Job 7:14

14 You come and so scare me with nightmares and frighten me with ghosts

Job 7:14 Meaning and Commentary

Job 7:14

Then thou scarest me with dreams
Not with dreams and visions being told him, as were by Eliphaz, ( Job 4:13 ) ; but with dreams he himself dreamed; and which might arise from the force of his distemper, and the pain of his body, whereby his sleep was broken, his imagination disturbed, and his fancy roving, which led him to objects as seemed to him very terrible and dreadful; or from a melancholy disposition his afflictions had brought upon him; and hence in his dreams he had dismal apprehensions of things very distressing and terrifying; or from Satan, in whose hands he was, and who was permitted to distress and disturb him at such seasons; all which he ascribes to God, because he suffered it so to be: and now these dreams not only hindered sound sleep, and getting that ease and refreshment he hoped for from thence, but even they were frightful and scaring to him, so that instead of being the better for his bed and his couch, he was the worse; these dreams added to his afflictions, and in them he suffered much, as Pilate's wife is said to do, ( Matthew 27:19 ) ;

and terrifiest me through visions;
spectres, apparitions, and such like things, being presented to his fancy, while sleeping and dreaming, which filled him with terror, and sorely distressed him, so that he could receive no benefit hereby, but rather was more fatigued and weakened.

Job 7:14 In-Context

12 Are you going to put a muzzle on me, the way you quiet the sea and still the storm?
13 If I say, 'I'm going to bed, then I'll feel better. A little nap will lift my spirits,'
14 You come and so scare me with nightmares and frighten me with ghosts
15 That I'd rather strangle in the bedclothes than face this kind of life any longer.
16 I hate this life! Who needs any more of this? Let me alone! There's nothing to my life - it's nothing but smoke.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.