For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job isn't just saying he's in pain; he's saying God's arrows are lodged within him, and his own spirit is actively absorbing their deadly poison. This isn't just about suffering, but about a deep, internal corruption and exhaustion caused by God's perceived wrath being marshaled against him.
For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is responding to his friends who are accusing him of sin and telling him to repent. He's explaining that his suffering is so intense, like poisoned arrows from God himself, that it's overwhelming his spirit and making him speak out. He feels completely surrounded and attacked by God's terrors, which is why he's expressing such deep despair and anguish.
Imagine feeling not just hurt, but deeply poisoned, your very life draining away. Job uses powerful imagery to describe his suffering.
Job compares his afflictions to "arrows of the Almighty." This isn't just a casual metaphor; these are divine weapons.
Divine Archery
Beyond the piercing arrows, Job feels an organized, overwhelming assault. It's as if God's entire army of 'terrors' is mobilized against him.
Job doesn't just feel attacked; he feels besieged. The phrase "the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me" paints a vivid picture.
A Mobilized Host
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This imagery underscores Job's feeling of being completely surrounded and outnumbered by God's judgments, leaving him with no escape.
Understand the original words
Shaddai · Hebrew Proper Noun
Literally 'the One of the Mountains' or 'the All-Sufficient One'; a title for God denoting His omnipotence, sovereign power, and sufficiency to fulfill His promises or to judge.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The inner person, the seat of life, emotion, and will; it represents the core of a person that experiences suffering and interacts with the divine.
ba'ala · Hebrew Noun
Objects of intense dread, alarm, or panic; frequently used in the context of divine judgment or the overwhelming presence of God's holiness against the sinful or afflicted.
c. 2000-1500 BC
Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Traditions Flourish
The literary and cultural context for the book of Job is the rich tradition of wisdom literature in the ancient Near East, which explored themes of justice, suffering, and the nature of God.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Monarchy and Temple Era
This period, marked by a unified kingdom under David and Solomon, saw the consolidation of Israelite religion and culture. Job's story likely emerged from or was shaped by the wisdom schools of this era.
c. 700 BC
Assyrian Empire's Dominance
The geopolitical landscape of the ancient Near East was dominated by powerful empires like Assyria. The book of Job likely reflects a time when Israel was aware of, and perhaps under the influence or threat of, such imperial powers.
c. 600 BC
Babylonian Exile Looms
Leading up to the Babylonian exile, the kingdom of Judah faced increasing political instability and divine judgment. This backdrop of national crisis might have influenced the reflections on suffering and divine justice found in Job.
Undated (Ancient Scribe/Poet)— this verse
Job's Personal Calamity and Lament
Job experiences overwhelming suffering, depicted as 'arrows of the Almighty' and 'terrors of God,' leading to profound anguish and questioning.
This psalm echoes Job's lament, describing the heavy hand of God with similar imagery: 'For your arrows have sunk deep into me, and your hand has pressed down on me.'
Deuteronomy 32:23This passage from Moses' song speaks of God sending 'devouring arrows' and 'burning plagues' against His enemies, resonating with Job's sense of being under divine attack.
Lamentations 3:12Jeremiah uses the imagery of God as an archer, 'He bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrows,' directly mirroring Job's feeling of being singled out for divine assault.
Isaiah 42:13This prophetic verse describes God going forth 'like a warrior,' rousing himself 'like a man of war' to fight, which parallels Job's description of God's terrors being 'set in array against me' like an army.
cambridgeJob 6:4: "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me."
4 . the arrows of the Almighty ] This explains his bearing and excuses it. Everywhere Job says that it is not his afflictions in themselves that terrify him, it is that they come from God; it is the moral problem that lies under his calamities and that God has become his enemy that makes his heart “soft” (ch. Job 23:15 seq .). The “arrows”…
pulpitJob 6:4: "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me."
Verse 4. - For the arrows of the Almighty are wlthin me (comp. Psalm 38:2, "For thine arrows stick fast in me"). So Shakespeare speaks of "the slings and arrows el outrageous fortune" for calamities generally. The metaphor is a very common one (see Deuteronomy 32:23, 42; Psalm 7:13; Psalm 21:12; Psalm 45:5; Lamentations 3:13, 14). The poiso…
Job isn't just saying he's in pain; he's saying God's arrows are lodged within him, and his own spirit is actively absorbing their deadly poison. This isn't just about suffering, but about a deep, internal corruption and exhaustion caused by God's perceived wrath being marshaled against him.
Job is responding to his friends who are accusing him of sin and telling him to repent. He's explaining that his suffering is so intense, like poisoned arrows from God himself, that it's overwhelming his spirit and making him speak out. He feels completely surrounded and attacked by God's terrors, which is why he's expressing such deep despair and anguish.
Job is responding to his friends who are accusing him of sin and telling him to repent. He's explaining that his suffering is so intense, like poisoned arrows from God himself, that it's overwhelming his spirit and making him speak out. He feels completely surrounded and attacked by God's terrors, which is why he's expressing such deep despair and anguish.
"For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me." — Job isn't just saying he's in pain; he's saying God's arrows are lodged within him, and his own spirit is actively absorbing their deadly poison. This isn't just about suffering, but about a deep,…
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Last reviewed October 2026