Job 7:14

KJV

Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

KJV (with Strong's)

Then thou scarest {H2865} me with dreams {H2472}, and terrifiest {H1204} me through visions {H2384}:

Complete Jewish Bible

then you terrify me with dreams and frighten me with visions.

Berean Standard Bible

then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

American Standard Version

Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 7:14 offers a poignant window into the profound and pervasive nature of Job's suffering, revealing that his torment extends beyond physical ailments and material losses to invade his very subconscious. In this lament, Job attributes his terrifying dreams and visions directly to God, portraying a comprehensive and unrelenting anguish that robs him of any respite, even in sleep, and underscores his deep sense of divine antagonism.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 7:14 is situated within Job's second major lament, a deeply personal and emotionally charged address to God that immediately follows Eliphaz's first speech (Job 4-5) and Job's initial, despairing response (Job 6). In this chapter, Job articulates the utter depth of his misery, expressing a profound weariness with life and a desperate longing for death as the only escape from his relentless pain. He compares his existence to that of a weary hired hand longing for evening (Job 7:1-2), and vividly describes his nights as filled with restless tossing and turning (Job 7:3-4). His body is wracked with pain, covered in loathsome sores (Job 7:5), and his days are fleeting and devoid of hope (Job 7:6). Verse 14 specifically highlights the psychological and spiritual dimensions of his torment, demonstrating that his suffering is not confined to his waking hours but infiltrates his subconscious, making even sleep a source of terror and preventing any escape from his anguish. This lament is a direct, unfiltered address to God, questioning divine justice and the purpose of his suffering, echoing the raw honesty and desperate plea found in the psalmist's cry in [Psalm 88](/psalms/88 "Psalm 88 - A Psalm of Deep Distress").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, a location generally believed to be outside of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia, suggesting a non-Israelite setting for the narrative, though its theological themes are universal. In the ancient Near East, dreams and visions were often considered significant channels of divine communication, revelation, or even prophetic insight. Figures like [Joseph](/genesis/37 "Genesis 37 - Joseph's Dreams") received divine guidance through dreams, and prophets like [Daniel](/daniel/7 "Daniel 7 - Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts") experienced profound visions. For Job, however, these traditional avenues of divine interaction are tragically inverted; instead of bringing comfort, guidance, or peace, they become instruments of terror and further torment. This inversion underscores the depth of his perceived abandonment and the radical disruption of his world order. His lament reflects a common human experience of profound suffering, where even the natural restorative power of sleep is corrupted by overwhelming distress, a phenomenon recognized across cultures and throughout history.
* **Key Themes:** Job 7:14 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the Book of Job. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the theme of **unrelenting anguish** and the **comprehensive nature of suffering**. Job's torment is not merely physical or material; it extends into his mental and emotional state, permeating his subconscious and robbing him of peace even in sleep. This highlights how suffering can consume every aspect of a person's existence, leaving no refuge. Secondly, the verse underscores Job's **perceived divine antagonism**. Job attributes his terrifying dreams and visions directly to God ("thou scarest me," "thou terrifiest me"), reflecting his profound confusion and sense of betrayal. He sees God not as a comforter but as an active agent of his torment, a perception that challenges traditional understandings of divine justice and benevolence prevalent among his friends. This contributes to the broader theme of the **problem of innocent suffering** and the **mystery of God's ways**, as Job grapples with a reality that contradicts his theological framework, much like the psalmist wrestling with God's apparent absence in [Psalm 77](/psalms/77 "Psalm 77 - A Psalm of Distress and Hope").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **scarest (Hebrew, _châthath'_):** From H2865, this primitive root means "to prostrate," "to break down," or "to terrify." It conveys a sense of being utterly overwhelmed and broken, not merely frightened. The active form here ("thou scarest") emphasizes Job's perception of God as the direct agent of this profound, spirit-crushing terror, suggesting a deliberate act of divine intimidation that leaves Job feeling utterly defeated and without strength.
* **terrifiest (Hebrew, _bâʻath'_):** From H1204, this primitive root means "to fear," "to affright," or "to trouble." This word intensifies the previous verb, indicating that the dreams and visions don't just frighten Job but actively disturb and disorient him, robbing him of any mental or emotional equilibrium. It speaks to a deep internal agitation and a sense of being violently disturbed, making any form of rest or peace impossible.
* **visions (Hebrew, _chizzâyôwn'_):** From H2384, this noun refers to "a revelation, expectation by dream; vision." While "dreams" (_chălôwm_, H2472) refers to ordinary nocturnal experiences, "visions" often carries a connotation of divine communication or revelation in biblical literature, as seen in prophetic experiences. The fact that these "visions" are a source of terror for Job is deeply ironic and underscores the inversion of his world. What should be a potential avenue for comfort or understanding from God has become another instrument of torment, amplifying his sense of abandonment and perceived divine hostility.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then thou scarest me with dreams":** Job directly addresses God, attributing the source of his torment to the Almighty. The use of "then" connects this statement to his previous laments about his sleepless nights and restless bed (Job 7:3-4). The "dreams" are not natural occurrences but are perceived as divinely orchestrated instruments of terror, preventing any mental or emotional escape from his suffering even during sleep. This highlights the comprehensive nature of his anguish, invading even his subconscious and demonstrating that his torment knows no bounds.
* **"and terrifiest me through visions":** This clause intensifies the previous one, employing synonymous parallelism to deepen the sense of psychological distress. "Visions" often implied a more profound, sometimes divinely inspired, experience than mere dreams. For these to be terrifying suggests an even deeper level of divine antagonism in Job's perception. The terror is not just superficial fear but a profound shattering of his spirit, leaving him utterly dismayed and broken, even when his body is at rest and should be finding solace.

#### Literary Devices
Job 7:14 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of Job's despair and his perception of divine hostility. **Parallelism**, specifically synonymous parallelism, is evident in the repetition of similar ideas in "scarest me with dreams" and "terrifiest me through visions." This structural technique serves to intensify the comprehensive and unrelenting nature of his nocturnal torment, emphasizing that both dreams and visions, traditionally distinct experiences, are equally instruments of his anguish. **Hyperbole** is also at play, as Job's language is often exaggerated to express the overwhelming and all-encompassing nature of his suffering, making every aspect of his existence, even sleep, a source of agony. Perhaps most striking is the **irony**: dreams and visions, which in many biblical contexts are conduits for divine communication, comfort, or guidance, are here presented as instruments of divine terror. This inversion highlights Job's profound sense of abandonment and his perception of God as an active antagonist rather than a benevolent protector. Furthermore, Job's direct accusation of God ("thou scarest me," "thou terrifiest me") employs a form of **anthropomorphism**, attributing human-like actions and intentions (specifically, active torment) to God, reflecting his raw, unfiltered lament and his struggle to reconcile his suffering with his understanding of a just God.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 7:14 is a poignant expression of the comprehensive nature of human suffering, illustrating how anguish can permeate every aspect of one's being, including the subconscious. It challenges simplistic theological frameworks that equate suffering directly with sin, as Job, though righteous, experiences profound and inexplicable torment. The verse also delves into the complex theme of divine sovereignty and human perception of God's actions; Job attributes his terror directly to God, wrestling with the mystery of a seemingly hostile deity. This honest lament, though fraught with despair, opens a theological space for expressing raw human emotion before God, acknowledging that faith does not preclude profound questioning and even accusations in the face of overwhelming pain. It underscores the biblical allowance for lament and the wrestling of faith in the crucible of suffering, reminding us that God is big enough to hear our deepest cries and our most challenging questions.

* [Psalm 6:6](/psalms/6-6 "Psalm 6:6 - David's Weary Groaning")
* [Psalm 77:3](/psalms/77-3 "Psalm 77:3 - Asaph's Restless Spirit")
* [Lamentations 3:1-18](/lamentations/3-1-18 "Lamentations 3:1-18 - The Prophet's Lament of Affliction")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 7:14 offers a profound glimpse into the depths of human despair, reminding us that suffering is not always confined to the physical or material realm but can profoundly impact our mental and emotional well-being, even invading our moments of supposed rest. This verse validates the experience of those who struggle with anxiety, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts, underscoring that such internal torment is a real and often debilitating aspect of suffering. Job's raw honesty in attributing his terror to God, however challenging it may seem, provides a crucial model for authentic lament. It teaches us that faith does not require us to sanitize our pain or pretend that our experience aligns perfectly with our theological understanding. Instead, it invites us to bring our whole, broken selves—including our confusion, anger, and terror—before God, trusting that He is big enough to handle our questions and our accusations. In a world where mental health struggles are increasingly recognized, Job's experience reminds us to approach suffering holistically, acknowledging the spiritual, emotional, and psychological dimensions, and to seek solace and healing in all its forms, knowing that God meets us even in our darkest nights.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's experience of suffering, extending into his dreams and visions, resonate with or challenge your understanding of comprehensive human brokenness?**
* **In what ways does Job's direct accusation of God in this verse inform your own approach to honest lament and prayer during times of deep distress?**
* **What comfort or challenge does this verse offer to those who experience mental or emotional torment, particularly in their sleep?**

### FAQ
**Does Job 7:14 suggest that God directly causes nightmares or mental anguish?**

Answer: Job 7:14 reflects Job's *perception* and *attribution* of his suffering directly to God. In his profound despair, Job sees God as the active agent behind his terrifying dreams and visions, not merely permitting them but actively inflicting them. This is a common feature of lament literature in the Bible, where the suffering individual often expresses their pain and perceived abandonment by God in stark, direct terms. It doesn't necessarily present a definitive theological statement on God's direct causation of all nightmares or mental anguish, but rather showcases the depth of Job's personal anguish and his wrestling with God's mysterious ways. The book as a whole ultimately reveals that while God is sovereign, the immediate cause of Job's suffering was Satan, though God allowed it for His own purposes (see [Job 1:12](/job/1-12 "Job 1:12 - Satan's Power Limited")). Job's words are a raw, honest expression of his experience, not necessarily a theological treatise on divine causality.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 7:14, with its raw depiction of pervasive terror and the corruption of even sleep by anguish, finds its ultimate resonance and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's experience of being "scared" and "terrified" by divinely-attributed dreams and visions foreshadows the profound spiritual and psychological torment that Jesus endured, particularly in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Jesus' soul was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" ([Matthew 26:38](/matthew/26-38 "Matthew 26:38 - Jesus' Anguish in Gethsemane")), experiencing a depth of anguish that surpassed any human nightmare, as He contemplated bearing the world's sin and facing the Father's wrath. Unlike Job, whose suffering was inexplicable to him, Jesus willingly entered into the full scope of human suffering, including its mental and spiritual dimensions, to conquer it. He is the one who truly knows what it is to be consumed by terror, yet He did so not as a victim of divine antagonism but as the obedient Son, securing our peace. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over the powers of darkness that inflict fear and despair, offering a peace that "transcends all understanding" ([Philippians 4:7](/philippians/4-7 "Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God")), a true rest that Job desperately longed for but could not find. In Christ, the terrifying visions are replaced by the vision of God's glory, and the restless nights by the promise of eternal rest in Him ([Hebrews 4:9](/hebrews/4-9 "Hebrews 4:9 - A Sabbath Rest for the People of God")), where His presence dispels all fear and brings ultimate comfort.

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

Genesis 40:5

¶ And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which [were] bound in the prison.

Genesis 40:7

And he asked Pharaoh's officers that [were] with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye [so] sadly to day?

Genesis 41:8

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Daniel 2:1

¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Judges 7:13

And when Gideon was come, behold, [there was] a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

Judges 7:14

And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: [for] into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

Matthew 27:19

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.