Job 23 16

Job 23:16 kjv

For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

Job 23:16 nkjv

For God made my heart weak, And the Almighty terrifies me;

Job 23:16 niv

God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

Job 23:16 esv

God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me;

Job 23:16 nlt

God has made me sick at heart;
the Almighty has terrified me.

Job 23 verses

Job 23 16 Meaning

Job 23:16 states, "For God makes my heart faint, and the Almighty terrifies me." This verse conveys Job's profound and personal terror that stems directly from his experience of God's overwhelming presence and power in his suffering. It's not the calamities themselves that primarily frighten him, but the One he perceives to be behind them, leading to an inner collapse and utter dread.

Job 23 16 Context

Job 23:16 is uttered by Job in his third discourse, where he intensely expresses his desire to argue his case before God. Despite his conviction of innocence and longing for an audience with the Almighty (v. 3-7), he cannot find God's physical presence (v. 8-9). Though he acknowledges God knows his way (v. 10) and is determined to maintain his integrity (v. 11-12), a deep, existential dread overtakes him. This terror is not from the disasters that befell him, but from the realization of God's sovereign, irresistible will (v. 13-14), which appears inscrutable and possibly malevolent from Job's limited perspective. This verse captures the apex of his terror, emphasizing that it is God Himself, the "Almighty," who is the source of his profound inner torment and overwhelming fear.

Job 23 16 Word analysis

• For: Hebrew "כִּי" (ki). Connective particle, often translates as "for," "because," "indeed." It introduces the reason or explanation for Job's earlier stated condition of fear or helplessness in the face of God's actions. It signals the cause of his distress.
• God: Hebrew "אֵל" (El). A general term for God, also a divine name used in the Hebrew Bible. While `Elohim` is often used as a plural majestic or generic term for God, `El` tends to highlight God's power, might, or supremacy, often appearing in compound names like "El Shaddai." In this context, it emphasizes the ultimate divine power as the agent.
• makes my heart faint: Hebrew "הֵרַךְ לִבִּי" (herakh libbi).
  • `herakh` (הֵרַךְ): Hiphil imperfect of the root "רכך" (rakak), meaning to be soft, tender, weak. The Hiphil form signifies "to make soft, make tender, cause to be faint, weaken, discourage." It implies an active weakening or dissolution of the inner self.
  • `libbi` (לִבִּ֑י): My heart. In biblical Hebrew thought, the "heart" is the center of a person's inner being, encompassing not just emotions, but intellect, will, consciousness, and moral decision-making. So, "makes my heart faint" means Job's entire inner core, his very being, is weakened and collapsing.
  • Significance: This highlights that Job's suffering is not just physical but an assault on his deepest being, inflicted by God Himself, causing not merely sadness but profound inner debilitation and despair.
• and the Almighty: Hebrew "וְשַׁדַּי" (veshaddai).
  • `ve`: And.
  • `Shaddai` (שַׁדַּי): One of the most significant names for God, frequently used in the book of Job (31 times out of 48 occurrences in the OT). Often translated as "Almighty" or "All-Sufficient." It emphasizes God's omnipotence, His absolute power, sovereignty, and often His irresistible might, particularly in executing judgments or displaying His formidable power over creation and humanity. It points to God's self-sufficient power to bring things to pass.
  • Significance: The use of "Shaddai" intensifies the sense of terrifying, irresistible power. It’s not just God in general, but God in His overwhelming capacity and might that fills Job with dread.
• terrifies me: Hebrew "הִבְהִלַנִי" (hivhilanani).
  • `hivhilanani`: Hiphil perfect of the root "בהל" (bahal), meaning to be disturbed, troubled, hastened, confounded. The Hiphil means "to startle, alarm, cause terror, dismay, confuse, throw into confusion."
  • Significance: This verb suggests not just fear, but being thrown into a state of panic, disarray, and extreme consternation. It speaks to Job's profound disquietude and mental distress as a direct consequence of God's actions or presence.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "For God makes my heart faint": This phrase directly attributes Job's internal emotional and spiritual collapse to God. It highlights God's active role in Job's present state of despair and the personal, debilitating impact it has on his innermost self. The fainting is an inner dissolution, not merely outward weakness.
  • "and the Almighty terrifies me": This parallels and intensifies the first phrase, using the majestic name "Shaddai" to underscore the source of his terror. The terror isn't abstract but a concrete, paralyzing fear emanating from God's all-encompassing power, which Job perceives as being directed against him, leading to confusion and dismay. The two clauses together convey a synergistic impact of God's nature and perceived action on Job's psychological and spiritual state.

Job 23 16 Bonus section

• Job's experience resonates with what many believers might face when personal suffering seems directly connected to God's hand or allowing, leading to a crisis of faith not in God's existence, but in His perceived character or immediate justice.
• The phrase "makes my heart faint" echoes a common Old Testament motif where fear or despair causes internal weakness. However, in Job's case, it is specifically God who instills this inner feebleness, rather than enemies or calamities alone.
• The transition from the generic 'El' to the more specific 'Shaddai' in this verse emphasizes that it is God's infinite, uncontainable power that Job finds terrifying. This is not the familiar God of covenant comfort, but the powerful, awesome Deity.
• Job’s terror here sets the stage for God's dramatic appearance in Job 38-41, where God's display of omnipotence through creation profoundly silences Job, fulfilling and perhaps reorienting Job's earlier terror into proper awe.

Job 23 16 Commentary

Job 23:16 serves as a stark confession of Job's profound and unyielding dread of God Himself, illustrating the terrifying side of divine sovereignty for a sufferer. Job is not simply overwhelmed by his circumstances but by the One he believes to be the orchestrator of those circumstances. His use of "El" (God) and "Shaddai" (Almighty) signifies his wrestling with the full spectrum of divine attributes: God's essential power and His overwhelming omnipotence. His heart, the seat of his being, is made "faint," indicating a complete inner collapse. He is "terrified," implying not just fear but profound disarray and confusion in the face of what seems to be arbitrary, unfathomable, and crushing divine action. This verse lays bare Job's spiritual agony: he seeks an audience with God to clear his name, yet the very thought of God's majestic and inscrutable presence overwhelms him, confirming his perceived hopelessness in engaging with an infinite and incomprehensible power. It highlights the often-paradoxical nature of encountering the Holy God in the midst of unexplainable suffering—reverence can merge into dread.