· Translation: KJV

Job 15:21A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.

The setting

Ancient Uz (likely Jordan/Saudi Arabia border). Job sits in ashes while his friend Eliphaz speaks harshly about the fate of the wicked.

The original word

pachad (פחד) — sudden terror, the kind that makes you freeze or flee

Why it matters

Eliphaz was likely from Teman, a region famous for wisdom teachers

Read with care

What most readers miss in Job 15:21

This is Eliphaz being cruel — he's describing Job's current state as proof Job is wicked

Common misconceptionPeople think this describes how God sees the wicked, but it's actually Eliphaz's wrong theology. God later rebukes Eliphaz for speaking incorrectly.

Bible Genome reading

Job 15:21 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerEliphaz
EraPatriarchal
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typedialogue
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability50%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone50%
Themes:fearjudgment

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Job 15

Job 15:21 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Eliphaz. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, judgment. Notable phrases: sound of terrors; destroyer. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

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