Job 33:16

16 He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings

Job 33:16 Meaning and Commentary

Job 33:16

Then he openeth the ears of men
Not the ears of his body, which remaining shut while things are presented to his mind in a dream or vision, but his internal ears; it is the same with opening the heart or understanding to attend to and receive the things delivered in this visionary way:

and sealeth their instruction;
sends home the instruction given in this manner, and imprints it upon the mind, so that it is well remembered when awake, not only the dreams themselves, but the lessons taught and learnt there, as may be observed in the cases of Abimelech and Laban, ( Genesis 20:3 ) ( 31:24 ) ; the word signifies "chastisement" ^F12 as well as instruction, that being one way in which God teaches and instructs men, ( Psalms 94:12 ) ; and so the sense may be, that God in a dream or vision makes it known to men, that if they regard not what he says to them, and repent not of their evils, and turn from them, he will correct and chastise them, and this he assures them of; and they may look for the certain performance of it, that he will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes; things that are sealed being sure and firm. Mr. Broughton renders the words, "and imprints why they are chastised."

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Mromb) "disciplinam eorum", Tigurine version; "castigationem eorum", Beza, Vatablus, Drusius, Mercerus, Piscator, Michaelis, Schultens.

Job 33:16 In-Context

14 God does speak -- sometimes one way and sometimes another -- even though people may not understand it.

15 He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds.

16 He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings

17 to turn them away from doing wrong and to keep them from being proud.

18 God does this to save a person from death, to keep him from dying.