Job 4:10 kjv
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
Job 4:10 nkjv
The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
Job 4:10 niv
The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.
Job 4:10 esv
The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
Job 4:10 nlt
The lion roars and the wildcat snarls,
but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.
Job 4 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 3:7 | ...break the teeth of the ungodly. | God breaks the power of the wicked. |
| Ps 58:6 | O God, break the teeth in their mouths... | Prayer for divine destruction of the wicked. |
| Ps 76:3 | There he broke the flaming arrows... and the sword. | God breaking weapons/power of enemies. |
| Job 29:17 | I broke the fangs of the unrighteous. | Job (in hindsight) describing how he helped the oppressed. |
| Job 38:15 | Their arm is broken, and their high arm is uplifted. | God breaking the power of the wicked at dawn. |
| Pro 10:24 | What the wicked dreads will come upon him... | Wicked receive their deserved end. |
| Pro 11:31 | If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly! | Divine justice for righteous and wicked. |
| Ps 10:15 | Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account. | Divine intervention against oppressors. |
| Ps 37:17 | For the arms of the wicked shall be broken. | The transient nature of the wicked's strength. |
| Ps 9:15-16 | The nations have sunk... in the net that they hid, their own foot is caught... | Wicked caught in their own schemes by God. |
| Isa 2:12 | For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon everything proud... | God humbles the proud and mighty. |
| Pro 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction... | The ultimate downfall of the arrogant. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west... God is the judge. | God is the source of all judgment and power. |
| Ps 22:13 | They open wide their mouths against me, like a ravening and roaring lion. | Lion imagery for enemies/wicked persecutors. |
| 2 Tim 4:17 | ...delivered me from the lion’s mouth. | Metaphor for escaping grave danger/persecution. |
| Jer 50:17 | Israel is a scattered flock; lions have driven him away. | Lions as a metaphor for destructive foreign powers. |
| Ps 17:12 | They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. | Enemies likened to predatory lions. |
| Eze 19:3 | She brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion. | Lion symbolism often connected with kings and their destructive acts. |
| Lam 3:37-38 | Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? | God's ultimate sovereignty over all events. |
| Ps 146:3-4 | Put not your trust in princes... In that very day his plans perish. | Human power is fleeting and unreliable. |
| Mal 4:1 | ...all evildoers will be stubble... and consume them. | Ultimate judgment and destruction for the wicked. |
| Nahum 2:13 | Behold, I am against you... and the lion will no longer tear enough. | God's direct judgment on predatory nations/forces. |
| Zeph 3:3 | Her officials within her are roaring lions... | Leaders acting as destructive oppressors. |
| Prov 28:15 | Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler. | Wicked rulers bring devastation. |
| Gen 49:9 | Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. | Contrast: Lion used positively for a deliverer/king. |
Job 4 verses
Job 4 10 Meaning
Job 4:10, spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, asserts the universal principle that the power and terror of the wicked, symbolized by various aspects of lions, are ultimately destroyed by divine justice. Eliphaz believes that God renders the powerful oppressors and their offspring powerless, nullifying their threats and predatory capabilities, demonstrating that reliance on earthly might or wickedness is futile. This statement reinforces Eliphaz’s core theological stance that suffering and downfall are direct consequences of sin and that God justly intervenes to break the strength of evildoers.
Job 4 10 Context
Job 4:10 is spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, who is the first of Job's three friends to respond to Job's lamentations (Job 3). After hearing Job's anguish and wish for death, Eliphaz begins his discourse (Job 4:1-5:27) by asserting the traditional belief that suffering is a consequence of sin. He presents a retribution theology, where God is just and always punishes the wicked while vindicating the righteous. Job 4:10 uses powerful, universally understood imagery of a lion, an apex predator known for its strength and terror in the ancient Near East, to represent those who are fierce, mighty, and predatory in their actions, i.e., the wicked and oppressors. Eliphaz aims to console Job by implying that if Job were truly innocent, he would not be suffering, and if he were wicked, God would certainly break his power, as illustrated by the lions.
Job 4 10 Word analysis
- The roaring (שְׁאָגַת - shəʾāgat): Derived from sha'ag, meaning "to roar, bellow." This word captures the menacing sound a lion makes, which conveys warning, threat, dominance, and imminent attack. It signifies the vocal display of power and intimidation employed by the wicked.
- of the lion (אַרְיֵה - ʾaryeh): A common Hebrew term for a fully grown lion, often signifying strength, royalty, and ferocity. In this context, it broadly represents the general class of powerful and predatory individuals who exploit or oppress others.
- and the voice (וְקוֹל - vəqôl): From qôl, meaning "sound, voice." While "roaring" emphasizes a specific loud sound of threat, "voice" here, especially coupled with "fierce lion," might suggest a more encompassing declaration of power, authority, or malicious intent, akin to their authoritative or condemning utterances.
- of the fierce lion (שָׁחַל - šāḥal): This term often refers to a full-grown male lion, noted for its majesty, strength, and aggressive hunting prowess. It conveys a sense of intense ferocity and capability, perhaps a higher degree of threat than a general "lion."
- and the teeth (וְשִׁנֵּי - vəšinnê): From shēn, meaning "tooth" or "teeth." Teeth are a lion's primary weapons for killing and tearing prey. This concrete image emphasizes the practical, destructive power and violence of the wicked – their means of inflicting harm.
- of the young lions (כְּפִירִים - kəphîrîm): Derived from kəphîr, referring to fully grown, but young, lions, often in their prime strength and rapaciousness. They are known for their voracious appetite and active hunting. This highlights the vigorous, active, and insatiable nature of the wicked's destructive tendencies.
- are broken (נִפְּצוּ - nippəṣû): From nāpaṣ, meaning "to break in pieces, shatter, disperse." This verb, in the Niphal stem (passive voice), implies that their strength is broken by an external force, clearly pointing to divine intervention. It denotes a complete and decisive destruction of their ability to inflict harm or intimidate. The past tense suggests it is a certainty, a universal principle observed.
- Word-group analysis: The verse employs a literary technique known as parallelism or incremental intensification, moving from general threats (roaring of the lion) to specific, tangible means of destruction (teeth of the young lions). The progression from aryeh (general lion) to shakhal (fierce, strong lion) to kəphîrîm (young, prime, active lions) paints a comprehensive picture of all forms and stages of predatory wickedness. The "roaring" signifies their terrifying pronouncements and intimidation, while "teeth" signifies their actual, violent acts of oppression. All these forms of their power – their terrorizing influence, their strength, and their means of destruction – are declared to be utterly "broken" by God, indicating a comprehensive and irreversible dismantling of their capacity for evil.
Job 4 10 Bonus section
The threefold description of lions—roaring, fierce, young—highlights a complete dismantling of power: their terror (roar/voice), their inherent strength (fierce), and their active, predatory vigor (young lions). It’s an escalating scale of dangerousness that is brought to nothing. Eliphaz is appealing to common wisdom and observable events: no matter how mighty an oppressor appears, their power eventually crumbles. This belief provided comfort and a moral framework in a world where justice was not always readily apparent. While true that God ultimately defeats evil, Eliphaz misapplies this universal truth as a direct and immediate explanation for all individual suffering, particularly Job's unique situation.
Job 4 10 Commentary
Job 4:10 is a pivotal statement reflecting Eliphaz's conventional theology. He observes what he believes to be a universal principle: God breaks the power of the wicked. By using various powerful lion metaphors – the general roaring lion, the fiercely majestic lion, and the vigorous young lions known for their active predation – Eliphaz vividly portrays the oppressive might of human evil. He then declares that all these manifestations of destructive power are "broken," a passive voice suggesting God is the agent of their downfall. This serves to remind Job (and the reader) of God's sovereignty and justice. In Eliphaz’s view, if wicked oppressors cannot ultimately stand, neither can Job if he is secretly harboring sin. This verse acts as both a statement of divine justice and an implicit accusation, illustrating Eliphaz’s firm belief that suffering, especially intense suffering like Job's, must logically stem from corresponding sin, which God in His justice must eventually crush. The irony of Job’s book, however, is that this simplistic retribution theology, though containing elements of truth about God’s justice, is proven inadequate to explain all suffering, especially that of the righteous like Job.