The Meaning of Job 15:21 Explained

Job 15:21

KJV: A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

YLT: A fearful voice is in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.

Darby: The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.

ASV: A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A dreadful  sound  [is] in his ears:  in prosperity  the destroyer  shall come  upon him. 

What does Job 15:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 15:1-35 - "the Heavens Are Not Clean"
The second colloquy, like the first, is commenced by Eliphaz. He begins by rebuking Job, Job 15:1-16. He complains that the words of Job proved him to be unwise, Job 15:2-3, and even impious, Job 15:4. His very speech testified to his iniquity, Job 15:5-6. With something of irony Eliphaz asks upon what Job's claim to superior wisdom rests. Was he the first man? Job 15:7. Or had he access to the secret counsel of God? Job 15:8. In refusing the counsel of his friends, Job 15:9-10, and the consolations of God they had offered, Job 15:11, r.v., had he not proved his want of wisdom? He had even proved his folly and his impiety, by attempting to assert his innocence before God, Job 15:12-14, in whose presence even the heavens were unclean, Job 15:15-16. It is clear that Eliphaz and his friends did not believe the sincerity of Job's protestations of innocence.
Eliphaz then attempts to instruct Job, Job 15:17-35. His theme is almost the same as that of his former speech. It is the righteousness of God as specially manifested in the punishment of the wicked. He claims that his doctrine is that of the wise men, Job 15:17-19; then proceeds to describe the wicked man as troubled in conscience and full of fear, Job 15:20-24; attributes this to his bold impiety, Job 15:25-28; and predicts his fearful doom, Job 15:29-35. The application of such teaching to Job must have been very painful. He insinuated that Job's terrible afflictions were God's testimony against his sin. We know better from John 11:4-5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 15

1  Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself
17  He proves by tradition the restlessness of wicked men

What do the individual words in Job 15:21 mean?

Sounds [are] Dreadful in his ears in prosperity the destroyer comes upon him
קוֹל־ פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁל֗וֹם שׁוֹדֵ֥ד יְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ

קוֹל־  Sounds  [are] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
פְּחָדִ֥ים  Dreadful 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
בְּאָזְנָ֑יו  in  his  ears 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
בַּ֝שָּׁל֗וֹם  in  prosperity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
שׁוֹדֵ֥ד  the  destroyer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
יְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ  comes  upon  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.