Job 20:25

25 It 1is drawn forth and comes out of his body; 2the glittering point comes out of his 3gallbladder; 4terrors come upon him.

Job 20:25 Meaning and Commentary

Job 20:25

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body
That is, the arrow with which a wicked man is stricken through; either it is drawn, and comes out of the quiver, as Broughton; or rather is drawn out of the body of a wicked man, being shot into it, and that in order that he may be cured of his wound if possible, but to no purpose, since it follows:

yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall;
being thrust into it, which being pierced and poured out, is certain and immediate death, see ( Job 16:13 ) . Some render it, yea, "the glittering [sword] out of his gall, he shall go away", or "is gone" F6; that is, he shall die, or is a dead man, there is no hope of him, when the arrow has transfixed his body, and the sword has penetrated into his gall, and divided that:

terrors [are] upon him;
the terrors of death, the plain symptoms of it being upon him; the terrors of an awful judgment, which follows after it; the terrors of the dreadful sentence of condemnation that will then be pronounced, "go, ye cursed" and the terrors of hell and eternal death, signified by utter darkness, unquenchable fire, and the never ceasing torments of it. Some by them understand devils, those terrible spirits which haunt wicked men in their dying moments, and are ready to carry them to the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, where they are to be companions with them for ever. The word is sometimes used of gigantic persons, who are sometimes terrible to others; and since these are mentioned along with weapons of war, Bar Tzemach interprets them of men of strength and power, men of war or soldiers, whose fear falls on others.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Klhy) "abibit e vivis"; so some in Michaelis; "abit", Schultens.

Job 20:25 In-Context

23 To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body.
24 He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.
27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

Cross References 4

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.