Job 18 11

Job 18:11 kjv

Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

Job 18:11 nkjv

Terrors frighten him on every side, And drive him to his feet.

Job 18:11 niv

Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step.

Job 18:11 esv

Terrors frighten him on every side, and chase him at his heels.

Job 18:11 nlt

"Terrors surround the wicked
and trouble them at every step.

Job 18 verses

Job 18 11 Meaning

Bildad declares that terrors perpetually assail the wicked individual from all directions, relentlessly pursuing and harassing him, causing constant agitation and inability to escape or find peace. This portrays a life marked by an inescapable and ever-present dread, suggesting a just retribution for unrighteousness.

Job 18 11 Context

Job 18:11 is part of Bildad's second speech to Job, found in Job chapter 18. This speech is a strong retort to Job's laments and protests of innocence. Bildad, exasperated by Job's defiance, vehemently asserts the conventional wisdom of their time: that suffering is always a direct result of wickedness. He does not accuse Job directly but describes in grim detail the systematic ruin that overtakes the wicked, implying that Job's calamities are proof of his iniquity. Bildad's detailed and elaborate portrayal of the wicked's doom (including his possessions, family, memory, and even his light being extinguished) is a polemic against Job's assertion of blameless suffering, reinforcing the rigid belief in retributive justice that was prevalent among Job's friends and much of their cultural milieu. He illustrates the internal torment and external pressure the wicked face, seeking to justify divine judgment.

Job 18 11 Word analysis

• Terrors (Hebrew: ballāhōt, בַּלָּהוֹת): This term denotes great, sudden, and overwhelming fears or horrors. It refers not merely to a feeling of fear but to the objective sources or instances of terror that inflict such feelings. Scholars note it implies a collection of dreadful events or threats, personified as active agents, consistently dogging the wicked.
• make him afraid (Hebrew: yəvaʿăṯūhū, יְבַעֲתֻהוּ): Derived from the root baʿat (בָּעַת), meaning to terrify, to make afraid, to startle suddenly. This indicates an ongoing and active process where the terrors are the subjects, and the wicked man is the passive recipient of this fear. The verbal form suggests an intense, sudden, and recurring intimidation.
• on every side (Hebrew: missābîb, מִסָּבִיב): This phrase emphasizes the inescapable and ubiquitous nature of the dread. The terrors do not come from one direction or occasionally, but surround the individual completely, leaving no avenue for escape or refuge. It conveys the idea of a pervasive, suffocating encirclement of dread, mirroring the "net" metaphor sometimes used in the Psalms for entrapment.
• and shall drive him (Hebrew: wəhēfīṣūhū, וְהֵפִיצוּהוּ): This is a difficult word, from the root pūṣ (פּוּץ), meaning to scatter, disperse, or spread out. In the Hiphil stem as used here, it often means to cause to scatter, drive away, or put to flight. It denotes an active dispersal or pursuit, making the subject move in a disorderly, frantic manner, reflecting the impact of the terrors.
• to his feet (Hebrew: ləraglāyw, לְרַגְלָיו): This phrase is an idiom. It can mean "at his heels," indicating constant, close pursuit like a hunter to his prey. Or, it might suggest making him stumble, fall, or collapse at his feet (in the sense of self-destruction or being unable to stand), implying exhaustion, defeat, or being driven into his own ruin by the very fears pursuing him. The prevalent scholarly view leans towards the idea of relentless pursuit, causing panic-stricken flight.

Words-group analysis:

• "Terrors make him afraid on every side": This phrase paints a vivid picture of a besieged soul. It's not just internal anxiety but external pressures or manifestations of judgment that ceaselessly close in. The lack of an escape route highlights the total and inescapable nature of the predicament Bildad envisions for the wicked.
• "and shall drive him to his feet" / "and chase him at his heels": This vivid imagery reinforces the relentless pursuit. The wicked person cannot find rest or pause, constantly urged forward by fear. The terrors are personified as active agents, driving their victim. It implies either being driven headlong in a desperate, directionless flight, or being forced into a position of weakness and vulnerability. The phrase accentuates the idea of the wicked having no control over their destiny but being entirely dictated by the fear and consequences of their actions.

Job 18 11 Bonus section

Bildad’s words in Job 18, and particularly verse 11, highlight a fundamental theological tension within the Book of Job: the problem of suffering and the nature of divine justice. While Bildad’s statement accurately describes a common outcome for the wicked in the world, the error lies in its rigid and universal application to all suffering. The book of Job aims to show that not all suffering is punitive for sin; sometimes, as in Job's case, it is allowed for other divine purposes, such as testing faith, refining character, or revealing God’s glory. This verse, though used by Bildad to accuse, paradoxically sets the stage for the book's larger theological discourse about the complexity of God's ways which transcend human understanding of simple retribution. The pervasive terrors described also foreshadow later biblical concepts of an accusing conscience or the anxieties of those who reject God’s grace (e.g., Rom 1:18-32 describing how the unrighteous are given over to their own desires and consequences).

Job 18 11 Commentary

Job 18:11 is a powerful assertion from Bildad, intended to convince Job of the inherent link between wickedness and inescapable torment. The verse operates on two levels: external calamity and internal terror. Externally, the wicked are not merely afflicted by one misfortune but by "terrors on every side," a deluge of fears and disastrous circumstances. Internally, this constant siege by circumstances produces debilitating dread, making the wicked person continually afraid and without peace. The relentless pursuit "to his heels" suggests an incessant dogging of steps, a complete inability to escape the consequences of his actions or the fear of impending judgment. Bildad's theological framework holds that God's justice meticulously ensures that the wicked suffer proportional, unavoidable, and profound anguish. The absence of repose, the unending agitation, and the eventual downfall described here are, for Bildad, the defining marks of a life estranged from righteousness. It serves as a stern warning against unrighteousness but, ironically in the context of Job, misapplies this truth to blameless suffering.