Job 27:21
The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Job 27:21
The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse doesn't just describe a storm; it portrays the east wind as a destructive force that violently lifts the wicked, not just sweeps them away. This imagery suggests they are unceremoniously elevated only to be cast down, highlighting the utter lack of control and the swift, undignified end that awaits those who defy God.
Job is in the midst of defending his integrity against his friends, asserting that the wicked, unlike himself, are ultimately judged and swept away by divine power. This verse vividly describes the sudden and violent downfall of such a person, likening it to a fierce east wind or storm that obliterates their presence, removing them completely from the place they once occupied. This imagery serves as a stark contrast to Job's own suffering, which he feels has been undeserved.
Imagine a force so fierce it can snatch someone from their life in an instant. The Bible uses a specific natural phenomenon to describe the sudden, violent end of the wicked.
A Devastating Natural Force
The "east wind" mentioned here wasn't just any breeze. In the ancient Near East, it often referred to a destructive, hot, and dry wind, sometimes called the 'Samum' or 'khamsin.'
The wicked person thinks they are secure, but this verse reveals their ultimate fate isn't in their control. What does it mean to be 'hurled out of his place'?
Swept Away Without Recourse
The imagery is stark: the wicked are not gently escorted from their position, but violently removed. This departure is characterized by:
Understand the original words
qadim · Hebrew Noun
In biblical imagery, the east wind (often from the desert) is frequently used as a metaphor for divine judgment, sudden destruction, or an irresistible, scorching force sent by God to bring calamity upon the wicked.
The imagery of the east wind and storm powerfully evokes the sudden and complete destruction faced by the wicked, especially in light of the historical devastation of Jerusalem and the exile.
c. 8th century BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Kingdom
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, marking a period of great upheaval and exile for many.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports some of its elite citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Jerusalem falls to Babylon, and King Jehoiachin and many more skilled workers and leaders are exiled to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, marking the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and a devastating exile.
c. 450 BC - 350 BC
This Psalm describes God's judgment as a violent storm that sweeps away the wicked, echoing Job's imagery of being 'hurled out of his place' by a storm.
Isaiah 27:8This passage uses the imagery of a 'fierce east wind' to describe God's judgment against His people, connecting the destructive power of the east wind to divine action, similar to Job's description.
Matthew 7:25-27Jesus describes a house built on sand being destroyed by wind and rain, illustrating how a life not founded on Him is ultimately swept away by life's storms, mirroring the sudden and complete downfall described in Job.
Job 30:22In this verse, Job himself describes God as lifting him up to the wind and dissolving him in a tempest, showing a parallel experience of being violently overthrown by powerful, uncontrollable forces.
bensonJob 27:21: "The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place."
Job 27:21-22 . The east wind — Some terrible judgment, fitly compared to the east wind, which, in those parts, was most vehement, furious, pestilential, and destructive; carrieth him away — Out of his place, as it follows; out of his stately mansion, where he expected to dwell for ever; whence he shall be carried, either by an enemy or by death. For God shall cast upon him — His darts or…
clarkeJob 27:21: "The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place."
The east wind carrieth him away - Such as is called by Mr. Good, a levanter, the euroclydon, the eastern storm of Acts 27:14 .
This verse doesn't just describe a storm; it portrays the east wind as a destructive force that violently lifts the wicked, not just sweeps them away. This imagery suggests they are unceremoniously elevated only to be cast down, highlighting the utter lack of control and the swift, undignified end that awaits those who defy God.
Job is in the midst of defending his integrity against his friends, asserting that the wicked, unlike himself, are ultimately judged and swept away by divine power. This verse vividly describes the sudden and violent downfall of such a person, likening it to a fierce east wind or storm that obliterates their presence, removing them completely from the place they once occupied. This imagery serves as a stark contrast to Job's own suffering, which he feels has been undeserved.
Job is in the midst of defending his integrity against his friends, asserting that the wicked, unlike himself, are ultimately judged and swept away by divine power. This verse vividly describes the sudden and violent downfall of such a person, likening it to a fierce east wind or storm that obliterates their presence, removing them completely from the place they once occupied. This imagery serves as a stark contrast to Job's own suffering, which he feels has been undeserved.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Job 27:21 is available in the Sola app.
The Book of Job Compiled
The Book of Job, containing this verse, is believed to have been compiled or written during the post-exilic period, reflecting on suffering and divine justice.
"The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place." — This verse doesn't just describe a storm; it portrays the east wind as a destructive force that violently lifts the wicked, not just sweeps them away. This imagery suggests they are unceremoniously…