CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 15:23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/15-23.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/17/18_Job_15_23.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 15:23 - Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/job/15-23.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/job/15-23.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/job/">Job</a> > <a href="/job/15.htm">Chapter 15</a> > Verse 23</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/15-22.htm" title="Job 15:22">◄</a> Job 15:23 <a href="/job/15-24.htm" title="Job 15:24">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/15.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/15.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />He wanders about for food like a vulture; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/15.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />They wander around, saying, ‘Where can I find bread?’ They know their day of destruction is near.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/15.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/15.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/15.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />He wandereth abroad for bread, <i>saying</i>, Where <i>is it</i>? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/15.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />He wanders about for bread, <i>saying,</i> ‘Where <i>is it?</i>’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/15.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“He wanders about for food, <i>saying,</i> ‘Where <i>is it?</i>’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/15.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220He wanders about for food, saying, &#8216Where is it?&#8217 He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/15.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/15.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/15.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness <i>and</i> destruction is already at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/15.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He wanders about for food, asking, “Where is it? ” He knows the day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/15.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He wanders about for food, saying, &#8220Where is it?&#8221 He knows the day of darkness is at hand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/15.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/15.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />They scrounge around for food, all the while dreading the approaching darkness. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/15.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/15.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />He wanders around for food and asks, 'Where is it?' He knows that his ruin is close at hand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/15.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />and vultures are waiting to eat their corpses. They know their future is dark; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/15.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />He wanders around for food—where is it? He knows that a time of darkness is near. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/15.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/15.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />he wanders about--food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/15.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />He wanders abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/15.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/15.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/15.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand "" Is a day of darkness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/15.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> He is wandering for bread -- 'Where is it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/15.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />He wandered about for bread, where he knew that the day of darkness was ready at his hand.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/15.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/15.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/15.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />A wanderer, food for vultures, he knows destruction is imminent. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/15.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />They wander abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ They know that a day of darkness is ready at hand;<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/15.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />He flees because of the threat of judgment; he does not know that the day of darkness is already at his hand,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/15.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />He flees for the threat of judgment and wherever he is, he knows that the day of darkness is prepared at his hand<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/15.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />He wandereth abroad for bread: 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/15.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And he has been appointed to be food for vultures; and he knows within himself that he is doomed to be a carcass: and a dark day shall carry him away as with a whirlwind.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/15-23.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=2375" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/15.htm">Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">22</span>He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword. <span class="reftext">23</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hū (Pro-3ms) -- He, she, it. ">He</a> <a href="/hebrew/5074.htm" title="5074: nō·ḏêḏ (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; properly, to wave to and fro; figuratively, to rove, flee, or to drive away.">wanders about</a> <a href="/hebrew/3899.htm" title="3899: lal·le·ḥem (Prep-l, Art:: N-ms) -- Bread, food. From lacham; food, especially bread, or grain.">as food</a> <a href="/hebrew/346.htm" title="346: ’ay·yêh (Interrog) -- Where?. Prolonged from 'ay; where?.">for vultures;</a> <a href="/hebrew/3045.htm" title="3045: yā·ḏa‘ (V-Qal-Perf-3ms) -- A primitive root; to know; used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially.">he knows</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. "></a> <a href="/hebrew/3559.htm" title="3559: nā·ḵō·wn (V-Nifal-Prtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; properly, to be erect; hence to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal, or figurative."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3117.htm" title="3117: yō·wm- (N-msc) -- Day. From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day, whether literal, or figurative.">the day</a> <a href="/hebrew/2822.htm" title="2822: ḥō·šeḵ (N-ms) -- From chashak; the dark; hence darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness.">of darkness</a> <a href="/hebrew/3027.htm" title="3027: bə·yā·ḏōw (Prep-b:: N-fsc:: 3ms) -- Hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)">is at hand.</a> </span><span class="reftext">24</span>Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/109-10.htm">Psalm 109:10</a></span><br />May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/27-8.htm">Proverbs 27:8</a></span><br />Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/16-2.htm">Isaiah 16:2</a></span><br />Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-10.htm">Jeremiah 14:10</a></span><br />This is what the LORD says about this people: “Truly they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/4-15.htm">Lamentations 4:15</a></span><br />“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/8-12.htm">Amos 8:12</a></span><br />People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-65.htm">Deuteronomy 28:65-66</a></span><br />Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul. / So your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be afraid night and day, never certain of survival.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/59-15.htm">Psalm 59:15</a></span><br />They scavenge for food, and growl if they are not satisfied.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-18.htm">Isaiah 51:18</a></span><br />Among all the sons she bore, there is no one to guide her; among all the sons she brought up, there is no one to take her hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/4-17.htm">Ezekiel 4:17</a></span><br />So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/8-20.htm">Matthew 8:20</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/9-58.htm">Luke 9:58</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-37.htm">Hebrews 11:37-38</a></span><br />They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. / The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/1-8.htm">James 1:8</a></span><br />He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/2-11.htm">1 Peter 2:11</a></span><br />Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">He wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.</p><p class="hdg">wandereth</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/30-3.htm">Job 30:3,4</a></b></br> For want and famine <i>they were</i> solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/4-12.htm">Genesis 4:12</a></b></br> When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/59-15.htm">Psalm 59:15</a></b></br> Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.</p><p class="hdg">the day</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/18-5.htm">Job 18:5,6,12,18</a></b></br> Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ecclesiastes/11-8.htm">Ecclesiastes 11:8</a></b></br> But if a man live many years, <i>and</i> rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh <i>is</i> vanity.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joel/2-2.htm">Joel 2:2</a></b></br> A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, <i>even</i> to the years of many generations.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/job/4-11.htm">Abroad</a> <a href="/job/3-24.htm">Bread</a> <a href="/job/15-22.htm">Darkness</a> <a href="/job/13-28.htm">Food</a> <a href="/job/14-6.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/job/12-5.htm">Ready</a> <a href="/job/13-9.htm">Search</a> <a href="/job/14-14.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/luke/17-37.htm">Vultures</a> <a href="/jeremiah/49-5.htm">Wandereth</a> <a href="/job/12-25.htm">Wandering</a> <a href="/james/5-19.htm">Wanders</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/32-37.htm">Where</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/job/18-17.htm">Abroad</a> <a href="/job/22-7.htm">Bread</a> <a href="/job/15-30.htm">Darkness</a> <a href="/job/18-12.htm">Food</a> <a href="/job/15-25.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/job/15-24.htm">Ready</a> <a href="/job/28-3.htm">Search</a> <a href="/job/15-24.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-17.htm">Vultures</a> <a href="/proverbs/21-16.htm">Wandereth</a> <a href="/job/38-41.htm">Wandering</a> <a href="/job/18-8.htm">Wanders</a> <a href="/job/20-7.htm">Where</a><div class="vheading2">Job 15</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/15-1.htm">Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/15-17.htm">He proves by tradition the restlessness of wicked men</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/15.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/job/15.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>He wanders about as food for vultures;</b><br>This phrase paints a vivid picture of a person in a state of desperation and vulnerability. In the ancient Near Eastern context, vultures were often associated with death and decay, as they are scavengers that feed on carrion. The imagery suggests a person who is spiritually and morally lost, akin to someone who is already dead in a metaphorical sense. This aligns with the broader theme in the Book of Job, where Job's friends argue that suffering is a result of sin and divine punishment. The wandering aspect may also reflect the aimlessness and lack of direction that comes from being separated from God's guidance. In a broader biblical context, this can be compared to the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness due to their disobedience (<a href="/numbers/14-33.htm">Numbers 14:33-34</a>).<p><b>he knows the day of darkness is at hand.</b><br>The "day of darkness" is a metaphor for impending judgment or calamity. In biblical literature, darkness often symbolizes evil, judgment, or the absence of God's presence (<a href="/amos/5-18.htm">Amos 5:18-20</a>, <a href="/zephaniah/1-15.htm">Zephaniah 1:15</a>). This phrase suggests an awareness of impending doom, which could be interpreted as a form of divine retribution. The certainty of this knowledge implies an understanding of the moral order of the universe, where actions have consequences. In the context of Job, it reflects the belief of Job's friends that suffering is a direct result of sin. However, the narrative of Job challenges this simplistic view, as Job is described as a righteous man who suffers not because of his own sin, but as part of a larger divine purpose. This can also be seen as a type of Christ, who, though sinless, faced the "day of darkness" on the cross, bearing the judgment for humanity's sins (<a href="/matthew/27-45.htm">Matthew 27:45</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/eliphaz_the_temanite.htm">Eliphaz the Temanite</a></b><br>One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Eliphaz is speaking, offering his perspective on Job's suffering.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/job.htm">Job</a></b><br>The central figure of the Book of Job, a man of great faith and integrity who undergoes severe trials and suffering.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/v/vultures.htm">Vultures</a></b><br>Symbolic creatures in this verse, representing death and destruction, often associated with scavenging and the aftermath of death.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/d/day_of_darkness.htm">Day of Darkness</a></b><br>A metaphorical expression indicating impending doom or judgment, often used in biblical literature to describe a time of great trouble or divine judgment.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_suffering.htm">Understanding Suffering</a></b><br>Eliphaz's perspective reflects a common belief that suffering is a direct result of personal sin. This view is challenged throughout the Book of Job, encouraging believers to seek a deeper understanding of suffering.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_judgment.htm">The Reality of Judgment</a></b><br>The "day of darkness" serves as a reminder of the reality of divine judgment. Believers are called to live in the light of God's truth, avoiding the path that leads to spiritual darkness.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trust_in_god's_sovereignty.htm">Trust in God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>Despite the bleak imagery, Christians are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and ultimate justice, knowing that He is in control even in times of uncertainty.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/spiritual_vigilance.htm">Spiritual Vigilance</a></b><br>The imagery of wandering and vultures calls for spiritual vigilance. Believers must remain alert and grounded in their faith to avoid spiritual wandering and vulnerability to the enemy.<a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/job/15.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(23) <span class= "bld">He wandereth abroad for bread.</span>--This is one of the points in which the picture seems inconsistent, because overdrawn, except that forage as well as plunder may be the object of marauding raids.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/15.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 23.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it?</span> This, again, might appropriately have been said of Cain, who was "a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth" (<a href="/genesis/4-14.htm">Genesis 4:14</a>), and may at times have had difficulty in procuring his daily bread. At any rate, it is the frequent experience of the wicked who lose their ill-gotten gains, and are brought down to abject poverty, and actual want of the necessaries of life. "He wanders abroad <span class="accented">to be the food of vultures"</span> is a translation of the passage suggested by some moderns (as Merx), and has the support of the Septuagint, <span class="greek">κατατέτακται εῖς</span> <span class="greek">σῖτα ψυψίν</span>. But it requires a slight change in the pointing. <span class="cmt_word">He knoweth that the day of darkness is nigh at hand</span>. "The day of darkness" is probably the day of his decease: this he "knows," or at any rate, surmises, to be near. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/15-23.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">He</span><br /><span class="heb">ה֣וּא</span> <span class="translit">(hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">wanders about</span><br /><span class="heb">נֹ֘דֵ֤ד</span> <span class="translit">(nō·ḏêḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5074.htm">Strong's 5074: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wave to and fro, to rove, flee, to drive away</span><br /><br /><span class="word">as food</span><br /><span class="heb">לַלֶּ֣חֶם</span> <span class="translit">(lal·le·ḥem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3899.htm">Strong's 3899: </a> </span><span class="str2">Food, bread, grain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for vultures;</span><br /><span class="heb">אַיֵּ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(’ay·yêh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interrogative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_344.htm">Strong's 344: </a> </span><span class="str2">The screamer, a hawk</span><br /><br /><span class="word">he knows</span><br /><span class="heb">יָדַ֓ע ׀</span> <span class="translit">(yā·ḏa‘)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3045.htm">Strong's 3045: </a> </span><span class="str2">To know</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the day</span><br /><span class="heb">יֽוֹם־</span> <span class="translit">(yō·wm-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3117.htm">Strong's 3117: </a> </span><span class="str2">A day</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of darkness</span><br /><span class="heb">חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥō·šeḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2822.htm">Strong's 2822: </a> </span><span class="str2">The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness</span><br /><br /><span class="word">is at hand.</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּיָד֣וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(bə·yā·ḏōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3027.htm">Strong's 3027: </a> </span><span class="str2">A hand</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/15-23.htm">OT Poetry: Job 15:23 He wanders abroad for bread saying 'Where (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/15-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 15:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 15:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/15-24.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 15:24"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 15:24" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>