· Translation: KJV

Job 5:14They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.

The setting

Ancient Uz. Eliphaz describes the fate of the crafty — they become confused and disoriented, like someone stumbling in broad daylight...

The emotion here: painting a vivid warning, confident in moral order

The original word

māšaš (מָשַׁש) — to grope, feel around blindly, search desperately with hands

Why it matters

Desert travelers feared getting lost at noon when shadows disappeared and landmarks became unclear

Read with care

What most readers miss in Job 5:14

This is poetic justice — those who operated in moral darkness now experience literal confusion

Common misconceptionPeople think this describes depression or mental illness. It's specifically about moral confusion that follows deceptive behavior.

Bible Genome reading

Job 5:14 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerEliphaz
EraPatriarchal
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typepoetry

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone70%
Themes:confusiondivine judgment

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Job 5

Job 5:14 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Eliphaz. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include confusion, divine judgment. Notable phrases: darkness in the day; grope at noonday.

Your reflection

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