Then a spirit glided past my face
In the context of Job, this phrase occurs during Eliphaz's recounting of a mysterious vision. The term "spirit" here can be understood as a supernatural being, possibly an angel or a manifestation of divine presence. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such encounters were often seen as significant, conveying messages from the divine realm. The idea of a spirit moving or gliding suggests a presence that is both ethereal and powerful, emphasizing the otherworldly nature of the experience. This aligns with other biblical instances where divine messengers appear, such as the angelic visitations in Genesis 18 or the visions of prophets like Ezekiel.

and the hair on my body bristled
This reaction indicates a profound sense of awe and fear, a common human response to encountering the divine or supernatural. The physical response of hair standing on end is a universal sign of fear or reverence, suggesting that the presence was both overwhelming and awe-inspiring. In biblical terms, fear of the Lord is often associated with wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 9:10). This phrase also connects to other scriptural moments of divine encounter, such as Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3) or Isaiah's vision in the temple (Isaiah 6), where the presence of God induces a deep, visceral reaction.

1. Eliphaz the Temanite
One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. Eliphaz is the speaker in this passage, sharing a vision he experienced.

2. Job
The central figure of the Book of Job, known for his suffering and faithfulness. Job's trials are the context for Eliphaz's speech.

3. Teman
A region in Edom, associated with wisdom. Eliphaz is identified as a Temanite, suggesting he is a man of wisdom and understanding.

4. The Spirit
An undefined spiritual presence that Eliphaz describes in his vision. This spirit's appearance causes a physical reaction in Eliphaz.

5. The Vision
A supernatural experience that Eliphaz recounts to Job, intended to convey a message or insight.The Reality of Spiritual Experiences
Eliphaz's vision reminds us that spiritual experiences can be profound and unsettling. As believers, we should discern such experiences through the lens of Scripture.

The Fear of the Lord
The physical reaction Eliphaz describes—his hair standing on end—illustrates the awe and reverence we should have towards God and His manifestations.

Discernment in Spiritual Matters
Not all spiritual experiences are from God. We must test the spirits and seek wisdom and understanding from God's Word to discern their origin and message.

The Role of Friends in Times of Suffering
Eliphaz's intention is to comfort Job, but his approach is flawed. This teaches us the importance of empathy and wisdom when supporting others in their trials.1. What is the meaning of Job 4:15?

2. How does Job 4:15 illustrate the fear of God's presence?

3. What can we learn about spiritual encounters from Job 4:15?

4. How does Job 4:15 connect with other biblical accounts of divine encounters?

5. How should believers respond when sensing God's presence, as in Job 4:15?

6. What practical steps can we take to prepare for God's presence in our lives?

7. What does Job 4:15 reveal about the nature of spiritual encounters?

8. How does Job 4:15 challenge our understanding of fear in divine presence?

9. What historical context influences the interpretation of Job 4:15?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 4?

11. In Job 4:15–16, is the description of a spirit encounter credible or scientifically verifiable, or could it be a hallucination or vision?

12. In Job 33:4, how does 'the Spirit of God has made me' align with scientific accounts of human origin?

13. In Job 22:12-14, Eliphaz suggests God may not see everything; how does this align with other scriptures asserting God's omniscience?

14. In Job 10:5, Job asks if God experiences time like a human--how does this align with the idea of God's eternal nature in other Scriptures?Then a spirit glided

• The word “Then” anchors the moment in real time, following the “fear and trembling” of verse 14, underscoring that what happens next is an actual event rather than a dreamlike metaphor (cf. Acts 27:23, where Paul speaks of a literal angelic visitation).

• “A spirit” points to a real, personal being from the unseen realm. Scripture consistently treats spirits—whether angelic or demonic—as literal (Psalm 104:4; Hebrews 1:14).

• “Glided” conveys silent, effortless motion, reminiscent of how the Lord’s presence “passed by” Elijah in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13) and how the wind, an image of the Spirit, “blows where it wishes” (John 3:8).

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past my face

• The spirit’s nearness is intimate—close enough to feel but not to grasp. Moses experienced a similar nearness when the LORD’s glory “passed by” him while he was hidden in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22-23).

• Such encounters reveal the thin veil between the physical and spiritual realms (2 Kings 6:17, Elisha’s servant seeing the unseen armies).

• The phrase also hints at the fleeting nature of spiritual visitations; they are under God’s control, not ours, and come at His initiative (Daniel 10:10-14).

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and the hair on my body bristled

• The reaction is visceral. Throughout Scripture, contact with the holy or the supernatural produces trembling and physical weakness (Daniel 10:7-9; Luke 24:5; Revelation 1:17).

• Fear here is not merely terror but an instinctive recognition of other-worldly majesty and power (Psalm 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the LORD”).

• The bristling hair testifies that even our bodies know we stand before a reality greater than ourselves, reinforcing that this is a literal, not figurative, experience.

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summary

Job 4:15 records Eliphaz’s literal encounter with a real spirit. The sequence—an unseen being gliding, passing intimately close, and provoking a bodily reaction—shows the tangible intersection of the spiritual and physical realms. Scripture affirms both the reality of such beings and the natural human awe they evoke.

(15) A spirit passed before my face.--It is vain to argue from this passage that spiritual essences are capable of being seen by the bodily eye, because, first of all, the language is highly figurative and poetical, and because, secondly, every one understands that a spiritual manifestation can be made only to the spirit. The notion, therefore, of seeing a spirit is absurd in itself, because it involves the idea of seeing the invisible; but it is conceivable that the perceptions of the inner spirit may be so vivid as to assume the character of outward manifestations.

Verse 15. - Then a spirit passed before my face. It has been argued (Rosenmuller) that "a breath of air," and not "a spirit," is intended; but, in that ease, how are we to understand the expressions in the following verse: "it stood still," "the form thereof," "an image"? A breath of air, the very essence of which is to be in motion, cannot stand still, nor has it any "form," "appearance," or "imago." Granted that the Hebrew ruakh (רוח) may mean - like the Greek πνεῦμα, and the Latin spiritus - either an actual spirit, or a breath, a wind, it follows that, in every place where it occurs, we must judge by the context which is meant. Here certainly the context points to an actual living spirit, as what Eliphaz intended. Whether a spirit really appeared to him is a separate question. The whole may have been a vision; but certainly the impression left on Eliphaz was that he had had a communication from the spirit-world. The hair of my flesh stood up. Not the hair of his head only, but every hair on his whole body, stiffened, bristled, and rose up on end in horror (see the comment on ver. 14).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Then a spirit
וְ֭רוּחַ (wə·rū·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

glided
יַחֲלֹ֑ף (ya·ḥă·lōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2498: To slide by, to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce, change

past
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

my face,
פָּנַ֣י (pā·nay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

[and] the hair
שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת (śa·‘ă·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8185: Hairiness

on my body
בְּשָׂרִֽי׃ (bə·śā·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

bristled.
תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר (tə·sam·mêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5568: To be erect, bristle as hair


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OT Poetry: Job 4:15 Then a spirit passed before my face (Jb)