Job 4:9

9 At the breath of God they perish; at the blast of his anger they are no more.

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS Job 4:8 NEXT Job 4:10

Job 4:9 in Other Translations

KJV

9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

ESV

9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

NLT

9 A breath from God destroys them. They vanish in a blast of his anger.

MSG

9 One breath from God and they fall apart, one blast of his anger and there's nothing left of them.

CSB

9 They perish at a [single] blast from God and come to an end by the breath of His nostrils.

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 ) .

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible