Job 13 11

Job 13:11 kjv

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

Job 13:11 nkjv

Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you?

Job 13:11 niv

Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you?

Job 13:11 esv

Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?

Job 13:11 nlt

Doesn't his majesty terrify you?
Doesn't your fear of him overwhelm you?

Job 13 verses

Job 13 11 Meaning

Job 13:11 is a powerful rhetorical question posed by Job to his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. It serves as a stern rebuke, implying that their glib and false accusations, made under the guise of defending God, actually show a lack of true reverential fear and awe of the Almighty. Job challenges them to consider whether the sheer majesty and terrifying dread of God should not compel them to speak truth and integrity, rather than deceitfully and rashly on His behalf. It questions their perceived piety, highlighting that their words belie a true apprehension of God's greatness and holiness.

Job 13 11 Context

Job 13:11 is situated within the "dialogues" section of the Book of Job, specifically during Job's response to his friends' second cycle of speeches (Job 12-14). After enduring multiple calamities, Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, visit him, ostensibly to comfort him. However, they soon adopt the prevalent retribution theology of their time, asserting that Job's suffering must be a direct consequence of his sin, implying his guilt. In chapter 13, Job defends his integrity vehemently, challenging their superficial arguments and questioning their understanding of God. He criticizes them for "whitewashing" God with lies (v. 4) and suggests that their flawed attempts to justify God's actions through their narrow theological framework actually constitute a disservice to Him. Verse 11 is a direct address to his friends, serving as a climactic rhetorical question that exposes the hollowness of their words by contrasting them with the transcendent reality of God's awesome presence and judicial authority. Job implicitly argues that a true apprehension of God's "majesty" and "dread" would prevent them from speaking falsely or carelessly about Him.

Job 13 11 Word analysis

• Will not (הֲלֹא - ha-lo): A rhetorical particle introducing a question that expects an affirmative answer, implying, "Surely, you know that..." or "Indeed, won't..." It functions as a powerful affirmation in the form of a challenge.
• His majesty (הֹדוֹ - hodo): From the root הָדוּר (hadur), meaning splendor, glory, majesty, magnificence. It denotes the sublime, overwhelming greatness and honor of God. In biblical thought, God's majesty refers to His inherent supreme authority, perfect character, and awesome power, which command respect and reverence. The suffix '-o' indicates "His," referring unequivocally to God.
• terrify (יְבַעֵת - y'va'et): From the verb בָּעַת (ba'at), meaning to startle, terrify, dismay, put in confusion, agitate suddenly. This is not just a mild fear but an overwhelming, awe-inspiring terror that unnerves and profoundly shakes a person's composure. It implies a recognition of God's absolute power and unpredictable justice.
• you (אֶתְכֶם - etchem): The plural pronoun, directly addressing Job's three friends. This ensures the rhetorical question directly confronts their assumed wisdom and piety.
• and the dread (וְאֵמָתוֹ - v'eimato): The "and" (`וְ - ve`) connects this idea to the previous one, reinforcing the combined impact of God's character. "Dread" (eimah) refers to an overwhelming fear or terror that paralyses. It's often used in Scripture to describe the fearful reverence inspired by God's manifest presence or mighty acts, prompting a humbling recognition of human frailty before divine power. The suffix '-o' again indicates "His," belonging to God.
• of Him (no distinct word; embedded in אֵמָתוֹ): The possessive suffix on 'dread' indicates "His" dread.
• fall upon you (תִּפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶם - tippol aleikhem): Literally "it will fall upon you." The verb נָפַל (naphal), "to fall," here implies an inescapable, enveloping reality. God's dread and majesty are not distant concepts but immediate forces that should profoundly affect their demeanor and speech. "Upon you" (`עֲלֵיכֶם - aleikhem`) again directs the warning specifically at his friends.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Will not His majesty terrify you": This phrase highlights God's intrinsic greatness. Job contends that a genuine awareness of God's unparalleled splendor and power should evoke an unsettling and humbling response in his friends. Their flippant counsel and erroneous pronouncements about God betray a lack of this fundamental, transformative terror. It's a terror rooted in His holiness and justice, not malice.
• "and the dread of Him fall upon you?": This extends the concept of divine majesty to its experiential effect. "Dread" is not merely an intellectual understanding but an intense, visceral awe that descends upon and encompasses an individual. Job suggests that such an overwhelming sense of God's being should naturally preclude any presumption or falsehood in their dealings, especially when speaking about Him or for Him. The implication is that if they truly experienced this dread, their present course of action would be impossible.
• Combined Implication: The two clauses together form a double-barreled challenge to the friends' spiritual authenticity. Job asserts that God's intrinsic glory (`hodo`) and its pervasive impact (`eimah`) ought to manifest as profound reverence, guarding their words and thoughts against any form of dishonesty, particularly concerning divine matters. Their failure to speak rightly, in Job's view, points to a dangerous disconnect from this proper fear of the Lord.

Job 13 11 Bonus section

This verse carries significant polemical weight, challenging the common theological assumption prevalent in Job's era—and sadly, in many times since—that suffering always equals punishment for sin. Job's friends are caught in this deterministic theology, trying to neatly fit God into their predictable moral universe. By questioning their fear of God, Job is suggesting that their rigid theological framework itself stems from an incomplete, perhaps even disrespectful, understanding of God's multifaceted nature. True "fear of the Lord" leads to wisdom and understanding that transcends such narrow interpretations. It acknowledges God's sovereignty, holiness, and mystery without demanding that His ways conform to human logic or preconceived notions of justice. Job here advocates for an understanding of God that embraces His awesome, even terrifying, transcendence, which in turn leads to intellectual humility and truthful speech, rather than fabricating rationalizations for His actions.

Job 13 11 Commentary

Job 13:11 is Job's piercing accusation against his friends, laying bare what he perceives as their spiritual blindness. He argues that their simplistic and ultimately false theology, which wrongly attributes his suffering to sin, demonstrates a severe lack of true fear and reverence for God. If they genuinely understood the unfathomable majesty and terrifying holiness of the Almighty, they would be far more cautious and truthful in their pronouncements, particularly when claiming to speak on God's behalf. Job highlights that proper fear of the Lord (a concept central to biblical wisdom) compels integrity and humility, forbidding presumptuous or deceptive speech. Their superficial piety, devoid of genuine apprehension of God's full being, makes them "forgers of lies" and "worthless physicians." The verse acts as a powerful reminder that an intellectual or superficial acknowledgment of God is insufficient; it must be accompanied by a profound, humbling awe that shapes one's every word and action, especially when speaking about divine truth.