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Read the Bible
Contemporary English Version
Job 4:16
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
A figure stood there,but I could not recognize its appearance;a form loomed before my eyes.I heard a whispering voice:
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,
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,
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
The spirit stopped, but I could not see what it was. A shape stood before my eyes, and I heard a quiet voice.
It stands still, but I cannot recognize its appearance; an image is before my eyes, and I hear a murmuring voice:
"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:
"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:
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,
Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,
It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance;A form was before my eyes;There was silence, then I heard a voice:
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:
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:
It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:
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:
Then I arose, but I could not discern its meaning; there was no form before my eyes, but I heard a gentle voice, saying,
I could see something standing there; I stared, but couldn't tell what it was. Then I heard a voice out of the silence:
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:
it stood still, but I could not discern its form; an image was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice:
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:
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,
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:
He stoode thereon and I knewe not his face, an image there was before myne eyes, and in the stilnesse hearde I a voyce.
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a form was before mine eyes;
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,
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,
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,
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
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],
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],
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:
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,
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:
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
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: - -
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.
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:
"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
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
Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.
"You're making me leave my home and live far from you. I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me."
The people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and the trumpet and saw the lightning and the smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way off
But the Lord was kind to the Israelites and showed them mercy because of his solemn agreement with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, he has never turned his back on them or let them be completely destroyed.
It was Zedekiah who finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had made the Lord so angry that he finally turned his back on them. That's why these horrible things were happening.
The Lord replied, "All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job." Then Satan left.
Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body—from head to toe.
and never enjoy rivers flowing with milk and honey.
Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice.
Scatter them like smoke! When you come near, make them melt like wax in a fire.
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.
