Job 23:16 (DRB)

Passage

God hath softened my heart, and the Almighty hath troubled me.

Nearby Context

Job 23:14 And when he shall have fulfilled his will in me, many other like things are also at hand with him.

Job 23:15 And therefore I am troubled at his presence, and when I consider him, I am made pensive with fear.

Job 23:16 God hath softened my heart, and the Almighty hath troubled me.

Job 23:17 For I have not perished because of the darkness that hangs over me, neither hath the mist covered my face.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "softened", "heart", "almighty", and "troubled". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "softened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And therefore I am troubled at his..." into verse 17's "For I have not perished because of...", so "hath" and "softened" 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 "hath" and "softened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.