Job 15:26
in Job 15rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
KJV
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
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This verse in Job 15
Commentary
12 notes on this verseHe runneth upon him - Calmet has properly observed that this refers to God, who, like a mighty conquering hero, marches against the ungodly, rushes upon him, seizes him by the throat, which the mail by which it is encompassed cannot protect; neither his shield nor spear can save him when the Lord of hosts comes against him.
This site's exposition
he has stretched out his hand against God
on Job 15:25-28
The poem pictures the wicked man's arrogance as an assault on God, "rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield". Gill takes the "ruined cities" and "abandoned houses" of verse 28 as the wicked man's future dwelling, ruin overtaking the prosperity his fat face described.
This site's exposition
rushing headlong at Him
The man who stretched out his hand against God in verse 25 charges at Him like a soldier. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, following Umbreit and Gesenius, take the shields as the rebel's own, locked together over the heads of his company. Clarke, after Calmet, has God rushing on the wicked.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
He shows how Job has acted against God saying, "He ran against him with his head erect," proudly. For man resists God whom he ought to serve in humility most through pride. Sirach agrees with this, "The proud man begins by falling away from God." …
Ver. 25, 26. For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and is strengthened against the Almighty; He runneth upon Him with erected neck, and he is armed with a stout neck.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Sinners, in general, run from God; but the presumptuous sinner, who sins with a high hand, runs upon him, fights against him, and bids defiance to him; and it is easy to foretel what will be the issue. [2.] He wraps himself up in security and sensuality (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Neck - As a stout warrior who cometh close to his adversary and grapples with him. He acts in flat opposition to God, both to his precepts and providences. Bosses - Even where his enemy is strongest.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He runneth upon him, even on his neck,....
Whom God runs upon he will certainly run down; for when he judges he will overcome. See how the judgments of God cross this worldly wicked man in all his cares, desires, and projects, and so complete his misery. First, He is in care to get, but he shall not be rich,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
on his neck--rather, "with outstretched neck," namely, that of the rebel [UMBREIT] (Ps 75:5). upon . . . bucklers--rather, "with--his (the rebel's, not God's) bucklers." The rebel and his fellows are depicted as joining shields together, to form a compact covering over their heads against the weapons hurled on them from a fortress [UMBREIT and GESENIUS].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He runneth upon him - That is, upon God. The image here is taken from the mode in which people rushed into battle. It was with a violent concussion, and usually with a shout, that they might intimidate their foes, and overcome them at first, with the violence of the shock. The mode of warfare is now changed, and it is the vaunted excellency of modern warfare that armies now go deliberately and calmly to put each other to death. Even “on his neck - literally, “with the neck” - בצואר betsavā'r. Vulgate, “With erect neck - erecto collo.” Septuagint, contemptuously, or with pride - ὕβρει hubrei. The idea seems to be, not that he ran “upon the neck” of his adversary - as would seem to be implied in our translation - but that he ran in a firm, haughty, confident manner; with a head erect and firm, as the indication of self confidence, and a determined purpose to overcome his foe. See Schultens in loc. Upon the thick bosses - The word boss with us means a knob - a protuberant ornament of silver, brass, or ivory on a harness or a bridle; then a protuberant part, a prominence, or a round or swelling body of any kind. The Hebrew word used here (גב gab) means properly anything gibbous, convex, arched; and hence, “the back” - as of animals. Applied to a shield, it means the convex part or the back of it - the part which was presented to an enemy, and which was made swelling and strong, called by the Greeks ὀμφαλὸς omfalos, or μεσομφάλιον mesomfalion. Gesenius supposes that the metaphor here is taken from soldiers, who joined their shields together, and thus rushed upon an enemy. […]
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יָר֣וּץ | yarutz | he runs | H7323 → | 103 times |
| אֵלָ֣יו | ʾelav | against him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּצַוָּ֑אר | betzavar | with a neck | H6677 → | 42 times |
| בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י | baavi | with [the] thickness of | H5672 → | |
| גַּבֵּ֥י | gabei | [the] bosses of | H1354 → | 13 times |
| מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃ | maginav | shields his | H4043 → |
יָר֣וּץhe runs
yarutzH7323 →103 times
אֵלָ֣יוagainst him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
בְּצַוָּ֑ארwith a neck
betzavarH6677 →42 times
בַּ֝עֲבִ֗יwith [the] thickness of
baaviH5672 →
גַּבֵּ֥י[the] bosses of
gabeiH1354 →13 times
מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃shields his
maginavH4043 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 16:12I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:11–12
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
- Job 7:20
If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You?
- Lamentations 3:4
He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
- Lamentations 3:11–12
Through
Genesis 49:8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:14
For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.
- 1 Chronicles 5:2
And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
- Genesis 27:29
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you…
- Deuteronomy 33:7
And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his…
- Hebrews 7:14
Through
Psalms 18:40You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
it leads to
- Psalms 21:12
For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them.
- Psalms 21:12
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.