Bible Strands
Job 33:18
to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Elihu addresses Job, explaining how God intervenes during periods of warning or affliction to prevent moral collapse and physical destruction.
The words — יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ (yach.Sokh) means he will keep back, and שָׁ֑חַת (Sha.chat) denotes the pit, framing divine restraint as a protective barrier.
The thread — The motif of soul preservation from the Pit recurs in Job 33:28 and Job 33:30, while Romans 2:4 links this restraint to the function of divine kindness.
Why it lands — The text states that God actively withholds destruction to preserve life, then requires the reader to treat warnings and affliction as corrective measures rather than arbitrary punishment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
Cross-references
- Job 33:28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
- Job 33:30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
- Romans 2:4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Job 15:22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
- Job 33:22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
- Job 33:24 to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
- Acts 16:27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
- 2 Peter 3:15 Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.