God’s Word Translation
Job 33:16
16he opens people’s ears and terrifies them with warnings.
Job 33:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
- New International Version (NIV)he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,
- English Standard Version (ESV)then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.
Context of Job 33:16
14“God speaks in one way, even in two ways without people noticing it: 15In a dream, a prophetic vision at night, when people fall into a deep sleep, when they sleep on their beds, he opens people’s ears and terrifies them with warnings. 17⌞He warns them⌟ to turn away from doing ⌞wrong⌟ and to stop being arrogant. 18He keeps their souls from the pit and their lives from crossing the River ⌞of Death⌟.
Read all of Job 33Job 33:16 word by word
אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 33:16
- Job 36:10He makes them listen to his warning and orders them to turn away from wrong.
- 2 Samuel 7:27You, Lord of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed it especially to me, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That is why I have found the courage to offer this prayer to you.
- Psalms 40:6You were not pleased with sacrifices and offerings. You have dug out two ears for me. You did not ask for burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin.
- Isaiah 6:10Make these people close-minded. Plug their ears. Shut their eyes. Otherwise, they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and return and be healed.”
- Isaiah 48:8You have never heard about them. You have never known about them. Your ears have never been open to hear them before. I know that you’ve acted very treacherously and that you have been called a rebel since you were born.
- Isaiah 50:5The Almighty Lord will open my ears. I will not rebel, nor will I turn away ⌞from him⌟.
- Luke 24:45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- Acts 16:14A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said.
- Nehemiah 9:38“We are making a binding agreement ⌞and putting it⌟ in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.”
- Romans 15:28When the collection is completed and I have officially turned the money over to the Christians in Jerusalem, I will visit you on my way to Spain.
Commentaries on Job 33:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16III. By secret Inspirations Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth, etc. - A dream or a vision simply considered is likely to do no good; it is the opening of the understanding, and the pouring in of the light, that make men wise to salvation. Serious alarms, holy purposes, penitential pangs for past sins, apprehension of death and judgment, discoveries of God's justice, of Christ's love, of the world's vanity, of heaven's excellence, etc., etc…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Then he openeth the ears of men - Margin, as in Hebrew “revealeth,” or “uncovereth.” The idea is, that he then reveals to the ear of man important admonitions or counsels. He communicates valuable truth. We are not to understand this as saying that the sleeper actually hears God speak, but as the ear is the organ of hearing, it is employed here to denote that God then communicates His will to human beinigs. In what way he had access to the souls of people…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 God speaks to us by conscience, by providences, and by ministers; of all these Elihu discourses. There was not then, that we know of, any Divine revelation in writing, though now it is our principal guide. When God designs men's good, by the convictions and dictates of their own consciences, he opens the heart, as Lydia's, and opens the ears, so that conviction finds or forces its way in. The end and design of these admonitions are to keep…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Literally, "sealeth (their ears) to Himself by warnings," that is, with the sureness and secrecy of a seal He reveals His warnings [Umbreit]. To seal up securely (Job 37:7).Read the comment
Topics related to Job 33:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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