Job 4:9

9 God destroys them with his breath and kills them with a blast of his anger.

Job 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

Job 4:9

By the blast of God they perish
They and their works, the ploughers, sowers, and reapers of iniquity; the allusion is to the blasting of corn by the east wind, or by mildew having used the figures of ploughing and sowing before; and which is as soon and as easily done as corn, or anything else, is blasted in the above manner; and denotes the sudden and easy destruction of wicked men by the power of God, stirred up by his wrath and indignation, because of their sins; who when he blows a blast on their persons, substance, and families, they perish at once:

and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed;
meaning his wrath and anger, which is like a stream of brimstone, and kindles a fire on the wicked, which are as fuel to it, and are soon consumed by it; the allusion is to breath in a man's nostrils, and the heat of his wrath and fury discovered thereby: some think this refers to Job's children being destroyed by the wind, see ( Isaiah 11:4 ) .

Job 4:9 In-Context

7 "Now think about this: Which innocent person [ever] died [an untimely death]? Find me a decent person who has been destroyed.
8 Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery, they gathered its harvest.
9 God destroys them with his breath and kills them with a blast of his anger.
10 Though the roar of the lion and the growl of the ferocious lion [is loud], the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.
11 The old lions die without any prey [to eat], and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.