Job 10:16 (KJV)

What does Job 10:16 mean?

Job 10:16 describes Job feeling overwhelmed by his suffering, comparing God’s pursuit of him to a fierce lion hunting its prey, and saying that God continues to show His power against him in ways that seem extraordinary. Job is expressing how relentless and intense his troubles feel, as if God is actively targeting him.

In this verse, Job is speaking directly to God during his lament. Job uses the image of a lion to show how hunted and powerless he feels, and he accuses God of repeatedly displaying His might in ways that bring Job more pain. This verse highlights Job’s sense of being singled out and attacked by forces far beyond his control, deepening the emotional intensity of his complaint.

The Hebrew behind Job 10:16

• "huntest" (צָדַד, tsādad): This word means to hunt or stalk, often used for a predator pursuing prey. Job’s choice of this word paints God as an active pursuer, not just a passive observer of Job’s suffering.
• "lion" (שַׁחַל, shachal): This is a specific Hebrew word for a fierce or young lion. The image is not just of any animal, but of a powerful, dangerous predator, emphasizing how threatening Job feels God’s actions are.
• "marvellous" (פָּלָא, pālā’): This word often means to do something extraordinary or beyond human understanding. Here, Job uses it ironically—God’s actions are “marvellous” not in a positive sense, but in how overwhelming and inexplicable they are to Job.

Why Job 10:16 matters

• Job 10:16 clears up the idea that Job is simply accepting his suffering; instead, he is actively struggling with the sense that God is pursuing him harshly.
• The verse reveals the depth of Job’s emotional pain by showing how he feels hunted and powerless, not just afflicted.
• This verse connects to the wider passage by showing Job’s honesty in prayer—he voices his confusion and distress directly to God, which sets the tone for the rest of his speech.