Job 18 7

Job 18:7 kjv

The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

Job 18:7 nkjv

The steps of his strength are shortened, And his own counsel casts him down.

Job 18:7 niv

The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down.

Job 18:7 esv

His strong steps are shortened, and his own schemes throw him down.

Job 18:7 nlt

The confident stride of the wicked will be shortened.
Their own schemes will be their downfall.

Job 18 verses

Job 18 7 Meaning

Job 18:7 describes the certain downfall of the wicked according to Bildad's understanding. It asserts that the steps or progress of one's strength or prosperity will be constrained, leading to distress and ultimate ruin. Furthermore, their own misguided plans and self-reliant schemes will lead to their destruction. This verse highlights a common Old Testament wisdom theme: the consequences of pride and reliance on human cunning over divine guidance.

Job 18 7 Context

Job 18:7 is part of Bildad's second speech to Job, specifically within verses 5-21, which graphically describe the fate of the wicked. Bildad, like Job's other friends, operates under the assumption of divine retribution: great suffering indicates great sin. He attributes Job's plight to hidden wickedness, thus articulating the general principle that the wicked suffer and their downfall is inevitable. This verse states a commonly held tenet of ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions regarding divine justice. Culturally, there was a strong belief in immediate earthly consequences for righteousness or wickedness, which Job’s experience profoundly challenged.

Job 18 7 Word analysis

• The steps (אשרי - 'aśhūrāyw): This Hebrew word literally means "his steps" or "his paces," referring to one's course of life, progress, or journey. It signifies the manner of walking, behavior, or prosperity in one's path. In context, it points to the outward manifestations of their success and progress.
• of his strength (אונו - 'ônô): "Strength" here refers to power, vigor, ability, resources, or prosperity. It encompasses the material, social, and physical might by which a person proceeds in life. Bildad implies the very foundation of the wicked man's apparent success.
• are straitened (יצר - yēṣar): Derived from the root "ṣār" (צר), meaning narrow, confined, or distressed. It indicates restriction, limitation, or being brought into difficulty. The wicked person's path, which might have once been broad and open, is now constricted, leading to hardship and hindering progress.
• and his own counsel (עצתו - 'ăṣātô): "Counsel" refers to advice, plans, schemes, or purposes. It implies one's own deliberation and strategic decisions. This phrase points to self-reliance and the human schemes, particularly those not aligned with God's will.
• shall cast him down (תשליכנו - tašlīḵe-nū): From the root "šālak" (שלך), meaning to throw, cast, or hurl. It signifies expulsion, ruin, or sudden overthrow. It implies that the wicked person's downfall is not merely external but an outcome of their own making – their self-derived schemes becoming the instrument of their own destruction.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "The steps of his strength are straitened": This phrase paints a vivid picture of a mighty, powerful individual whose every move, whose very progress and means of advancing in life, is now hampered, constricted, and blocked. Their broad, open path has become a narrow, impassable alley, signaling the cessation of their prosperity and a move toward adversity. This implies that the source of their power, which allowed them to advance, will now be turned into a trap or limit for them.
• "and his own counsel shall cast him down": This emphasizes self-inflicted ruin. It highlights the futility of human wisdom and scheming when it opposes divine order. The very plans or decisions a wicked person devises for their own advancement or protection will boomerang, becoming the instrument of their downfall. It is a powerful statement about the self-destructive nature of pride and rebellion against God.

Job 18 7 Bonus section

While Bildad applies this concept rigorously to Job, accusing him indirectly of wickedness, the truth embedded in the verse is a foundational principle of biblical wisdom literature. It speaks to the ultimate triumph of God's design over human autonomy, especially when that autonomy leads to wickedness. It underscores that true prosperity and stability come from the Lord, not from self-made paths or human shrewdness. The irony is that Job himself is caught in a "straitened" path not due to his own wicked counsel, but as part of a divine test, highlighting the limitations of human understanding of suffering, even for a "wise" friend like Bildad.

Job 18 7 Commentary

Job 18:7 succinctly expresses Bildad's conviction about the ultimate fate of the wicked. His theology is rooted in the conventional wisdom of his time: divine justice ensures that wickedness inevitably leads to ruin, both materially and existentially. For Bildad, the steps of the wicked, their very progression and success founded on their own power or illicit gains, are certain to be "straitened." This means their freedom and prosperity will be choked off, their path to glory will become a narrow, constricting passage of distress. More pointedly, their "own counsel"—their clever plans, self-serving wisdom, and reliance on their own intellect apart from God—will actively bring about their demise. It's a statement of divine poetic justice: the very schemes intended to secure their power become the tools of their undoing. While Bildad wrongly applies this principle to Job, who is righteous, the general truth about the self-destructive nature of ungodly ambition and the limitations of human wisdom in the face of God's sovereignty holds strong throughout Scripture. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the futility of relying on oneself or opposing God's ways.