Job 20:25

25 Which is led, or taken out of his sheath, or case, and this bow going out, and shining as lightning, shall smite him in bitterness; horrible fears shall go (forth), and come upon him. (Which is taken out of its sheath, or its case, and this bow going out, and shining like lightning, shall strike him in his gall bladder; horrible fears shall go forth, and shall 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 I would, that his womb be filled, that he send out into him the wrath of his strong vengeance, and rain his battle upon him. (I wish, that as his belly is filled, that God send upon him the anger of his strong vengeance, and rain down his battle upon him.)
24 He shall flee iron armours, and he shall fall into a brazen bow. (He shall flee from iron arms, or weapons, and he shall fall by a bronze bow.)
25 Which is led, or taken out of his sheath, or case, and this bow going out, and shining as lightning, shall smite him in bitterness; horrible fears shall go (forth), and come upon him. (Which is taken out of its sheath, or its case, and this bow going out, and shining like lightning, shall strike him in his gall bladder; horrible fears shall go forth, and shall come upon him.)
26 All darknesses (shall) be hid in his privates; fire, which is not tended, shall devour him; he shall be tormented (who is) left in his tabernacle. (All darkness shall be hid in his secret place; a fire, which is not tended, shall devour him; he who is left in his tent, shall be tormented.)
27 Heavens shall show his wickedness; and earth shall rise up (al)together against him. (The heavens shall show his wickedness; and the earth shall altogether rise up against him.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.