The Meaning of Job 1:16 Explained

Job 1:16

KJV: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

YLT: While this one is speaking another also hath come and saith, 'Fire of God hath fallen from the heavens, and burneth among the flock, and among the young men, and consumeth them, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare it to thee.'

Darby: While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

ASV: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

While he [was] yet speaking,  there came  also another, and said,  The fire  of God  is fallen  from heaven,  and hath burned up  the sheep,  and the servants,  and consumed  them; and I only am escaped  alone to tell  thee. 

What does Job 1:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 1:13-22 - Stripped Of Every Possession
There are dark days in our lives, when messenger follows on the heel of messenger, and we sit down amid the ruins of our happiness. All that made life gay and beautiful has withered and we are treading a dreary waste; our soul is almost dead within us and our feet are blistered.
Then our friends come and lay the blame on the Chaldeans and lightning, the Sabeans and the hurricane. They pity us as unfortunate and miserable. But we say to ourselves, looking beyond the secondary causes to the Cause beyond them all, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away." Sometimes we can get no farther than this, but how happy we are when we can go on to say, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." The true soul is reckless of what happens to himself, so long as the glory of the Lord's name remains unsullied and enhanced. Let us, above all, never charge God with foolishness by impeaching His love or the rectitude of His decisions. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 1

1  The holiness, riches, and reverent care of Job for his children
6  Satan, appearing before God, obtains leave to afflict Job
13  Understanding of the loss of his children and goods, in his mourning Job blesses God

What do the individual words in Job 1:16 mean?

While this [one] [was] still speaking and this [one] came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them and have escaped only I alone to tell you
ע֣וֹד ׀ זֶ֣ה מְדַבֵּ֗ר וְזֶה֮ בָּ֣א וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֵ֣שׁ אֱלֹהִ֗ים נָֽפְלָה֙ מִן־ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַתִּבְעַ֥ר בַּצֹּ֛אן וּבַנְּעָרִ֖ים וַתֹּאכְלֵ֑ם וָאִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה רַק־ אֲנִ֛י לְבַדִּ֖י לְהַגִּ֥יד לָֽךְ

ע֣וֹד ׀  While 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
זֶ֣ה  this  [one] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
מְדַבֵּ֗ר  [was]  still  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וְזֶה֮  and  this  [one] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
בָּ֣א  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיֹּאמַר֒  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֣שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נָֽפְלָה֙  fell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַתִּבְעַ֥ר  and  burned  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.
בַּצֹּ֛אן  the  sheep 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וּבַנְּעָרִ֖ים  and  the  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וַתֹּאכְלֵ֑ם  and  consumed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וָאִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה  and  have  escaped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
רַק־  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
לְבַדִּ֖י  alone 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
לְהַגִּ֥יד  to  tell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.