What is the meaning of Job 16:14? He breaks me with wound upon wound • Job paints a picture of repeated blows—“breaks me” suggests an ongoing, not a one-time, experience. Each fresh affliction lands before the last has healed, underscoring the depth of his pain (cf. Psalm 38:2-3, “Your arrows have pierced me, … there is no health in my bones”). • Job’s language recognizes God’s sovereignty; he does not attribute his trials to chance or Satan alone but ultimately to God’s hand, much as Lamentations 3:32-33 affirms that “though He causes grief, He will show compassion.” • The imagery reflects how suffering can feel relentless, yet Scripture reminds us that God’s purposes are redemptive. Hosea 6:1 echoes this: “He has torn us, but He will heal us.” • Behind the raw lament lies confidence that every “wound upon wound” is under divine control, preparing Job—and us—to see God more clearly (Romans 8:28). He rushes me like a mighty warrior • The verb “rushes” evokes a sudden, overpowering assault. Job pictures God advancing with the force of a seasoned fighter. Similar language appears in Isaiah 42:13: “The LORD advances like a warrior; He stirs up His zeal like a soldier.” • To Job, God’s nearness feels hostile, yet elsewhere Scripture assures that the same warrior fights for His people (Jeremiah 20:11). The contrast highlights Job’s confusion, not God’s character. • The metaphor underscores God’s absolute power; nothing can withstand His advance. For the believer, this power that now seems against us will ultimately prove to be for us (Psalm 24:8; Romans 8:31). • Job’s candid lament invites us to bring our own fears to God, trusting that His “mighty warrior” strength will, in time, defend and restore. Summary Job 16:14 portrays suffering piling up without respite and God’s overwhelming power pressing in. Job feels shattered by blow after blow and overrun by an unstoppable warrior, yet even in his anguish he acknowledges God’s sovereignty. Scripture assures that the Lord who wounds also heals, and the warrior who seems opposed ultimately fights for His people. Persistent faith rests in that certainty, knowing every trial is governed by His wise, loving hand. |
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