Job 6 4

Job 6:4 kjv

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

Job 6:4 nkjv

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Job 6:4 niv

The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me.

Job 6:4 esv

For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Job 6:4 nlt

For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows.
Their poison infects my spirit.
God's terrors are lined up against me.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 4 Meaning

Job 6:4 describes Job's intense and multifaceted suffering as a direct assault from God. He feels that the Almighty's "arrows" are lodged within him, bringing both physical pain and spiritual torment. This "poison" from the arrows is actively draining his very life force, his spirit. Furthermore, he perceives the "terrors" sent by God as an organized military force, strategically arrayed against him, leaving him overwhelmed and besieged on every front.

Job 6 4 Context

Job 6:4 is a poignant lament uttered by Job in response to his friend Eliphaz's discourse in chapters 4-5. Eliphaz had implied that Job's immense suffering must be a consequence of some hidden sin. In this verse, Job defends his outspoken anguish and despair, clarifying that his emotional outburst is commensurate with the intensity of his affliction. He perceives his suffering not as an accidental misfortune or an indirect result of a general order, but as a deliberate and personal assault from God Himself. The preceding verses of Job 6 describe his profound wish for death as a relief from his pain, and this verse articulates why that desire is so strong: he feels besieged by the divine. Historically, within the ancient Near Eastern wisdom tradition, a direct link between sin and suffering was often presumed. Job's radical assertion that God is the source of his pain without acknowledging any specific wrongdoing on his part directly challenges this conventional theological framework. He struggles to reconcile his perceived innocence with the active hostility he experiences from the Almighty.

Job 6 4 Word analysis

• For: This introductory word establishes a causal link. Job's preceding statement (his desire for death, v. 8-9) is explained by the following description of his internal torment. It signals the rationale behind his plea.
• the arrows: Hebrew: ḥiṣṣîm (חִצִּים). Literally, projectiles shot from a bow. Here, it is a vivid metaphor for sharp, piercing, debilitating pain and affliction, inflicted by a powerful entity. The image conveys direct, piercing, and unavoidable torment.
• of the Almighty: Hebrew: Shaddai (שַׁדַּי). This is a divine name for God, emphasizing His immense power, sufficiency, and all-encompassing might. Its use highlights Job's belief that his suffering is not random or earthly in origin, but stems from the most powerful being, intensifying his despair as there is no higher authority to appeal to.
• are within me: This phrase indicates an internal, inescapable, and profound nature of the suffering. It's not external pressure but pain deeply embedded in his being, physically and psychologically.
• their poison: Hebrew: ḥêmâ (חֵמָה). This word can mean 'heat,' 'rage,' 'wrath,' but also 'venom' or 'poison,' especially in the context of arrows (as in Deut 32:24). Here, it's the debilitating, spreading, and destructive effect of the "arrows." It suggests a consuming, corrupting element.
• drinks up: Hebrew: šōtâ (שֹׁתָה). A very active verb, meaning to drink or consume. It depicts the poison actively absorbing and draining his vitality, energy, and mental fortitude. It implies a slow, relentless, and exhaustive process.
• my spirit: Hebrew: rûḥî (רוּחִי). This refers to Job's vital breath, inner being, soul, or animating force. It encompasses his consciousness, emotion, and will. The poison is consuming his very essence, his inner life. This indicates deep spiritual and psychological torment, not just physical pain.
• the terrors: Hebrew: bāʽûṭîm (בַּעוּתִים). These are frightening things, shocks, or panic attacks. They represent profound psychological distress, mental anguish, and a sense of overwhelming dread or horror.
• of God: Hebrew: ʾělôah (אֱלוֹהַּ). Another singular term for God, often used in poetic or reflective contexts, interchangeable with Shaddai here. Its repetition emphasizes the divine source of all his misery.
• set themselves in array against me: Hebrew: yāʽǎrkû (יַעַרְכוּ). This is a military term, meaning to arrange or set in order for battle. It portrays the terrors as an organized army, not a chaotic outburst. This suggests a deliberate, strategic, and overwhelming attack, intensifying Job's sense of being a helpless target facing a relentless, systematic siege from the divine.

• "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me": This phrase captures the immediate, internalized, and divine nature of Job's physical pain. The "Almighty" as the source means the suffering is inescapable and beyond human control. "Within me" signifies not superficial harm but deep, pervasive torment.
• "their poison drinks up my spirit": This words-group details the devastating effect of the divine assault on Job's inner being. The "poison" highlights the destructive, consuming nature of the affliction, and its action of "drinking up" his "spirit" powerfully conveys complete emotional and spiritual exhaustion and decay, leaving him empty and devoid of will.
• "the terrors of God set themselves in array against me": This illustrates the psychological dimension of Job's suffering. The "terrors of God" are not random but act with deliberate, military-like precision, making Job feel like he is under a systematic, well-planned siege. This reveals an organized and overwhelming spiritual and mental assault from the divine.

Job 6 4 Bonus section

The imagery in Job 6:4 draws from a rich ancient Near Eastern literary tradition where gods could inflict sickness and calamity using "arrows." Job's particular usage, however, personalizes this; he feels the very poison, the divine wrath or venom, internalizing and draining his core self. The passage emphasizes that Job's crisis is not merely an external event but an internal consuming, affecting his vitality, resilience, and emotional well-being. This sense of being overwhelmed by divine forces—physical arrows, spiritual poison, and psychological terrors—highlights Job's isolated and comprehensive despair. He believes there is no aspect of his suffering that isn't traceable back to the Almighty's direct and personal attack upon him. This challenges his friends' simple retribution theology and forces a deeper consideration of the nature of divine justice and human suffering.

Job 6 4 Commentary

Job 6:4 is a profound expression of utter desolation, where Job attributes his intense suffering directly to God. It transcends mere physical pain, delving into the realm of spiritual and psychological torment. He feels literally permeated by God's instruments of affliction, suggesting an inescapable, internal agony that saps his very life force. The use of "arrows" and "poison" speaks to the sharpness, unexpectedness, and destructive, consuming nature of his trials. The "terrors of God" not merely come upon him, but are organized "in array," implying a systematic, targeted, and overwhelming siege on his mind and spirit. Job experiences God not as a distant observer, but as a deliberate antagonist. This verse lays bare Job's raw honesty in his lament, demonstrating a foundational element of true lament in Scripture: direct complaint to God concerning perceived injustice or active opposition, even while holding to a belief in God's existence and power. His agony is so pervasive that it drains his life-giving spirit, making death seem a welcome respite from the deliberate and calculated divine onslaught.