By: Gen. Jim – 5/23/25
There has been much talk about terror/terrorism/terrorists over the past 5 plus decades. Rightly so, since the world has seen the acts of terrorists. Just a day ago in Washington D.C. two Israelis were shot & killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum – a man & woman who were just about to be married. One headline reads: “Something Horrific Happened” – “Netanyahu Condemns Israeli Embassy Staff Shooting”. The suspect was arrested & charged with TERROR & HATE CRIMES! Another headline reads: “CRIME of TERRORISM!”, 2 Israeli Diplomats MURDERED!” The murderer was recorded as shouting, “Free, free Palestine!” This kind of terror has been going on here in the U.S. for a long, long time. (see my articles on “Militant Islam”). I’m sure this tragic event will not be the last!!
King of Terrors
“He is uprooted from the shelter of his tent, & they parade him before the king of terrors.” – Job 18:14, NKJV
Going back to vs.11 (Job 18) we read: “Terrors frighten him on every side…”; vs.12 reads, “… and destruction is ready at his side.”
So, who is this “King of terrors”? Before I answer that, let me define “terrors”:
terrors: Hebrew, ballâhâh, from bâlahh = “to terrify, destruction”. This particular Heb. word is found under “terror” (Strong’s) #1089/1091; Job 24:17; 27:20; 30:15; Ps. 73:19 have the same Heb. word.
The word “terror” is found 26 times in the O.T. with several defs. The word “terrify” is found 3 times (in Job); the word “terrifiest” is found one time in the O.T.
Greek: In the N.T. the word “terrified” is found 1 time (Phil. 1:28); “terrify” is found 1 time (1 Cor. 10:9); the word “terror” is found in Rom. 13:3; 2 Cor. 5:11 & 1 Pet. 3:14; the word “terrors” is not found in the N.T.
Ballâhâh
As said, “terrors” is found in Job 18:11,14; 24:17; 30:15; Ps. 73:19 only. The same Heb. word is also found under “terror”, Ezek. 26:21; 27:36; 28:19 only.
Melek
The word “king” – Heb. Melek – (in ref. to Job 18:14) means, ruler, prince; god, false god”. Officials on many levels were designated by this title, ranging from the emperor of an empire (as in Jer. 46:2) to the chieftain of a small city-state (as in Gen. 14:2,8; 20:2; 26:1,8). Rulers were often thought to be constituted by divine authority rather than human.
Some scholars/commentators describe the term “King of Terrors” as a metaphorical expression with some mythological background that was common in the ancient world (see rex tremendus in Virgil, Georgics 4.469 (Fohrer 1988:304).
Attempts at identifying the “King of Terror” with ancient Near Eastern deities of the underworld remain doubtful. According to W.A. Irwin, Job’s 18:14 is an allusion to the rule of Ereshkigal, queen of the ‘Land of no Return’ (1962:222). Other scholars & commentators say that the argument could be based on the feminine verbal form wts’dhw (compare v.15), but the form is not quite clear, (leaving aside conjectures), writes U. Rüterswörden who wrote an article on Job 18:14 N.S. Sarna, who wrote The Mythological Background of Job 18, proposed a t-performative for the 3 mss. (1963:318; compare Job 20:9; see also J.A. Knudtzon, Die El-Amarna-Tafeln (= VABZ, i.e. Vordersiatische Bibliothek) 143:27-28; 323:22) (D.J.A. Clines discusses this in his, Job 1-20, word Biblical Commentary 17, Dallas, TX. 1989).
It has been suggested that some definitions relate the “King of Terrors” to the bkwr mwt in vs.13 – “It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs” (lit., “parts”). But, as usual, there is controversy over the identification. The crucial point is the question whether there is a Mesopotamian or Canaanite background for bkwr mwt? (see Dict. of Deities & Demons in the Bible, pp.486-88).
One scholar argues strongly for the Mesopotamian option (Prof. J.B. Barns). He writes: “There, Namtas is the god of plague & pestilences. He is described as sukallu (sic) irsiti, the ‘vizier of the underworld’. He is also the ilitti d Ereskigal the ‘offspring of Ereshigal’, who was queen of the nether world. In Mesopotamian mythology the first-born, if male, was generally the vizier of his parent.” (see Burns 1987:363; AGE 387-388; compare already Dnorme 1926:240).
So, the “King of Terrors” may be identified with Nergal. (note: Nergal with his city Cutha is mentioned in 2 Kgs. 17:30 within the description of the cults of the foreign settlers in Samaria. The particular relevance of Nergal in this context is to be explained by the fact that inhabitants of cutha had been settled in Samaria while Samarians had been deported to Assyria” (see also H. Winckler, Die Keilschrifttexte Sargans (Leipzig 1889)].
“King of Terrors”
As stated, there are many takes on what this means or who it may be applied to. One O.T. scholar has translated Job 18:14 as, “And dissolution shall invade him as a monarch.” He shall be completely & finally overpowered & destroyed! Vs.5 reads: “Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, & the spark of his fire shall not shine.” Some believe it should read: “Let the light of the wicked be extinguished!” From this vs. to the end of the chapter is a continual invective against bro. Job. Vs.6 speaks of “his candle shall be put out with him,” meaning his property shall be destroyed & his house pillaged, & himself & his family come to an untimely END! His posterity will END!
The phrase “King of Terrors” has been generally thought to mean DEATH; but it is not used in any such way in this text. Some scholars read the Hebrew as, “to the king of destructions” (one of Prof. De Rossi’s mss. has kemelech, “as a king”; and one, instead of ballahoth, with vau holem, to indicate the plural, terrors or destructions has ballahuth, with vau shurek, which is singular, & signifies terrors destruction. The vulgate trans. seems to have read, as it translates, Et calcet super eum, quasi rex, interitus, i.e., “And shall tread upon him as a king or destroyer”. Or as a “king who is determined utterly to destroy him.”
There are some scholars (I read alot!) that do not believe that KOT means or is descriptive of death. They claim that there is no authority for it in the Heb. text.
Well, it may however be stated that death has been denominated by similar epithets both among the Romans & Greeks. (see Virgil, AEn. vi, vs.100 – “The gates of the king of hell are reported to be here”)
Ovid, Metam. lib. vi, vss.356-359 – “Earth’s inmost bowels quake, & nature groans; His terrors reach the fearful King of HELL. Fearing this destruction, the tyrant left his gloomy court”;
Sophocles, (CE dip. colors., ver.1628, edit. Johnson) – “O Pluto, King of Shades.” (note: Sheol, the name for Hell in the O.T., means the world of the dead (fig. or lit.). It was thought of as a place of shades/shadows.). Sophocles (496-406 B.C. was a Gk. writer of tragic dramas) believed that the “king of shades” was the invisible demon, who dwelt in darkness impenetrable. Job 18:15 says, “It (the King of Terrors) shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.” Desolation is here personified, & it is said that it shall be the inhabitant, its former owner being destroyed! (some take this to mean an everlasting monument of the Divine displeasure, like that of Sodom & Gomorrah (see Jude 7). There are quotes from ancient authors in ref. to sulphur/brimstone, e.g., “moreover brimstone is employed ceremoniously in hallowing of houses; for many are of the opinion that the perfume & burning thereof will keep out all enchantments; yea, & drive away foul fiends & evil spirits that do haunt a place.” (Pliny, a Roman writer, A.D. 23-79, called “the Elder”; his nephew was called Pliny the Younger”, A.D. 62-113, a writer & Roman statesman).
There is a saying by Servius on these words of Virgil, AEn. vi. vs.740: “These 3 kinds of purgation are used in the rites of Bacchus: they are purged by flame & sulphur, or washed in water, or ventilated by the winds.” Bildad most likely, in his hostile manner, alludes to the destruction of Job’s property & family by winds & fire: Job 1:16 tells us that the “fire of God fell from heaven…”; vs.19 says, “and suddenly a great wind came…” Some believe vs.17 speaks of the soul being destroyed at death: “His remembrance shall perish…” But the Bible never teaches such a thing. Once a person dies, his/her soul/spirit/body lives eternally: some in eternal bliss with God; most (I believe) in eternal torment, as Jesus Himself taught, as well as all Bible authors. (see my articles on Hell/Fire). Vs.17 merely speaks of “His remembrance shall perish” as Job shall have none to survive him, to continue his name among men. This is what Bildad told Job.
Bildad
He admits that the wicked may for a while enjoy happiness, but it will be “put out” (18:5). He says in 18:18 that he shall be driven from light into darkness. There are those who agree with Bildad – the wicked will not fare Hell but will be annihilated. But I want to remind my readers that the words: Eternal/Everlasting, used for the righteous, are the same words used for Eternal/Everlasting for the wicked –they will live in a state of eternal death in the lake of fire (see Rev. 21:8). Ps.112:6 says, “The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” Prov. 10:7 says, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.” The Bible never teaches annihilation – cease to exist.
Terror/Terrorism
So, when we speak of Terror/Terrorism, we must consider the content & context. There is no doubt that Satan & demons use Terror/Terrorism. Their terrorist tactics vary. What makes human being act in such terrifying ways if it is not demons at work? … the willingness to kill, steal, & destroy. Both verbal & physical attacks can be destructive.
Verbal
Tertullian (A.D. 160-230) was a fiery Christian writer is Carthage, N. Africa. He wrote numerous apologies, works against heretics as well as exhortations to Christians. He employed the genre, including the controversial style, very well, He focused on 4 topics:
1) Verbal attack; 2) Ethics; 3) Religions; 4) Philosophy.
In his The Apology, Testullian’s most famous work, skillfully responded to slander & political attacks on Christians (which we here have endured since the early 1980s). It refuted the (false) ides that Rome’s misfortunes sprang from the anger of the gods against the new Ekklesia believers. So, in TO Scapula governors HOSTILE to “The Way” had been compelled by local natural disasters to repent of their opposition to the Christian faith.
We know just how nasty & terrifying the world can be towards the believers. Character assassination is one of their chief tactics – degrade/defame the Christian.
I have before me a 130 page court doc. (Green/River Cases, Aug. 29, 2018) that was done by our attorney who he interviewed the State of N.M. special agent (Police). This interview proves just how much the state wanted to DESTROY us as a Christian community. The DEA agent hated us, especially me & my wife. They lied & slandered in order to RAID us (twice!); hoping to put us in prison – which they finally succeeded (Aug. 20, 2017). They went as far as trying to imply we were making chemical weapons because one of our members had a degree in chemistry!
We had 2 FBI agents visit us as Fence Lake, N.M. because they were told we were making bombs! HA! The only “bombs” we made were “spiritual bombs”.
This special agent had worked for 2 years with internal affairs (Santa Fe) & 2 years with the special investigations div. office (S.F., N.M.), then made Lt. & retired… until he became a state police officer (DPS) in which we came to know him. He tried to act like a “know-it-all” in religious matters but was just a fool who did poor research on our Army of God community, for which he believed the CRAP that was said about us when we lived in Sacto., CA/OR back in the 1980s/1990s (see our PX2 Files).
So, there has always been Kings & Queens of Terror!
[Note: keep an eye on our new PX3 Files which will take our readers/viewers deeper into the world of TERRORISM!]
P.S. Why gamble with DEATH when you can have Eternal Life through Jesus Christ the Savior of the world?