Job 18:14

Verse Job 18:14. His confidence shall be rooted out] His dwelling-place, how well soever fortified, shall now he deemed utterly insecure.

And it shall bring him to the king of terrors.] Or, as Mr. Good translates, "And dissolution shall invade him as a monarch." He shall be completely and finally overpowered.

The phrase king of terrors has been generally thought to mean death; but it is not used in any such way in the text. For למלך בלהות lemelech ballahoth, to the king of destructions, one of De Rossi's MSS. has כמלך kemelech, "as a king;" and one, instead of בלהות ballahoth, with ו vau holem, to indicate the plural, terrors or destructions, has בלהות ballahuth, with ו vau shurek, which is singular, and signifies terror, destruction. So the Vulgate seems to have read, as it translates, Et calcet super eum, quasi rex, interitis; "And shall tread upon him as a king or destroyer. Or as a king who is determined utterly to destroy him." On this verse the bishop of Killala, Dr. Stock, says, "I am sorry to part with a beautiful phrase in our common version, the king of terrors, as descriptive of death; but there is no authority for it in the Hebrew text."

It may however be stated that death has been denominated by similar epithets both among the Greeks and Romans,

So Virgil, AEn. vi., ver. 100.

________Quando hic inferni janua regis

Dicitur.

"The gates of the king of hell are reported to be here."

And OVID, Metam. lib. v., ver. 356, 359.

Inde tremit tellus: et rex pavit ipse silentum.

Hanc metuens cladem, tenebrosa sede tyrannus

Exierat.

"Earth's inmost bowels quake, and nature groans;

His terrors reach the direful KING of HELL.

Fearing this destruction, the tyrant left his

gloomy court."

And in SOPHOCLES, (OEdip. Colon., ver. 1628, edit. Johnson.)

Εννυχιων αναξ,

Αιδωνευ.

"O Pluto, king of shades." That is, the invisible demon, who dwells in darkness impenetrable.

Old COVERDALE translates: Very fearfulnesse shall bringe him to the kynge.