

Here: A poetic word for watching or gazing, often from a height. Balaam uses it in 23:9 ('from the hills I behold him'). It pairs with 'see' in the parallel line.

Job 7:8 תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי it will observe me

The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.

Job 17:15 יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃ will he observe it

where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?

Here: A poetic verb for looking hard at something, watching or catching sight of it. 'It' is feminine and refers back to 'hope'. Job pictures his hope as something that could be seen if it existed, and says no one will ever lay eyes on it, because it is going down into the grave with him (v. 16).

Job 20:9 תְּשׁוּרֶ֥נּוּ it will see him

The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.

Job 24:15 תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי it will observe me

The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.

Job 33:14 יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃ anyone perceives it

For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.

Here: 'He does not perceive it.' This is a poetic verb for looking at something closely or taking it in. The 'it' is feminine and probably means God's speaking or message. The 'he' is most naturally the human being ('one does not notice'), though some old interpreters made God the subject (see debates).

Job 33:27 יָשֹׁ֤ר׀ he watches

Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

Here: In the flow of Elihu's speech this most likely means 'he sings': the man God has restored breaks into public song. It also sounds almost the same as yāšār, 'straight', which comes three words later. The supplied lemma takes it as 'look' or 'watch', as the KJV does. See textual notes.

Job 34:29 יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ will he observe him

But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,

Here: A poetic verb for looking at or catching sight of someone. 'Him' most naturally means God (it could also be 'it', the face). When God withdraws, no one can force a sighting of him. This echoes Job's own laments that he cannot find God (23:8–9; compare 35:14).

Job 35:5 וְשׁ֥וּר and observe

Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you.

Job 35:13 יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃ he observes it

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

Job 35:14 תְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ you observe him

How much less, then, when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him,

Here: "You (do not) behold him." A poetic verb for seeing that is common in Job. It echoes v. 13, where Shaddai "does not regard it" (yᵉšûrennāh). God does not look at empty cries, and Job complains that he cannot look at God.

Jeremiah 5:26 יָשׁוּר֙ he watches

For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

Here: 'He watches' or 'one keeps watch.' This is a hunter's or predator's patient stare (compare Hosea 13:7, where God lurks 'like a leopard by the way'). The verb is singular after a plural subject, which suggests 'each of them watches'. It may also point to a problem in the text.

Hosea 13:7 אָשֽׁוּר׃ I will watch

So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

Hosea 14:8 וַאֲשׁוּרֶ֗נּוּ and I will watch over it

O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me.

Here: 'And I will watch him / keep my eye on him.' In 13:7 the same verb described God as a leopard 'lurking' (ʾāšûr) by the road to pounce. Now the watching eye protects instead of hunting. The object is 'him', meaning Ephraim; the supplied gloss's 'it' is better taken as 'him'.