Job - 4:9



9 By the breath of God they perish. By the blast of his anger are they consumed.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Job 4:9.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.
By the breath of +God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed.
From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.
By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.
perishing by the breath of God, and being consumed by the wrath of his spirit.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

By the blast of God - That is, by the judgment of God. The figure is taken from the hot and fiery wind, which, sweeping over a field of grain, dries it up and destroys it. In like manner Eliphaz says the wicked perish before God.
And by the breath of his nostrils - By his anger. The Scripture often speaks of breathing out indignation and wrath; Acts 9:1; Psalm 27:12; 2-Samuel 22:16; Psalm 18:15; Psalm 33:6; notes at Isaiah 11:4; notes at Isaiah 30:28; notes at Isaiah 33:11. The figure was probably taken from the violent breathing which is evinced when the mind is under any strong emotion, especially anger. It refers here to any judgment by which God cuts off the wicked, but especially to sudden calamity - like a tempest or the pestilence.

By the blast of God they perish - As the noxious and parching east wind blasts and destroys vegetation, so the wicked perish under the indignation of the Almighty.

By the (f) blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
(f) He shows that God needs no great preparation to destroy his enemies: for he can do it with the blast of his mouth.

By the blast of God they perish,.... They and their works, the ploughers, sowers, and reapers of iniquity; the allusion is to the blasting of corn by the east wind, or by mildew, &c. having used the figures of ploughing and sowing before; and which is as soon and as easily done as corn, or anything else, is blasted in the above manner; and denotes the sudden and easy destruction of wicked men by the power of God, stirred up by his wrath and indignation, because of their sins; who when he blows a blast on their persons, substance, and families, they perish at once:
and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed; meaning his wrath and anger, which is like a stream of brimstone, and kindles a fire on the wicked, which are as fuel to it, and are soon consumed by it; the allusion is to breath in a man's nostrils, and the heat of his wrath and fury discovered thereby: some think this refers to Job's children being destroyed by the wind, see Isaiah 11:4.

breath of his nostrils--God's anger; a figure from the fiery winds of the East (Job 1:16; Isaiah 5:25; Psalm 18:8, Psalm 18:15).

The blast - Of his nostrils, as it follows; by his anger, which in men shews itself, in the nostrils, by hot and frequent breathings there, by a secret, but mighty judgment of God, they are blown away as chaff by the wind.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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