What is the meaning of Job 18:11? Terrors frighten him on every side Job 18:11 opens with Bildad painting the picture of a man whose life is encircled by dread: “Terrors frighten him on every side.” • This line continues Bildad’s argument (begun in Job 18:5-10) that the wicked cannot escape the consequences of their rebellion. Psalm 73:19 speaks similarly: “How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!” • The phrase underscores a literal, inescapable reality: fear is not occasional but constant. It presses in “on every side” like the curses promised in Deuteronomy 28:65-67, where God warns that disobedience brings “anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.” • Job’s friends believe Job must be this wicked man. While they are wrong about Job, the principle remains accurate—persistent sin invites unrelenting dread (Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no one pursues”). • For believers, the verse is a sober reminder that security is found only in right relationship with God (Psalm 34:4, 7). and harass his every step The second half of the verse piles on the imagery: “and harass his every step.” • “Every step” signals that anxiety dogs the wicked man’s daily routine. Compare Job 15:21: “Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.” • Bildad’s word “harass” paints fear as an active pursuer, like the “lion” imagery in 1 Peter 5:8 describing Satan prowling “looking for someone to devour.” • The verse illustrates God’s moral order: sin invites inner and outer turmoil that shadows one’s path (Isaiah 57:20-21). It also anticipates the final judgment, when terror will culminate in eternal separation for those apart from Christ (Revelation 20:11-15). • By contrast, those who trust the Lord walk differently: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4). God’s presence turns harassment into hope for His people. summary Job 18:11 teaches that a life set against God is surrounded and stalked by relentless fear—“Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.” Bildad misapplies the principle to Job, yet the principle stands: sin invites terror, while faith in the Lord brings safety. |
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