Job 27:20
Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The imagery here isn't just about suddenness; it emphasizes that the terrors will come like an overwhelming flood, irresistibly sweeping the wicked person away. This isn't just a surprise storm; it's an unstoppable deluge of judgment and wrath, snatching them away unexpectedly in the dark.
Job is defending his integrity, insisting that the wicked, unlike himself, face swift and terrible judgment, not lingering prosperity. This verse vividly describes the overwhelming, sudden, and unexpected destruction that Job claims awaits those who live in sin, contrasting it with his own suffering and the perceived injustice of his situation.
Imagine being swamped by a relentless flood, unable to find solid ground. That's the picture Job paints for the wicked.
Job 27:20 uses powerful imagery to describe the overwhelming end of the wicked.
An Irresistible Force
'Terrors overtake him like a flood.' This isn't just a little fright; it's a massive, unstoppable deluge. The Hebrew word for 'flood' suggests a powerful surge, like a river bursting its banks. It implies a suddenness and a force that cannot be resisted.
Darkness and Deception
'in the night a whirlwind carries him off.' The addition of 'in the night' intensifies the terror. Night is a time of vulnerability, when dangers are hidden and escape is difficult. A 'whirlwind' suggests a violent, chaotic force that snatches him away unexpectedly. It's like a thief in the night – sudden, surprising, and leaving no room for escape or preparation.
This isn't a gentle fading away; it's a violent, abrupt removal from life, caught in a storm of terror he can't control.
What happens when terror isn't just a feeling, but a reality that sweeps you away? Job shows us the wicked face judgment that offers no refuge.
The verse emphasizes that the terrors overtaking the wicked are not merely emotional distress but the instruments of judgment.
The Overwhelming Grip of Terror
'Terrors take hold on him as waters.' This isn't just about fear; it's about being seized and overwhelmed. The force is so great that it's compared to a flood, something that drowns and destroys. This suggests an inescapable destiny where the consequences of their actions finally catch up.
Sudden and Unexpected Removal
'a tempest stealeth him away in the night.' The image of a tempest stealing someone away implies a sudden, violent removal from their place in the world. It's unexpected, like a thief who comes when least expected, leaving no opportunity to prepare or flee. This points to a judgment that can strike swiftly and decisively, cutting short the wicked person's life and plans without warning.
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 passage uses the powerful imagery of a flood to describe God's deliverance, echoing Job 27:20's depiction of terrors overwhelming someone like rushing waters.
Proverbs 6:4This verse speaks of not giving sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids, a concept that relates to the relentless nature of the 'terrors' described in Job, which don't allow for rest and can strike unexpectedly like a thief in the night.
Isaiah 8:8Isaiah uses the metaphor of floodwaters overwhelming a land to describe the invasion of an enemy, similar to how Job 27:20 portrays terrors engulfing an individual with irresistible force.
Matthew 24:43Jesus compares his coming to a thief in the night, highlighting the unexpectedness and suddenness of judgment, which mirrors the 'tempest stealeth him away in the night' imagery in Job.
Nahum 1:8Nahum describes God's wrath consuming his enemies with a flood and tempest, directly paralleling the overwhelming and destructive forces of nature used in Job to illustrate the swift and forceful end of the wicked.
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 imagery here isn't just about suddenness; it emphasizes that the terrors will come like an overwhelming flood, irresistibly sweeping the wicked person away. This isn't just a surprise storm; it's an unstoppable deluge of judgment and wrath, snatching them away unexpectedly in the dark.
Job is defending his integrity, insisting that the wicked, unlike himself, face swift and terrible judgment, not lingering prosperity. This verse vividly describes the overwhelming, sudden, and unexpected destruction that Job claims awaits those who live in sin, contrasting it with his own suffering and the perceived injustice of his situation.
Job is defending his integrity, insisting that the wicked, unlike himself, face swift and terrible judgment, not lingering prosperity. This verse vividly describes the overwhelming, sudden, and unexpected destruction that Job claims awaits those who live in sin, contrasting it with his own suffering and the perceived injustice of his situation.
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"Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off." — The imagery here isn't just about suddenness; it emphasizes that the terrors will come like an overwhelming flood, irresistibly sweeping the wicked person away. This isn't just a surprise storm; it's…
