Job 33:15-16
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text describes God speaking in a way that bypasses our conscious, busy minds. By mentioning both "deep sleep" and "slumberings," it highlights that God's communication can penetrate even the most profound rest, or occur in those moments of hazy transition between waking and sleeping, when we're least distracted by the day's demands.
Elihu is explaining how God communicates with humanity, particularly when people are unresponsive or suffering as Job has been. He points out that God often speaks in dreams and night visions when people are in deep sleep, free from worldly distractions, a method previously used by God and seen in Eliphaz's experience with Job. This sets up Elihu's argument that God may have sent Job such a message, which Job, in his distress, might not have recognized.
Ever wondered if God still speaks through dreams? The ancient world thought so, and Elihu is about to make that case.
God's Nighttime Voice
Elihu is setting up an argument for how God communicates, and he's starting with dreams and night visions. Think of this as God's original way of sending messages, especially before the full written Word was available.
Not all dreams are equal. Elihu hints at a difference, suggesting God's messages had a distinct quality.
More Than Just Random Thoughts
Elihu uses two terms: 'dream' and 'vision of the night.' While often used interchangeably, he seems to imply a nuance. The commentaries suggest that 'deep sleep' might refer to the profound state where true visions occur, separate from ordinary, perhaps chaotic, dreams.
Understand the original words
halom · Hebrew Noun
A supernatural means of divine communication, often occurring during sleep, where God reveals messages or warnings to humans, bypassing ordinary conscious thought.
hazon · Hebrew Noun
A mode of divine revelation where God grants a prophetic sight or supernatural disclosure, often distinct from a dream, revealing hidden realities or purposes.
galah · Hebrew Verb
To reveal, disclose, or make known that which was previously hidden or obscured, often used in Scripture for God's divine communication to humanity.
musar · Hebrew Noun
A formal proclamation or instruction, often divine, intended to prevent or deter someone from a specific course of action or to alert them to impending danger.
Elihu references dreams and visions as God's method of communication, a practice common in earlier biblical history, to legitimize his own message to Job.
c. 1800 BC
Patriarchal Period
During this era, God frequently communicated His will through dreams and visions to figures like Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, establishing a precedent for divine communication.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus and Wilderness Journey
The Law is given at Mount Sinai, and God continues to speak through prophets and divine manifestations, though direct dream revelation becomes less prominent compared to the direct word of God.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy
Kings like Solomon receive divine guidance in dreams, yet the written word and prophetic utterances become more central to God's communication.
c. 900 BC— this verse
Composition of the Book of Job
Elihu, a younger contemporary of Job, speaks to Job and his friends, referencing dreams and visions as a means God used to communicate, particularly recalling Eliphaz's earlier nocturnal vision.
This passage describes God speaking to Abimelech in a dream at night, similar to how Elihu describes God's communication in Job 33:15.
Job 4:13Eliphaz recounts a similar experience of a nocturnal vision that deeply troubled him, highlighting the theme of divine communication during sleep that is also present in Elihu's words.
Numbers 12:6This verse explicitly states God's method of revealing Himself to prophets through dreams and visions, reinforcing the idea that such experiences were a recognized form of divine communication in ancient times.
1 Samuel 3:1This verse marks a shift, noting that in Samuel's time, the word of the Lord was rare and visions were infrequent, contrasting with the prevalence of divine dreams described in Job 33:15.
Matthew 1:20An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream to explain Mary's pregnancy, showing that even in the New Testament era, God still used dreams for significant revelations.
cambridgeJob 33:15: "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;"
15 . The language recalls the vision of Eliphaz, ch. Job 4:13 seq .
clarkeJob 33:15: "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;"
I. In a Dream In a Dream - when deep sleep falleth upon men - Many, by such means, have had the most salutary warnings; and to decry all such, because there are many vain dreams, would be nearly as much wisdom as to deny the Bible, because there are many foolish books, the authors of which supposed they were under a Divine influence while composing them. II. In a Vision In a Vision…
The text describes God speaking in a way that bypasses our conscious, busy minds. By mentioning both "deep sleep" and "slumberings," it highlights that God's communication can penetrate even the most profound rest, or occur in those moments of hazy transition between waking and sleeping, when we're least distracted by the day's demands.
Elihu is explaining how God communicates with humanity, particularly when people are unresponsive or suffering as Job has been. He points out that God often speaks in dreams and night visions when people are in deep sleep, free from worldly distractions, a method previously used by God and seen in Eliphaz's experience with Job. This sets up Elihu's argument that God may have sent Job such a message, which Job, in his distress, might not have recognized.
Elihu is explaining how God communicates with humanity, particularly when people are unresponsive or suffering as Job has been. He points out that God often speaks in dreams and night visions when people are in deep sleep, free from worldly distractions, a method previously used by God and seen in Eliphaz's experience with Job. This sets up Elihu's argument that God may have sent Job such a message, which Job, in his distress, might not have recognized.
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"In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings," — The text describes God speaking in a way that bypasses our conscious, busy minds. By mentioning both "deep sleep" and "slumberings," it highlights that God's communication can penetrate even the most…
