What is the meaning of Job 21:6? When I remember • Job is looking back over everything he has endured—loss of children, possessions, reputation—and the very act of recalling it overwhelms him. Psalm 77:3 shows a similar dynamic: “I remembered You, O God, and I groaned.” • His memories also include the puzzling prosperity of the wicked (Job 21:7–13). Like Jeremiah 12:1, he wrestles with why God allows the ungodly to thrive while he, a servant of God, suffers. • The phrase underscores that reflection itself can be a catalyst for deep distress; Lamentations 3:19–20 speaks of the soul’s bitterness when painful events are consciously reviewed. terror takes hold • The emotion is sudden and gripping—“takes hold” suggests a power beyond Job’s control. Psalm 55:4–5 describes how fear “takes hold” of David in similar language. • Job’s terror is not unbelief but awe at God’s incomprehensible governance. He knows God is just (Job 19:25), yet what he sees seems contradictory. Habakkuk 1:13 wrestles with the same tension. • The phrase reminds believers that even strong faith can experience moments of dread when confronting the mysteries of divine providence (2 Corinthians 1:8–9). my body trembles in horror • The reaction moves from inward fear to outward physical trembling. Daniel 10:8–9 records the prophet’s body shaking in God’s presence. • Physical trembling highlights that suffering is holistic; spirit, mind, and body feel the weight. Psalm 38:3–8 shows how emotional anguish can manifest physically. • Yet trembling before God can also be a doorway to deeper trust. Habakkuk 3:16 trembles, then declares in verse 18, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.” Job’s shaking points forward to the surrender he will voice in Job 42:5–6. summary Job 21:6 portrays the honest, visceral response of a righteous man who cannot reconcile his suffering with God’s justice. Remembering his ordeal triggers uncontrollable terror that courses through his body. Scripture affirms the legitimacy of such raw emotion while ultimately steering the believer toward reverent trust in God’s perfect, though often inscrutable, ways. |
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