Job 18:7
in Job 18His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The steps of his strength shall be straitened, And his own counsel shall cast him down.
KJV
The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
⋯
This verse in Job 18
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The steps of his strength - Strong steps. “Steps of strength” is a Hebraism, to denote firm or vigorous steps. Shall be straitened - Shall be compressed, embarrassed, hindered. Instead of walking freely and at large, he shall be compressed and limited in his goings. “Large steps,” “free movement,” etc. are proverbial expressions among the Arabs, to denote freedom, prosperity, etc. RosenmulIer. Schultens quotes the following illustrations from the Arabic poets.
This site's exposition
the lamp of the wicked is extinguished
on Job 18:5-7
The poem opens with light: "the lamp of the wicked is extinguished", and "The light in his tent grows dark" repeats the figure. Then "His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up" turns to motion. Delitzsch reads the doubled light as Bildad's opening move.
This site's exposition
his own schemes trip him up
Bildad's wicked man walks into his own ruin. Barnes explains that the vigorous stride is a firm, free step, now shortened and hindered. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown tie his fall by his own schemes to Job 5:13.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Bildad says these things using the metaphor of the birds or the animals that are captured in the hunt. In fact, as they can no longer escape after falling into snares and nets, so the impious are caught by inevitable calamities that overwhelm them. And …
The Medieval Church2 voices
The steps of his strength shalt be straitened. For now as it were he puts forth 'the steps of his strength,' as often as he executes the violent acts of his power. But 'the steps of his strength shall be straitened,' in that the resources of his wickedness, which he now displays in his own gratification, punishment hereafter binds fast. It goes on; And his own counsel shall cast him down.
After he has treated prosperity lost he then speaks about adversity, concerning which he first places the impediments to action and effort. Man struggles to attain the effect of his action in two ways: in one way by his own courage, and against this he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In this he seems, all along, to have an eye to Job's complaints of the miserable condition he was in, that he was in the dark, bewildered, ensnared, terrified, and hastening out of the world. "This," says Bildad, "is the condition of a wicked man; and therefore thou art one." Second Address of Eliphaz.
The steps of his strength shall be straitened,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
steps of his strength--Hebrew, for "His strong steps." A firm step marks health. To be straitened in steps is to be no longer able to move about at will (Pr 4:12). his own counsel--Plans shall be the means of his fall (Job 5:13).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The steps of his strength - Even in his greatest prosperity he shall be in straits and difficulties. His own counsel - He shall be the dupe and the victim of his own airy, ambitious, and impious schemes.
The words behind it
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יֵֽ֭צְרוּ | yetzeru | they are restricted | H3334 → | |
| צַעֲדֵ֣י | tzaadei | [the] steps of | H6806 → | 14 times |
| אוֹנ֑וֹ | ʾono | vigor his | H202 → | 13 times |
| וְֽתַשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ | vetashlikhehu | and it throws down him | H7993 → | 125 times |
| עֲצָתֽוֹ׃ | atzato | own plan[s] his | H6098 → | 89 times |
יֵֽ֭צְרוּthey are restricted
yetzeruH3334 →
צַעֲדֵ֣י[the] steps of
tzaadeiH6806 →14 times
אוֹנ֑וֹvigor his
ʾonoH202 →13 times
וְֽתַשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּand it throws down him
vetashlikhehuH7993 →125 times
עֲצָתֽוֹ׃own plan[s] his
atzatoH6098 →89 times
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
Psalms 33:10The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
it leads to
- Psalms 21:11
Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail.
- Job 5:12–13
He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- Isaiah 44:25
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- 2 Samuel 15:31
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
- Psalms 21:11
Through
Proverbs 4:12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 22:37
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 3:23
Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
- 2 Samuel 22:37
Through
2 Samuel 15:31Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 17:14
Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in…
- 2 Samuel 17:14
About Job
This page draws on 11 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); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV; 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Olympiodorus of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON JOB 18:7-9 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.