What does Job 16:14 mean?

Job 16:14 (KJV) reads, "He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant."

This verse is part of a larger passage where Job, who is suffering greatly, laments his condition and addresses his friends, who have been attempting to comfort and console him. Throughout the Book of Job, Job is portrayed as a righteous man who experiences immense suffering without understanding why. His friends, in turn, attempt to explain his suffering in terms of his own sins, which Job vehemently denies. The verse in question marks a shift in Job's tone, as he begins to express his frustration and anger towards what he perceives as God's unjust treatment of him.

The verse can be understood as Job's way of describing the relentless and overwhelming nature of his suffering. The phrase "He breaketh me with breach upon breach" conveys the sense of repeated and unrelenting hardship that Job is experiencing. It reflects the nature of his suffering, which seems to come in waves, one after another, without any respite or relief. This language of "breach upon breach" also suggests the idea of being broken down or torn apart, emphasizing the severity and intensity of Job's suffering.

The second part of the verse, "he runneth upon me like a giant," continues the imagery of relentless and overpowering suffering. The comparison to a giant evokes a sense of something massive and overpowering, something that cannot be easily overcome or resisted. It conveys the sense of being pursued or overwhelmed by an unstoppable force, which is how Job perceives God's treatment of him. This image of God as a relentless and overpowering force adds to Job's sense of helplessness and despair.

In this verse, Job expresses his deep sense of being overwhelmed and defeated by his suffering. The language he uses is vivid and emotive, conveying the depth of his anguish and despair. By describing God's actions in this way, Job is challenging the conventional wisdom of his time, which held that suffering was a direct result of an individual's sins. Job's suffering is portrayed as beyond his control, inflicted upon him by a seemingly unjust and merciless God.

The Book of Job addresses profound questions about the nature of suffering, the role of faith in the face of adversity, and the justice of God. Job's lamentation in this verse reflects the universal human experience of grappling with suffering and searching for meaning in the midst of it. By articulating his anguish so passionately, Job gives voice to the deep emotional and existential struggles that we all face at one time or another.

The verse also raises challenging questions about the nature of God and the relationship between divine sovereignty and human suffering. It forces us to confront the difficult reality that suffering is a part of the human experience, regardless of our own righteousness or lack thereof. By expressing his anguish so powerfully, Job invites us to confront the limitations of our understanding and to embrace the mystery of suffering, even as we seek to find meaning and hope in the midst of it.

Overall, Job 16:14 is a poignant and powerful expression of human suffering and the quest for meaning in the face of deep despair. By engaging with this verse, we are invited to grapple with the profound questions it raises and to find ways to respond with empathy, compassion, and faith when confronted with the suffering of others.

Artwork for Job 16:14

Job 16:14 - "He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant."

"He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant." - Job 16:14

Job 14:16 - "For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?"

"For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?" - Job 14:16

Job 16:1 - "Then Job answered and said,"

Ezekiel 14:14-16 (KJVA) 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Ezekiel 14:14-16 (KJVA) 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

"Then Job answered and said," - Job 16:1

Job 16:16 - "My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;"

Job 37:14 - "Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God."

Job 14:2

Job 35:16 - "Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge."

Job 1:14 - "And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:"

Job 42:16 - "After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations."

Job 12:16 - "With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his."

Job 33:16 - "Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,"

Job 38:14 - "It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment."

Job 36:14 - "They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean."

Job 6:16 - "Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:"

Job 28:16 - "It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire."

Job 5:14 - "They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night."

Job 28:14 - "The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me."

Ezekiel 14:14 - "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD."

Job 16:17 - "Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure."

Job 5:16 - "So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth."

"My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;" - Job 16:16

Job 14:1 - "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble."

Job 34:16 - "If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words."

Job 23:16 - "For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:"

Job 21:16 - "Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me."