Job 16 12

Job 16:12 kjv

I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

Job 16:12 nkjv

I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target,

Job 16:12 niv

All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;

Job 16:12 esv

I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;

Job 16:12 nlt

"I was living quietly until he shattered me.
He took me by the neck and broke me in pieces.
Then he set me up as his target,

Job 16 verses

Job 16 12 Meaning

Job 16:12 expresses Job's deep anguish and sense of betrayal, articulating his perception that God, who had once given him peace, has now violently turned against him. He vividly portrays God as an active and aggressive adversary who has suddenly shattered his security, violently seized and crushed him, and specifically set him up as a target for destruction. This verse highlights Job's profound confusion and suffering, directly challenging the prevailing theology that linked all suffering directly to sin.

Job 16 12 Context

Job 16 is part of Job's third response to his friends' accusations. Specifically, this verse comes in his direct reply to Eliphaz's second speech in chapter 15, where Eliphaz reiterates that the wicked are punished, implying Job's hidden sin. Job, frustrated by his friends' "miserable comfort" (16:2), turns his lament directly to God, portraying God as the very source of his agony, not his friends. He details the severe physical and emotional suffering inflicted upon him, attributing it to God's hand, despite his claim of innocence. The historical and literary context places this within the Wisdom literature, which explores the complexities of justice, suffering, and the nature of God, often challenging conventional understandings of divine retribution prevalent in the ancient Near East.

Job 16 12 Word analysis

• I was at ease (שַׁלְוָה, shalwah): This Hebrew term denotes a state of tranquility, security, prosperity, and peace. It points to Job's former comfortable and settled existence, where he felt safe and secure, possibly even attributing this peace to God's blessing. This former state contrasts sharply with his present agony, emphasizing the dramatic and unexpected nature of his downfall.

• but he shattered me (וַיְפַרְפְּרֵ֫נִי, wayy'far'prĕrēni): The verb comes from parpar, meaning "to break to pieces," "to dash to pieces," or "to utterly destroy." It evokes an image of violent and complete destruction, as if Job's life or very being has been pulverized. It suggests a sudden and overwhelming assault that leaves nothing whole, similar to crushing something fragile.

• he seized me by the neck (אֲחָזַנִי בְּצַוָּארִי, ʾakhazani bĕtzawwārī): This phrase vividly depicts an act of aggressive control and violence. To seize someone by the neck implies absolute dominance, often associated with a wrestling move, an attack, or preparing for a final blow. It signifies being utterly overpowered and deprived of the ability to resist or even breathe freely.

• and crushed me (וַיְדַקֵּנִי, wayy'daqqēni): From daqqaq, meaning "to pound fine," "to grind to powder," "to smash." This word emphasizes an even more thorough and total pulverization than "shattered." It implies an intentional and sustained act of demolition, reducing Job to dust. The progression from "shattered" to "crushed" suggests escalating violence and destruction.

• he set me up as his target (וַיְקִימֵנִי לְמַטָּרָה, wayy'qīmēnī lĕmaṭṭārāh): Maṭṭārāh means "mark" or "target." This conveys the perception that God's actions are deliberate, intentional, and aimed specifically at Job for destruction. It removes any notion of accidental suffering, implying that God is consciously focusing His destructive power on Job as if he were an object to be systematically destroyed by arrows or weapons. This is Job's direct accusation of God being an active enemy.

• "I was at ease, but he shattered me": This juxtaposes Job's past prosperity and security with his current ruin, powerfully demonstrating the abrupt and total reversal of his fortune. The "but he" clause points to a specific divine agency behind this catastrophe, making God the immediate subject of Job's complaint and sorrow.

• "he seized me by the neck and crushed me": These two actions together portray an intimate and brutal form of assault. "By the neck" implies a chokehold, suffocating life and resistance, while "crushed" suggests total destruction of the body or spirit, leaving no possibility of recovery. The imagery is one of a relentless, overwhelming adversary.

• "he set me up as his target": This climactic phrase encapsulates Job's belief that God is actively and personally engaged in his destruction. It is not just suffering, but a specific, intentional targeting. This feeling of being a deliberate mark intensifies Job's sense of injustice and alienation from God, leading to his profound bewilderment about God's ways.

Job 16 12 Bonus section

The violent imagery in Job 16:12 often evokes the experience of one in a severe wrestling match or being hunted down. The detailed progression of actions, from passive security ("at ease") to active destruction ("shattered," "seized," "crushed," "target"), highlights Job's sense of being a helpless victim of an omnipotent foe. While Job attributes these actions directly to God, the Book of Job ultimately reveals that even actions seemingly contrary to God's nature serve a higher, often inscrutable, divine purpose in testing and refining faith. Job's perception, though accurate in its description of his agony, does not fully encompass God's overarching plan, which includes spiritual growth and demonstrating Job's unwavering integrity. This verse is also a profound psychological depiction of how intense suffering can twist one's perception of even the benevolent.

Job 16 12 Commentary

Job 16:12 is a raw expression of Job's tormented soul, a stark declaration of how he perceives God's hand in his immense suffering. He feels utterly dismantled, not by a natural disaster or human enemy, but by God Himself, whom he views as having moved from protector to violent aggressor. The imagery used – shattering, seizing the neck, crushing, and becoming a target – conveys a sense of direct, personal, and overwhelming attack, stripping Job of all dignity, strength, and security. This verse is pivotal in Job's lament, as he grapples with the inexplicable suffering of a righteous man, a direct theological challenge to the prevailing belief system of strict retributive justice where prosperity signaled divine favor and suffering, divine punishment. Job's words here are not a casual complaint but a desperate, anguished outcry, wrestling with a God whose actions contradict his understanding of divine character and justice. For instance, like a once thriving tree that is suddenly uprooted and splintered, Job sees his former stable life as utterly demolished by a divine force that he cannot comprehend.