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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

Job 4:16

Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Dream;   Faith;   Vision;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Visions;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Image;   Trance;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Prophet;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Form;   Smith Bible Dictionary - El'iphaz;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Form;   Still;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bat Ḳol;   Revelation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A figure stood there,but I could not recognize its appearance;a form loomed before my eyes.I heard a whispering voice:
Hebrew Names Version
It stood still, but I couldn't discern the appearance of it; A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
King James Version
It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
English Standard Version
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
New Century Version
The spirit stopped, but I could not see what it was. A shape stood before my eyes, and I heard a quiet voice.
New English Translation
It stands still, but I cannot recognize its appearance; an image is before my eyes, and I hear a murmuring voice:
Amplified Bible
"The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:
New American Standard Bible
"Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:
World English Bible
It stood still, but I couldn't discern the appearance of it; A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,
Legacy Standard Bible
It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance;A form was before my eyes;There was silence, then I heard a voice:
Berean Standard Bible
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:
Contemporary English Version
It stopped and stood still. Then a form appeared— a shapeless form. And from the silence, I heard a voice say,
Complete Jewish Bible
It stood still, but I couldn't make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice:
Darby Translation
It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:
Easy-to-Read Version
The spirit stood still, but I could not see what it was. A shape stood before my eyes, and there was silence. Then I heard a quiet voice:
George Lamsa Translation
Then I arose, but I could not discern its meaning; there was no form before my eyes, but I heard a gentle voice, saying,
Good News Translation
I could see something standing there; I stared, but couldn't tell what it was. Then I heard a voice out of the silence:
Lexham English Bible
It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance; a form was before my eyes; there was a hush, and I heard a voice:
Literal Translation
it stood still, but I could not discern its form; an image was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then stode there one before me, whose face I knewe not: an ymage there was, and the wether was still, so that I herde this voyce:
American Standard Version
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes: There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He stoode thereon and I knewe not his face, an image there was before myne eyes, and in the stilnesse hearde I a voyce.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a form was before mine eyes;
King James Version (1611)
It stood still, but I could not discerne the forme thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voyce, saying,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there, was no form before my eyes: but I only heard a breath and a voice, saying,
English Revised Version
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a form was before mine eyes: there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
Update Bible Version
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before my eyes: [There was] silence, and I heard a voice [saying],
Webster's Bible Translation
It stood still, but I could not discern its form: an image [was] before my eyes, [there was] silence, and I heard a voice, [saying],
New King James Version
It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; Then I heard a voice saying:
New Living Translation
The spirit stopped, but I couldn't see its shape. There was a form before my eyes. In the silence I heard a voice say,
New Life Bible
The spirit stood still, but I could not understand what I saw. Something was in front of my eyes. All was quiet, then I heard a voice:
New Revised Standard
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, - A whispering voice, I heard: - -
Douay-Rheims Bible
There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice, as it were, of a gentle wind.
Revised Standard Version
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
Young's Literal Translation
It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:

Contextual Overview

12 A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears. 13 In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, 14 Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble; 15 And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff: 16 Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying: 17 May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker? 18 Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels; 19 How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect; 20 Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note. 21 If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

there: etc. or, I heard a still voice, 1 Kings 19:12

Reciprocal: Acts 10:3 - saw Revelation 8:1 - silence

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
And there came to them the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening wind: and the man and his wife went to a secret place among the trees of the garden, away from the eyes of the Lord God.
Genesis 4:14
You have sent me out this day from the face of the earth and from before your face; I will be a wanderer in flight over the earth, and whoever sees me will put me to death.
Exodus 20:18
And all the people were watching the thunderings and the flames and the sound of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when they saw it, they kept far off, shaking with fear.
2 Kings 13:23
But the Lord was kind to them and had pity on them, caring for them, because of his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he would not put them to destruction or send them away from before his face till now.
2 Kings 24:20
And because of the wrath of the Lord, this came about in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had sent them all away from before him: and Zedekiah took up arms against the king of Babylon.
Job 1:12
And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.
Job 2:7
And the Satan went out from before the Lord, and sent on Job an evil disease covering his skin from his feet to the top of his head.
Job 20:17
Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
Psalms 5:11
But let all those who put their faith in you be glad with cries of joy at all times, and let all the lovers of your name be glad in you.
Psalms 68:2
Let them be like smoke before the driving wind; as wax turning soft before the fire, so let them come to an end before the power of God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

It stood still,.... That is, the spirit, or the angel in a visible form; it was before going to and fro, but now it stood still right against Eliphaz, as if it had something to say to him, and so preparing him to attend to it; which he might do the better, it standing before him while speaking to him, that he might have the opportunity of taking more notice of it:

but, notwithstanding this advantageous position of it,

I could not discern the form thereof; what it was, whether human or any other:

an image [was] before mine eyes; he saw something, some appearance and likeness, but could not tell what it was; perhaps the fear and surprise he was in hindered him from taking in any distinct idea of it, or that particular notice of it, so as to be able to form in his own mind any suitable notion of it, or to describe it to others:

[there was] silence both in the spirit or image, which, standing still, made no rushing noise, and in Eliphaz himself, who kept in his breath, and listened with all the attention he could to it; or a small low voice, as Ben Melech interprets it: so it follows,

and I heard a voice; a distinct articulate voice or sound of words, very audibly delivered by the spirit or image that stood before him:

[saying]; as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It stood still - It took a fixed position and looked on me. It at first glided by, or toward him, then stood in an immovable position, as if to attract his attention, and to prepare him for the solemn announcement which it was about to make. This was the point in which most horror would be felt. We should be less alarmed at anything which a strange messenger should say, than to have him stand and fix his eyes steadily and silently upon us. Hence, Horatius, in “Hamlet,” tortured by the imperturbable silence of the Ghost, earnestly entreated it to give him relief by speaking.

Hor. - What art thou that usurp’st this time of night,

Together with that fair and warlike form

In which the majesty of buried Denmark

Did sometime march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak.

Mar. - It is offended.

Ber. - See: It stalks away.

Hor. - Stay; speak: speak, I charge thee speak.

Act i. Sc. i.

Re-enter Ghost.

Hor. - But, soft; behold! lo, where it comes again!

I’ll cross it, though it blast me. - Stay, illusion!

If thou hast any sound, or use of voice,

Speak to me:

If there be any good thing to be done,

That may to thee do ease, and grace to me,

Speak to me:

Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid,

If thou art privy to thy country’s fate.

O speak!

Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life

Extorted treasure in the womb of earth,

For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death,

Speak of it; stay, and speak.

Act i. Sc. i.

Enter Ghost

Hor. - Look, my lord; it comes!

Ham. - Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn’d,

Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,

Be thy intents wicked or charitable,

Thou com’st in such a questionable shape,

That I will speak to thee: I’ll call thee, Hamlet,

King, father, royal Dane: O, answer me;

Let me not burst in ignorance!

Act i: Sc. iv.

But I could not discern the form thereof - This might have arisen from fear, or from the darkness of the night, or because the spirit was not distinct enough in its outline to enable him to do it. There is here just the kind of obscurity which is essential to the sublime, and the statement of this circumstance is a master-stroke in the poet. A less perfect imagination would have attempted to describe the form of the spectre, and would have given an account of its shape, and eyes, and color. But none of these are here hinted at. The subject is left so that the imagination is most deeply impressed, and the whole scene has the aspect of the highest sublimity. Noyes very improperly renders this, “Its face I could not discern.” But the word used, מראה mar'eh, does not mean “face” here merely; it means the form, figure, aspect, of the spectre.

An image was before mine eyes - Some form; some appearance was before me, whose exact figure I could not mark or describe.

There was silence - Margin, “I heard a still voice.” So Rosenmuller says that the word here, דּממה demâmâh, does not mean silence, but a gentle breeze, or air - auram lenem - such as Elijah heard after the tempest had gone by, and when God spoke to him, 1 Kings 19:12-13. Grotins supposes that it means here the בת־קול bath qôl, or “daughter of the voice,” of which the Jewish Robbins speak so often - the still and gentle voice in which God spoke to people. The word used דממה demâmâh usually means silence, stillness, as of the winds after a storm, a calm, Psalms 107:29. The Septuagint renders it, “I heard a gentle breeze, αυραν auran, and a voice,” καί φωνὴν kai phōnēn. But it seems to me that the common reading is preferable. There was stillness - a solemn, awful silence, and then he heard a voice impressively speaking. The stillness was designed to fix the attention, and to prepare the mind for the sublime announcement which was to be made.


 
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