Job 13:27

KJV

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

KJV (with Strong's)

Thou puttest {H7760} my feet {H7272} also in the stocks {H5465}, and lookest narrowly {H8104} unto all my paths {H734}; thou settest a print {H2707} upon the heels {H8328} of my feet {H7272}.

Complete Jewish Bible

You put my feet in the stocks, you watch me closely wherever I go, you trace out each footprint of mine

Berean Standard Bible

You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

American Standard Version

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 13:27 captures the patriarch Job's profound and desperate plea to God, articulating his overwhelming sense of being unjustly confined, meticulously observed, and inescapably marked by the Almighty. He perceives God not as a benevolent comforter but as an oppressive adversary, who has subjected him to the humiliation of imprisonment, scrutinizes his every movement with relentless intensity, and has branded him with an indelible sign of judgment or inescapable surveillance, leaving him with no avenue for freedom or relief from his suffering.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a poignant part of Job's third speech, specifically his direct and impassioned address to God in [Job 13](/job/13 "Job 13 - Job's Direct Plea to God") and [Job 14](/job/14 "Job 14 - Job's Lament and Hope"). Following the second cycle of dialogues with his friends, whom he has dismissed as "worthless physicians" and purveyors of "worthless proverbs" in [Job 13:4](/job/13-4 "Job 13:4 - Job's Scorn for His Friends' Counsel"), Job turns his fervent lament and defense of his integrity directly to the divine. He has already expressed a profound desire to plead his case before God, declaring, "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!" in [Job 23:3](/job/23-3 "Job 23:3 - Job's Desire to Find God"), and even proclaimed unwavering trust despite his suffering: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" in [Job 13:15](/job/13-15 "Job 13:15 - Though He Slay Me, Yet Will I Trust Him"). In this verse, Job's language escalates, portraying God as an oppressive force, meticulously seeking fault, rather than a compassionate sovereign. This section immediately precedes Job's desperate plea for God to withdraw His hand and cease terrifying him, as seen in [Job 13:21](/job/13-21 "Job 13:21 - Job's Plea for God to Withdraw His Hand"), underscoring his profound desire for relief and understanding.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The imagery employed in [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern judicial and punitive practices. The "stocks" (Hebrew: *sad*) were a common instrument of public restraint and humiliation, typically fashioned from wood, used to immobilize prisoners by their feet or neck. This practice was designed to inflict discomfort and public shame, often reserved for criminals. The concept of "looking narrowly" or "setting a print" evokes the meticulous surveillance and the practice of branding or marking individuals—such as slaves, criminals, or even animals—to signify ownership, guilt, or inescapable tracking. These practices were widely understood in the ancient world, and Job's use of them powerfully conveys his feeling of being treated as a criminal or property, rather than a righteous man. The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, a non-Israelite context, yet it engages with a universal wisdom tradition that grappled with fundamental questions of divine justice, human suffering, and the nature of righteousness.
* **Key Themes:** [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") significantly contributes to several core themes woven throughout the [Book of Job](/job/1 "The Book of Job - Introduction"). Firstly, it starkly highlights the theme of **divine hiddenness and perceived injustice**. Job grapples with the profound dissonance between God's character, as he understood it, and his inexplicable, crushing suffering. He perceives God as an adversary rather than a comforter, a radical departure from the traditional understanding of God's benevolence. Secondly, the verse vividly portrays the **intensity of human suffering and lament**, giving voice to the raw, unvarnished emotions of one utterly overwhelmed by pain, confusion, and despair. Job's courageous ability to express such profound anguish directly to God, even in accusation, is a testament to the book's theological depth and its embrace of authentic faith. Finally, it touches upon the theme of **divine sovereignty and human accountability**, albeit from Job's profoundly distorted perspective. While Job acknowledges God's immense power, he misinterprets its application to his own life, believing God is actively seeking his downfall, rather than allowing a test of his faith, a truth revealed only to the reader in the book's opening chapters, particularly [Job 1](/job/1 "Job 1 - Satan's Challenge") and [Job 2](/job/2 "Job 2 - Satan's Second Challenge").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Stocks (Hebrew, _çad'_):** This term (H5465) refers to a wooden instrument of restraint, typically used for the feet, designed for public humiliation and torture. It signifies complete immobilization, acute discomfort, and a profound loss of freedom, often associated with criminal punishment. Job's use of this word conveys his feeling of being treated as a criminal, unjustly confined, and stripped of his inherent dignity by God's seemingly oppressive actions.
* **Lookest narrowly (Hebrew, _shâmar'_):** While *shâmar* (H8104) generally means "to guard," "to watch," or "to preserve," in this specific context, it carries a distinctly oppressive and hostile connotation. It implies a vigilant, meticulous, and almost malevolent observation. Job perceives that God is scrutinizing his every movement and thought, not for protection or care, but with the intent to find fault, to ensure his continued confinement, or to prolong his suffering.
* **Settest a print (Hebrew, _châqâh'_):** This verb (H2707) means "to carve," "to engrave," "to inscribe," "to delineate," or "to decree." When combined with "heels of my feet," it suggests an indelible mark, a fixed boundary, or a decreed path. It powerfully conveys Job's profound sense that God has branded him, perhaps with a sign of guilt or inescapable tracking, or has irrevocably decreed a fixed, painful trajectory for his life from which he cannot deviate, leaving him with no possibility of escape.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks":** Job directly accuses God of being the agent of his confinement, employing the vivid and humiliating imagery of a public punishment device. This signifies a complete loss of freedom, mobility, and dignity, portraying God as the direct cause of his physical and existential imprisonment, as if Job were a common criminal deserving of such public shame and restraint.
* **"and lookest narrowly unto all my paths":** This clause emphasizes God's intense, oppressive, and relentless surveillance. Job feels that God is not merely observing but meticulously scrutinizing every aspect of his life, every step he takes, with an intent to discover fault or to ensure that he cannot escape his suffering, leaving no action, no matter how small, unexamined or unjudged.
* **"thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet":** This final clause powerfully reinforces the pervasive theme of inescapable confinement and indelible marking. Whether it implies a brand of guilt, a divinely decreed and unalterable path, or an inescapable trace of his movements, it conveys Job's profound conviction that God has sealed his fate, leaving him no room for escape, no possibility of privacy, and marking his very identity with the burden of his suffering.

#### Literary Devices
[Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") is exceptionally rich in **Imagery**, vividly portraying Job's agonizing suffering through concrete, physical actions and sensory details. The "stocks" evoke a painful, humiliating, and immobilizing imprisonment, while "looking narrowly" suggests an oppressive, almost predatory surveillance. The phrase "settest a print upon the heels of my feet" functions as a powerful **Metaphor** or **Symbolism**, representing an inescapable mark of divine judgment, a divinely decreed path of suffering, or a brand of ownership and guilt that Job cannot shed. The direct address "Thou" employs **Apostrophe**, as Job speaks directly to God, who is present but remains silent and seemingly unresponsive to his pleas. This direct, confrontational address amplifies the raw emotion and Job's profound sense of perceived injustice. The verse also utilizes **Hyperbole** to express Job's extreme and overwhelming sense of confinement and scrutiny; while God is indeed omniscient, Job perceives this omniscience as an active, malevolent force specifically directed against him.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job's agonizing lament in [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") profoundly illuminates the human struggle with suffering and the often-perplexing perception of divine justice. It powerfully underscores the biblical theme that even righteous individuals can experience immense, inexplicable pain, thereby challenging simplistic theological frameworks that directly link suffering to personal sin. Job's raw honesty in questioning God, rather than abandoning Him, serves as a compelling model for authentic faith in the midst of profound crisis, demonstrating that a true relationship with God can encompass lament, protest, and even accusation. This passage implicitly raises fundamental questions about God's sovereignty and His mysterious methods, questions that are ultimately addressed in the book's profound conclusion, revealing a divine wisdom far beyond human comprehension and inviting a trust that transcends immediate understanding.
* [Psalm 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?")
* [Lamentations 3:1-18](/lamentations/3-1-18 "The Prophet's Lament of Suffering and Hope")
* [Psalm 139:1-6](/psalms/139-1-6 "God's Omniscience and Omnipresence")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job's agonizing portrayal of divine scrutiny and confinement in [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") offers a profound and vital space for reflection on our own experiences of suffering and our perception of God's role within them. In moments of deep distress, it is profoundly natural to feel trapped, misunderstood, or even targeted by circumstances that seem entirely beyond our control. This verse powerfully validates the human experience of profound lament, reminding us that the biblical narrative gives ample voice to raw, unfiltered pain and questioning, even when directed at God Himself. It challenges us to critically examine how we interpret God's sovereignty and His active presence during our trials. Do we perceive His omniscience as a comforting, protective embrace, or as an oppressive, judgmental gaze? Job's arduous journey, though marked by bitter complaint and profound confusion, ultimately leads him to a deeper, more humble, and ultimately more authentic understanding of God's character and His inscrutable ways. His experience urges us to cultivate a trust in God's ultimate goodness that transcends our immediate comprehension, finding solace in His unwavering love despite our limited human understanding. Our faith is not diminished by honest questioning, but rather can be profoundly refined and strengthened through it, as we learn to lean into God's immutable character rather than our fleeting and painful circumstances.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you perceive God's presence and scrutiny during times of personal suffering or confinement?**
* **In what ways does Job's lament give you permission to express your own raw emotions and difficult questions to God?**
* **How can you reconcile God's sovereignty and His loving character with your personal experiences of pain or perceived injustice?**

### FAQ
**Does Job's accusation mean he lost his faith in God?**

Answer: No, Job's accusations, while undeniably harsh and filled with profound anguish, do not signify a loss of faith but rather a deep, wrestling, and persistent faith. Throughout his unimaginable ordeal, Job never abandons his fundamental belief in God's existence, His ultimate power, or His role as sovereign. In fact, just two verses earlier, he famously declares, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" [Job 13:15](/job/13-15 "Job 13:15 - Though He Slay Me, Yet Will I Trust Him"). His complaints are born out of a desperate desire for understanding and vindication from the very God he trusts, not from a rejection of Him. The Book of Job powerfully demonstrates that authentic faith can indeed encompass lament, protest, and even argument with God, as long as it remains rooted in a fundamental trust in His sovereignty and His ultimate character. Job's struggle ultimately leads him to a deeper, more humble, and more profound relationship with God, as seen in his confession in [Job 42:5-6](/job/42-5-6 "Job 42:5-6 - Job's Repentance and Confession of God's Greatness").

**What is the significance of "stocks" and "setting a print" in this verse?**

Answer: The imagery of "stocks" and "setting a print upon the heels of my feet" in [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") is profoundly significant for conveying Job's overwhelming sense of confinement, humiliation, and inescapable scrutiny. "Stocks" (Hebrew: *çad*, H5465) were instruments of physical restraint and public humiliation, commonly used for criminals. This signifies Job's feeling of being treated as a guilty party, unjustly imprisoned and stripped of all dignity. "Setting a print" (Hebrew: *châqâh*, H2707) combined with "heels of my feet" suggests an indelible mark, a brand, or a fixed boundary from which there is no escape. It implies that God has either branded Job with a sign of guilt, decreed a fixed and painful path for him, or is meticulously tracking his every movement, leaving no possibility of escape or privacy. Both images powerfully communicate Job's perception of God as an oppressive, scrutinizing adversary who has sealed his fate and severely limited his freedom in every conceivable way.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job's lament in [Job 13:27](/job/13-27 "Job 13:27 - Job's Lament of Confinement") articulates intense suffering and a perception of divine antagonism, it finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in God inflicting such pain, but in Christ Himself willingly enduring it on behalf of fallen humanity. Jesus, the perfectly innocent Son of God, was truly "put in stocks" in a spiritual and physical sense, confined by the limitations of human flesh and bearing the immense, crushing weight of the world's sin. He was ultimately bound, led to unjust trials, and subjected to crucifixion [Matthew 27:2](/matthew/27-2 "Matthew 27:2 - Jesus Led to Pilate"). He was "looked narrowly unto all His paths" by those who sought relentlessly to trap and accuse Him, meticulously scrutinizing His every word and deed for fault, yet finding none [Luke 11:53-54](/luke/11-53-54 "Luke 11:53-54 - Pharisees Seek to Trap Jesus"). And in His crucifixion, a "print was set upon the heels of His feet"—the indelible nail prints in His hands and feet, the permanent mark of His sacrifice, signifying the complete, inescapable, and redemptive path He walked for our salvation [John 20:25](/john/20-25 "John 20:25 - Thomas's Doubt and Jesus' Wounds"). Unlike Job, who was righteous but suffered inexplicably, Jesus was perfectly righteous and willingly endured the ultimate "stocks" and "scrutiny" of divine judgment, not for His own sin, but to take away the sin of the world [John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Thus, Job's cry, though born of personal anguish, powerfully foreshadows the innocent suffering of the Lamb of God, whose "print" on Calvary's hill secured our freedom from the stocks of sin and death, offering true liberation, healing, and eternal life.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 33:11

He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

Job 2:7

¶ So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Job 16:9

He teareth [me] in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

2 Chronicles 16:10

Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for [he was] in a rage with him because of this [thing]. And Asa oppressed [some] of the people the same time.

2 Chronicles 16:12

And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease [was] exceeding [great]: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

Acts 16:24

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Job 10:6

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?