Job 15:24 — Word Study
WLCיְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֽוֹר׃
BSADistresstsar [trouble, adversity] and anguishmᵉtsûwqâh [pain, torment] terrify himbâʻath▸ [to startle, cause sudden fear] overwhelming himtâqaph▸ [prevailing against, overpowered] like a kingmelek [royal person, ruler] poisedʻâthîyd [ready, prepared] to attackkîydôwr△ [engage in battle, fierce fighting]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ | they terrify him | Verb piel imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| צַ֣ר | anxiety | Adj |
| וּמְצוּקָ֑ה | and distress | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ | it overpowers him | Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular, suffix |
| כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ | like a king | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| עָתִ֬יד | ready | Adj |
| לַכִּידֽוֹר׃ | for battle | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack. |
| KJV | Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. |
| ASV | Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. |
| YLT | Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster. |
| WEB | Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. |
| BBE | He is greatly in fear of the dark day, trouble and pain overcome him: |
Where they part company is צַ֣ר — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with additional phrases that describe the nature of the fear and its intensity.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמֶלֶךְ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 15:24
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Discourse on the Wickedgenerated
Job 15:24 describes the emotional turmoil faced by the wicked, illustrating how distress and anguish can grip a person. The comparison to a king ready to engage in battle emphasizes the severity of their fear. This verse fits within a larger context where Job's friends discuss the fate of the wicked, suggesting that their actions lead to inevitable suffering, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 6:2–4 | “If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales. |
| 2 | Psalm 119:143 | Trouble and distress have found me, but Your commandments are my delight. |
| 3 | Proverbs 1:27 | when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you. |
| 4 | Isaiah 13:3 | I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph. |
| 5 | Matthew 26:37–38 | He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ, Ye.va.'a.tu.hugenerated
The verb יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ (Ye.va.'a.tu.hu) is a piel imperfect form meaning 'they terrify him.' It indicates a strong emotional reaction, suggesting that the subject is not just scared but is overtaken by terror. The parsing as third person masculine plural indicates that it refers to multiple sources of fear or distress acting upon the individual.
This word captures the essence of being startled or terrified, often used in poetic contexts to evoke deep emotional responses. The lexicons highlight its use in various forms, indicating a broad application in describing fear and anxiety.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has terrify, which is also used in the KJV and ASV, maintaining a consistent rendering of יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ.
Where others part company with the BSB, they do so over the word צַ֣ר — anxiety (YLT) versus trouble (KJV, BBE) — and עָתִ֬יד — ready (most versions) versus prepared (DRA).
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ governs the whole verse, with two clauses describing the sources of fear and the overwhelming nature of that fear. The structure emphasizes the intensity of the emotions being described.
The sentence is constructed with a subject and predicate, where the subject is the fear itself and the predicate describes its overwhelming effect, likening it to a king ready for battle.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ as στροβήσει, which implies a sense of being turned or twisted, suggesting a different nuance of being overwhelmed. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of fear that includes confusion or disorientation.
The other words largely correspond to their Hebrew counterparts, maintaining the overall meaning but reflecting the translators' choices in conveying the emotional weight of the original text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 15:24 illustrates how distress and anguish can terrify a person, comparing this fear to that of a king ready to engage in battle. This verse highlights the emotional state of the wicked, showing that their actions lead to overwhelming fear and anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the person is overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, as if they are facing a powerful adversary, similar to a king preparing for battle.
The imagery of a king ready for battle emphasizes the intensity and seriousness of the fear experienced, suggesting that it is not just ordinary fear but a profound terror.
The context of Job's discourse on the wicked helps to clarify that this fear is a consequence of their actions, reflecting their inner turmoil and the inevitable suffering that follows.
Describing both distress and anguish together highlights the multifaceted nature of fear and anxiety, showing that it can arise from various sources and manifest in overwhelming ways.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what situations have I felt overwhelmed by fear or anxiety, similar to the description in this verse?
- How can I better understand the emotional struggles of others who may be facing distress?
- What does this verse teach me about the consequences of my actions and their impact on my emotional state?
- How can I find strength and courage in the face of my own fears, as described in this passage?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the nature of fear and distress experienced by the wicked, as seen in Gregory the Dialogist's commentary.
Ver. 24. Trouble shall make him afraid, straits shall besiege him, as a king ready to the battle. In all that the wicked man does, he is hedged in with anguish, and tribulation, and straits;Early Church Fathers on Job 15 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 15:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTrouble and anguish shall make him afraid,.... Either his present troubles shall frighten him, they being so very dismal, terrible, and distressing, and make him fear that others were coming on, more
Read John Gill on Job 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryTrouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. Prevail - break upon him suddenly and terribly, as a king, etc. (Proverbs 6:11).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 15 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. When trouble comes, instead of trusting, and hoping, and comforting himself in God, as good men do in such cases, as , he is full of torment and dread of the issue of it, and concludes it will end in his utter ruin, as he hath great reason to do. Ready to the battle; or, prepared or furnished; or, disposed with his army round about him, as this word seems to signify.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 15 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 15:24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.Ver. 24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid] Or scare him, not only out of his comforts, but out of his wits and senses too, as it did Charles the Great, Cardinal of Lorrain (Meutis inops moritur). See Deuteronomy 28:34. Tullus Hostilius, the third king of Romans, deriding the religion of his predecessor Numa, as that which did emasculate men’ s minds, was afterwards so terrified, that he set up and worshipped two new gods, viz. Pavorem et Pallorem, trouble and anguish, which he had perpetually present with him, as Lactantius reporteth. What a pitiful agony Vitellius the…
Read John Trapp on Job 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(24) As a king ready to the battle.—Or, They prevail against him like a king: he is destined to be like a ball (comp. Isaiah 22:18), the tennis-ball of calamity.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid] He shall be in continual fear of death; being now brought down by adversity, and stripped of all the goods which he had got by oppression, his life is a mark for the meanest assassin. As a king ready to the battle.] The acts of his wickedness and oppression are as numerous as the troops he commands; and when he comes to meet his enemy in the field, he is not only deserted but slain by his troops. How true are the words of the poet: - Ad generum Cereris sine caede et vulnere pauci Descendunt reges, et sicca morte tyranni. Juv. Sat., ver. 112. "For few usurpers to the shades descend By a dry death, or with a quiet end."
Read AdamClarke on Job 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges24. shall make him afraid] Rather, make him afraid. ready to the battle] Fully prepared and therefore irresistible.
Read Cambridge on Job 15 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAs a king ready to the battle - Fully prepared for a battle; whom it would be vain to attempt to resist. So mighty would be the combined forces of trouble and anguish against him, that it would be vain to attempt to oppose them.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 15 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack,
Tyndale line
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle:
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
Affliction and anguish shall make him afraide: they shall preuaile against him as a King readie to the battell.
Strictly literal
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for the battle.
Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
Adversity and distress terrify him, || They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
Distress and anguish terrify him: they assail him with might, as a king prepared for the battle.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
From the Latin
Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.
Simplified
Misery and torment overwhelm them like a king preparing for battle.
He is greatly in fear of the dark day, trouble and pain overcome him:
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for Job 15:24, with most words matched. The Septuagint's wording reflects its own syntactical structure but conveys the same thematic content regarding fear and distress.
יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֽוֹר׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 15:24
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בָּעַת (ba`ath) is a primitive root meaning to terrify or startle. It covers a range of actions, including overwhelming or assailing someone, and is often used in a poetic context. The verb can appear in various forms, such as being terrified (Niphal) or actively terrifying (Piel).
[בָּעַת] vb. fall upon, startle, terrify
Niph. be terrified
Pi. (mostly poet.)
fall upon; overwhelm; assail
terrify
base
H1204 [בָּעַת] fall upon, startle, terrify . be terrified
. (mostly poet.) . fall upon; overwhelm; assail
. terrify
1204 ba`ath baw-ath'
a primitive root; to fear:--affright, be (make) afraid,
terrify, trouble.
בָּעַת (ba.at) — to terrify.
1) to terrify, startle, fall upon, dismay, be overtaken by sudden terror
1a) (Niphal) to be terrified
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to fall upon, overwhelm
1b2) to terrify
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb piel imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVpi3mp/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word צַר (tsar) is built from the root meaning 'narrow' or 'tight.' It encompasses a range of meanings including 'distress,' 'adversary,' and 'hard pebble' or 'flint.' The term can refer to physical tightness or metaphorical trouble, as well as an enemy or foe. It appears in contexts of anguish and tribulation, with a specific verse reference in Isaiah 5:28.
צַר adj. narrow, tight
base
צַר n.[m.] straits, distress
base
צַר 68 n.m. adversary, foe
base
צַר n.[m.] hard pebble, flint;—Is 5:28
ref
H6862a צַר narrow, tight H6862b צַר straits, distress H6862c צַר adversary, foe H6862d צַר hard pebble, flint
6862 tsar tsar
or tsar {tsawr}; from 6887; narrow; (as a noun) a tight place
(usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble (as in
6864); (transitive) an opponent (as crowding):--adversary,
afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe,
narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble.
see HEBREW for 06887
see HEBREW for 06864
צַר (tsar) — narrow.
narrow, tight
צַר (tsar) — distress.
straits, distress
צַר (tsar) — enemy.
adversary, foe, enemy, oppressor
צַר (tsar) — hard.
hard pebble, flint
Adj — AdjHAamsa
מְצוּקָה (metsuqah) is a feminine noun meaning narrowness or distress. It encompasses concepts of trouble, anguish, and stress. The word is derived from a related term, מְצוּק (metsuq), which suggests a sense of being confined or restricted.
מְצוּקָה n.f. id. [r.bh.ae]
base
H4691 מְצוּקָה, מְצֻקָה
4691 mtsuwqah mets-oo-kaw'
or mtsuqah {mets-oo-kaw'}; feminine of 4690; narrowness, i.e.
(figuratively) trouble:--anguish, distress.
see HEBREW for 04690
מְצוּקָה (me.tsu.qah) — distress.
straitness, distress, straits, stress
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Ncfsa
תָּקֵף (taqaph) is a primitive root meaning to overpower or prevail against. The entries consistently describe its use in the context of overcoming or prevailing over something. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
[תָּקֵף] vb. prevail over, overpower
base
H8630 תָּקֵף, תָּקַף
8630 taqaph taw-kaf'
a primitive root; to overpower:--prevail (against).
תָּקֵף (ta.qaph) — to prevail.
(Qal) to prevail over or against, overcome, overpower
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular · suffixHVqi3fs/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
base
H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king
4428 melek meh'-lek
from 4427; a king:--king, royal.
see HEBREW for 04427
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.
1) king
Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)
הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.
'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.
Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
King
Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).
This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;
"a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country." --Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by Nahash king of the Ammonites. (1 Samuel 11:1; 12:12) The conviction seems to have forced itself on the Israelites that they could not resist their formidable neighbor…
עָתִיד (athiyd) means ready or prepared, with implications of skillfulness and future events. It can also refer to treasures or things that are stored up. The word is built from a root meaning to prepare and has connections to its Aramaic equivalent, עֲתִיד.
עָתִיד, [עָתוּד] ready, prepared
base
H6264 עָתִיד, [עָתוּד] ready, prepared
6264 `athiyd aw-theed'
from 6257; prepared; by implication, skilful; feminine plural
the future; also treasure:--things that shall come, ready,
treasures.
see HEBREW for 06257
עָתִיד (a.tid) — ready.
1) ready, prepared
1a) ready
1b) ready, skilled
1c) prepared, impending
1d) prepared, stored up, treasure
Aramaic equivalent: a.tid (עֲתִיד "ready" H6263)
Adj — AdjHAamsa
כִּידוֹר (kiydowr) is a masculine noun that likely refers to a tumult or battle. The entries suggest it encompasses meanings related to attack or onset, with a specific reference to Job 15:24.
כִּידוֹר n.[m.] onset, Jb 15:24
ref
H3593 כִּידוֹר
3593 kiydowr kee-dore'
of uncertain derivation; perhaps tumult:--battle.
כִּידוֹר (ki.dor) — battle.
attack, onslaught, onset
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
See WAR.