Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse vividly portrays the wicked being seized by overwhelming "terrors" that come suddenly and irresistibly, like a flood. What's striking is the added layer of the "tempest stealing him away in the night"—this highlights the unexpectedness and hidden nature of this swift destruction, as if it were a thief, catching him off guard in the darkness.
Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is deep in argument with his friends, insisting he is not wicked despite his suffering and that God's justice will ultimately vindicate him. In this passage, he describes the terrifying and sudden destruction that awaits the ungodly, portraying their end not as a gentle fading but as a violent engulfment and a swift, unexpected snatching away by divine wrath. This serves as a stark contrast to the vindication he claims for himself, emphasizing that the wicked cannot escape God's judgment.
Imagine a sudden, unstoppable force threatening to drown you. Job uses vivid imagery to describe the terrifying reality for the wicked.
A Flood of Fear
Job 27:20 paints a stark picture: "Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off." This isn't just a little worry; it's an overwhelming onslaught.
What does this terrifying imagery reveal about God's justice and the ultimate fate of those who disregard Him?
God's Judgment Unleashed
This verse isn't just about psychological terror; it speaks to God's active judgment against the wicked.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
ballahah · Hebrew Noun
Suggests the suddenness of judgment or the swift, overwhelming arrival of divine retribution that catches the wicked unprepared.
suphah · Hebrew Noun
A powerful, violent storm; metaphorically represents the irresistible and destructive power of divine judgment sweeping away those who trust in their own strength.
This psalm describes God rescuing David by 'drawing him up out of many waters,' which powerfully contrasts with the wicked being overwhelmed by a flood of terror, highlighting the immersive and destructive nature of their downfall.
Proverbs 2:18This proverb speaks of the wicked 'drawing the deadly trap for their own feet,' resonating with the idea in Job that terrors and destructive forces seize the unrighteous suddenly and unexpectedly.
Matthew 24:43Jesus uses the imagery of a thief in the night to describe His coming, a concept echoed in Job where a tempest 'steals' the wicked away, emphasizing the surprise and unpreparedness of their end.
Nahum 1:8This prophetic passage describes God's judgment coming like an 'overwhelming flood,' drawing a direct parallel to the imagery of terrors overwhelming Job's adversaries like waters.
clarkeJob 27:20: "Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night."
Terrors take hold on him as waters - They come upon him as an irresistible flood; and he is overwhelmed as by a tempest in the night, when darkness partly hides his danger, and deprives him of discerning the way to escape.
cambridgeJob 27:20: "Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night."
20 . The figure of overwhelming waters is a natural one in the East and common in Scripture, Psalm 18:16 , Nahum 1:8 . Comp. the language of Eliphaz to Job, ch. Job 22:11 .
The verse vividly portrays the wicked being seized by overwhelming "terrors" that come suddenly and irresistibly, like a flood. What's striking is the added layer of the "tempest stealing him away in the night"—this highlights the unexpectedness and hidden nature of this swift destruction, as if it were a thief, catching him off guard in the darkness.
Job is deep in argument with his friends, insisting he is not wicked despite his suffering and that God's justice will ultimately vindicate him. In this passage, he describes the terrifying and sudden destruction that awaits the ungodly, portraying their end not as a gentle fading but as a violent engulfment and a swift, unexpected snatching away by divine wrath. This serves as a stark contrast to the vindication he claims for himself, emphasizing that the wicked cannot escape God's judgment.
Job is deep in argument with his friends, insisting he is not wicked despite his suffering and that God's justice will ultimately vindicate him. In this passage, he describes the terrifying and sudden destruction that awaits the ungodly, portraying their end not as a gentle fading but as a violent engulfment and a swift, unexpected snatching away by divine wrath. This serves as a stark contrast to the vindication he claims for himself, emphasizing that the wicked cannot escape God's judgment.
"Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off." — The verse vividly portrays the wicked being seized by overwhelming "terrors" that come suddenly and irresistibly, like a flood. What's striking is the added layer of the "tempest stealing him away in…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026