Job 4 16

Job 4:16 kjv

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

Job 4:16 nkjv

It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; Then I heard a voice saying:

Job 4:16 niv

It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice:

Job 4:16 esv

It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:

Job 4:16 nlt

The spirit stopped, but I couldn't see its shape.
There was a form before my eyes.
In the silence I heard a voice say,

Job 4 verses

Job 4 16 Meaning

Job 4:16 describes Eliphaz's eerie and profound encounter with a spirit, where an unidentifiable entity stood before him. He perceived a form or shape, yet it lacked distinctness, remaining beyond recognition. The experience culminated not in a clear image or booming voice, but a profound stillness broken by an almost imperceptible, hushed whisper or a mere breath. This moment for Eliphaz was one of profound awe and terror, deeply impacting his theological assertions to Job about divine purity and human depravity.

Job 4 16 Context

Job 4:16 is part of Eliphaz the Temanite's first speech to Job, immediately following Eliphaz's dramatic description of his terrifying spiritual vision (Job 4:12-15). This vision serves as the foundation and justification for Eliphaz's assertion that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, and therefore Job must be guilty. Eliphaz claims divine authority for his message, interpreting the formless vision and whisper as God's condemnation of all humanity's inherent impurity and fallibility. The immediate verses establish the terrifying atmosphere and a veiled appearance of the spiritual being, emphasizing its supernatural origin before its message (Job 4:17-21) is delivered. This context sets the stage for a conflict of understanding, where human interpretations of divine experiences are critically evaluated.

Job 4 16 Word analysis

• יַעֲמֹד (yaʿămōd):

  • Word: "It stood still."
  • Meaning: From the root עָמַד (amad), meaning "to stand, to cease, to remain." Here, it denotes presence and immobility.
  • Significance: Implies a distinct, albeit stationary, presence. The entity didn't merely pass by, but halted, focusing its attention. This amplifies the sense of encounter.

• וְלֹא־אָכִיר (wə-lōʾ-ʾāḵîr):

  • Word: "but I could not discern."
  • Meaning: וְ (wə) "and/but"; לֹא (lōʾ) "not"; אָכִיר (ʾāḵîr) "I knew, I recognized" (Qal imperfect from נָכַר nakar, "to know, recognize, acknowledge").
  • Significance: Emphasizes Eliphaz's inability to identify or fully comprehend the nature of what he saw. It highlights the mysterious and veiled nature of the spiritual being, maintaining an aura of the unknown.

• מַרְאֵהוּ (marʾēhû):

  • Word: "its form."
  • Meaning: "its appearance, sight, vision, form." From רָאָה (raʾah), "to see." The suffix -הוּ (hû) means "its/him."
  • Significance: While a form was present, it lacked clarity. It was visually there, but indistinguishable, adding to the awe and dread. It contrasts with clear divine appearances described elsewhere in Scripture.

• תְּמוּנָה (təmûnāh):

  • Word: "A figure/form."
  • Meaning: "likeness, image, form, representation." Can refer to a phantom or a tangible form. Often used for a divine form.
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea of a visual representation, yet still unidentifiable. This word is also used in Num 12:8 ("the likeness of the Lord") and Deut 4:12 ("you heard the sound...but saw no form [təmûnāh]"). Its usage here emphasizes that a figure was undeniably present, even if its details were lost to Eliphaz.

• לְנֶגֶד (ləneḡeḏ):

  • Word: "before."
  • Meaning: "in front of, opposite to, over against."
  • Significance: Locates the entity directly in Eliphaz's line of sight, making the encounter direct and personal.

• עֵינַי (ʿêna̱y):

  • Word: "my eyes."
  • Meaning: "my eyes" (plural of עַיִן ʿayin).
  • Significance: Emphasizes that this was Eliphaz's personal visual experience, underscoring its subjective and direct impact.

• דְּמָמָה (dəmāmāh):

  • Word: "a faint whisper."
  • Meaning: "stillness, silence, quietness, hush." Can describe an absence of sound or a barely audible one. Notably used in 1 Kgs 19:12 ("still small voice," דְּמָמָה דַּקָּה - dəmāmāh daqqāh).
  • Significance: This is a crucial term. It describes not a loud, authoritative pronouncement, but a subtle, almost silent auditory sensation. It shifts the mode of perception from visual indistinctness to auditory subtlety, enhancing the mystery and profound nature of the communication. It also suggests Eliphaz’s extreme focus.

• וְקֹול (wəqōl):

  • Word: "and a sound/voice."
  • Meaning: וְ (wə) "and"; קֹול (qōl) "sound, voice, cry."
  • Significance: While dəmāmāh suggests the quality of quietness, qōl confirms that a definite sound was uttered, despite its subtlety. It clarifies that communication occurred.

• אֶשְׁמָע (ʾešmāʿ):

  • Word: "I heard."
  • Meaning: "I hear" (Qal imperfect from שָׁמַע shama, "to hear, listen, understand").
  • Significance: The active "I heard" completes the shift from an indistinct visual perception to a concrete, albeit subtle, auditory reception. It affirms Eliphaz's role as recipient of the message.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "It stood still, but I could not discern its form.": This phrase immediately establishes the supernatural encounter while highlighting its enigmatic nature. The presence is real, concrete enough to "stand," but its appearance is beyond human recognition. This contributes to the awe and terror, as the unknown is often more frightening than the clearly visible. It sets up the idea of a partial, not complete, revelation.

• "A figure was before my eyes": Reinforces the visual aspect of the apparition. It underscores the undeniable existence of a perceived form directly witnessed by Eliphaz. Despite the inability to discern its specific features, the presence of a form was undeniable.

• "but I heard a faint whisper, a mere breath.": This climactic part shifts from the visual to the auditory, indicating the method of communication. The dəmāmāh combined with qōl speaks to extreme subtlety. It is not a thunderous pronouncement but a barely perceptible sound. This type of divine communication is often associated with the deepest spiritual encounters (e.g., Elijah's "still small voice") and implies an intimate yet elusive message. The dəmāmāh here emphasizes Eliphaz's focused attentiveness, where even the faintest sound registers, or the terrifying silence that precedes the utterance.

Job 4 16 Bonus section

The profound terror experienced by Eliphaz in his encounter is a recurring theme in biblical encounters with the divine (see Gen 15:12, Dan 10:8). This "trembling" or "shaking" indicates a proper response of awe and fear of the Holy, known as the "numinous." However, Eliphaz uses this powerful personal experience, stripped of its deeper nuances, to condemn Job. The use of dəmāmāh here prefigures the divine encounter with Elijah (1 Kgs 19:12), highlighting that God's most significant communication often occurs not in overt, spectacular displays but in profound quietness or stillness, demanding deep internal attention. Eliphaz, however, interprets this subtle revelation through his pre-existing dogmatic theology rather than allowing the mystery of God's ways to truly transform his understanding. This warns against projecting one's preconceived notions onto a divine revelation, potentially distorting its true message.

Job 4 16 Commentary

Job 4:16 encapsulates a profound, yet ambiguous, spiritual experience that Eliphaz presents as the authoritative basis for his argument against Job. The scene masterfully balances divine revelation with human limitations in comprehension. The entity, likely a messenger from God or an angelic being, demonstrates an awesome presence through its stillness, while simultaneously concealing its form from Eliphaz. This formlessness maintains divine transcendence; God's true nature or even His emissaries are not fully graspable by mortals. The shift from visual ambiguity ("could not discern its form," "a figure") to auditory subtlety ("a faint whisper, a mere breath") is crucial. This is not the powerful, overwhelming display often associated with divine visitations in the Old Testament, but an almost inaudible communication. This "whisper" (dəmāmāh) connects to later biblical instances where profound truth or God's very presence is found not in overt power but in quiet, contemplative spaces. However, while the experience itself might have been genuine, Eliphaz's subsequent interpretation of the whisper's content leads to a misapplication of divine truth to Job's unique suffering, revealing the danger of relying solely on subjective spiritual encounters without fuller understanding of God's ways.