Job 33:7
in Job 33Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
KJV
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
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This verse in Job 33
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBehold, God made me as well as thee, and I am also formed of the same clay; yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and my eloquence be burdensome to thee. What then is meant by Eliu acknowledging the order of his true creation, and not knowing the limits of proper speech? What by his putting himself on a level with Job when created, and setting himself above him when about to speak?
This site's exposition
Refute me if you can
on Job 33:5-7
“Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me” invites the reply Job could never draw from God. Barnes reads the offer as Elihu posing as the arbiter Job wished for at 9:33, a claim the speech does not fully sustain.
This site's exposition
my hand be heavy upon you
Barnes explains the offer. Job had longed to bring his case before God, yet feared the divine majesty would overawe him. A man formed from clay holds no such terror, and Clarke adds that an equal could never overawe him.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
But Eliud saw one could anger him and that it was because of a miracle that such great wisdom and eloquence was given to a young man and this is sufficient reason to dispute against a very wise old man. Therefore he sustains the fact …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXIII · Written before 604.
proposed
For it is peculiar to the arrogant that they always believe, even before they speak, that they are going to say some wonderful thing. And they anticipate their own words by their own admiration, because, with all their acuteness, they are not sensible to how great a folly is their very pride. We must observe also that Paul, when he was giving the Hebrews some striking warnings, subjoined, "I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of consolation, for I have written to you in few words." But Elihu uttered empty words and afterwards added, as if for consolation, "Yet let not my wonder terrify you or my eloquence be burdensome to you." The one called his sayings the words of consolation; the other called them eloquence and a marvel. Behold, how different in taste are the fruits that spring forth from diverse roots of thought. The one thinks humbly of his high qualities; the other exalts himself without reason on his scanty endowments. What then is specially to be observed in all this, but that those who are about to rise think themselves low, and that they who are soon to fall ever stand on high ground? As Solomon bears witness, "The heart is exalted before destruction and is brought low before honor."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, 9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold my terror shall not make thee afraid - Job had earnestly desired to carry his cause directly before God, but he had expressed the apprehension that he would overawe him by his majesty, so that he would not be able to manage his plea with the calmness and self-possession which were desirable. He had, therefore, expressed it as his earnest wish, that if he were so permitted, God would not take advantage of his majesty and power to confound him; see the notes at Job 13:
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
My terror shall not make thee afraid - This is an allusion to what Job had said, Job 9:34: “Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.” Being thy equal, no fear can impose upon thee so far as to overawe thee; so that thou shouldst not be able to conduct thy own defense. We are on equal terms; now prepare to defend thyself.
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֵ֭מָתִי | ʾemati | dread of me | H367 → | 17 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ | tevaateka | it will terrify you | H1204 → | 16 times |
| וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י | veakhpi | and pressure my | H405 → | |
| עָלֶ֥יךָ | ʾaleikha | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִכְבָּֽד׃ | yikhbad | it will be heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אֵ֭מָתִיdread of me
ʾematiH367 →17 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּit will terrify you
tevaatekaH1204 →16 times
וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗יand pressure my
veakhpiH405 →
עָלֶ֥יךָon you
ʾaleikhaH5921 →5755 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִכְבָּֽד׃it will be heavy
yikhbadH3513 →113 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
Job 9:34Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
it leads to
- Psalms 39:10
Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 13:11
Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?
- Psalms 39:10
Through
Psalms 32:4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah
it leads to
- Psalms 38:2–8
For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me.
- 1 Samuel 5:11
Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us…
- Psalms 39:10–11
Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
- Psalms 22:15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.
- Psalms 102:3–4
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
- Psalms 38:2–8
Through
Psalms 88:16Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Galatians 3:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Job
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXIII; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.