For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
- NASB “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God line up against me.
- NLT For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God’s terrors are lined up against me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The arrows of the Almighty are in him, his spirit drinks their poison, and God's terrors are arrayed against him. Job feels his suffering as a direct assault from God.
Overview
Job describes his pain as poisoned arrows from God and a battle line of terrors set against him. He rightly senses God's hand in his trial, though he does not know the heavenly backdrop. His sense of being targeted by God anticipates the deeper mystery answered at Calvary, where the Son willingly took the arrows of divine judgment so that those who trust him need not be pierced by wrath.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Ps 38:2For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me.
- Job 30:15Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
- Ps 88:15–16From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
- Prov 18:14The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?
- Mark 15:34At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
- Ps 143:7Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.
- Job 16:12–14I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;
- Lam 3:12–13He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
- Job 9:17For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
- Ps 21:12For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them.
- Deut 32:42I will make My arrows drunk with blood, while My sword devours flesh—the blood of the slain and captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”
- Ps 18:14He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
- Ps 7:13He has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire.
- Job 31:23For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
- Mark 14:33–34He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.
- Ps 45:5Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet.
- Job 21:20Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.
- 2 Cor 5:11Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.
- Deut 32:23–24I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows against them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 6:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.