KJV ORIGINAL
Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
These streams are dark and murky because of ice, and snow is hidden in them:
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Job is describing how mountain streams become dark and muddy when ice melts and snow gets mixed in, making them unreliable sources of clear water.
📚 Historical Context
Job is continuing his metaphor about unreliable friends being like seasonal streams in the Middle Eastern desert. These wadis (dry riverbeds) would fill with rushing, muddy water during spring melts or storms, but couldn't be counted on for clean drinking water. In ancient times, travelers depended heavily on finding reliable water sources, so a murky, ice-filled stream would be disappointing and potentially dangerous.
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