Job 33:16

16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,

Images for Job 33:16

Job 33:16 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
English Standard Version (ESV)
16 then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,
New Living Translation (NLT)
16 He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings.
The Message Bible (MSG)
16 God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings
American Standard Version (ASV)
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, And sealeth their instruction,
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
16 he opens people's ears and terrifies them with warnings.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
16 He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings,
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
16 He might speak in their ears. His warnings might terrify them.

Job 33:16 Meaning and Commentary

Job 33:16

Then he openeth the ears of men
Not the ears of his body, which remaining shut while things are presented to his mind in a dream or vision, but his internal ears; it is the same with opening the heart or understanding to attend to and receive the things delivered in this visionary way:

and sealeth their instruction;
sends home the instruction given in this manner, and imprints it upon the mind, so that it is well remembered when awake, not only the dreams themselves, but the lessons taught and learnt there, as may be observed in the cases of Abimelech and Laban, ( Genesis 20:3 ) ( 31:24 ) ; the word signifies "chastisement" F12 as well as instruction, that being one way in which God teaches and instructs men, ( Psalms 94:12 ) ; and so the sense may be, that God in a dream or vision makes it known to men, that if they regard not what he says to them, and repent not of their evils, and turn from them, he will correct and chastise them, and this he assures them of; and they may look for the certain performance of it, that he will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes; things that are sealed being sure and firm. Mr. Broughton renders the words, "and imprints why they are chastised."


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Mromb) "disciplinam eorum", Tigurine version; "castigationem eorum", Beza, Vatablus, Drusius, Mercerus, Piscator, Michaelis, Schultens.

Job 33:16 In-Context

14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,
18 to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.

Cross References 3

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