Job 1:19 (DBY)

Passage

and behold, there came a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

Nearby Context

Job 1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels and took them, and the servants have they smitten with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn;

Job 1:19 and behold, there came a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

Job 1:20 And Job rose up, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped;

Job 1:21 and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "came", "great", "wind", "over", "wilderness", "smote", and "four". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "While he was yet speaking there came..." into verse 20's "And Job rose up and rent his...", so "behold" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Job context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.