New King James Version
Job 33:16
16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.
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 Living Translation (NLT)He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings.
Context of Job 33:16
14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. 15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. 17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, 18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.
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 also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity.
- 2 Samuel 7:27For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
- Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
- Isaiah 6:10“Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”
- Isaiah 48:8Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb.
- Isaiah 50:5The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
- Luke 24:45And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
- Acts 16:14Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
- Nehemiah 9:38“And because of all this, We make a sure covenant and write it; Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”
- Romans 15:28Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries