Job 1:9-10: “Then Satan answered the Lord and said: Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou made a hedge about him, and about his house and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blest the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land.”
Another reference to the hedge is found in the
Psalms 139:5-6
You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. KJV
You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. NASB
You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have]
Placed Your hand upon me. Amp.
These references profoundly illustrate our Heavenly Fathers deep love and care for us. The imagery evokes feelings of safety, security, and intimate connection with Him.
In the
Berean Standard Bible Version it reads: You hem me in behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me.
David write that his confidence is that God “hems him in.”
This idea comes from the Hebrew word tsuwr,
which is often used of
a military siege or fortification.
It has reference commonly to the siege of a city, or to the pressing on of troops in war; and then it comes to mean: to besiege, hem in, closely surround, so that there is no way of escape.
(Qal) to form, fashion, delineate. tsuwr, tsoor; a primitive root; to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile): — adversary, assault, beset, besiege
Another use of the word is noted in Strong’s Hebrew: 6697. צוּר (tsur) — Rock, Cliff, Boulder
From the story of Job we are told that there was a fence, a wall of protection all around him. This was not a physical hedge but one of far greater effectiveness. This hedge was in the spiritual realm because the Lord God had encompassed him about with His love as with a shield, a hedge which could not be broken down by men or demonic attacks. He surrounded him with His almighty power, that no one and nothing could hurt him; He guarded him by His providence and caused his angels to encamp about him; He Himself was a wall of fire around him; the Targum interprets it like this: so thick was the hedge, so strong the fence, that Satan could not find the least gap to get in …
Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him?
This verse suggests divine protection and favor. In ancient Near Eastern culture, ahedgesymbolizedsecurity and safeguarding from harm.The imagery of a hedge indicates our Heavenly Father’s complete protection over Job, in the same way as a shepherd protects his flock. This is mirrored inPsalm 91:4,where Adonai is described as a refuge and fortress. For believers, it emphasizes the belief in our Father’s sovereignty and His ability to shield those who are faithful and their household from evil.
We have a mental picture of what a hedge is probably something like the image below.
In the Hebrew verse in Job, the Hebrew form of the word used here for hedge is sakath, which seems unusual, however there are two possible root words which mean almost the same thing. One is sakak where we get the word Succoth and the other is savak; however if we follow this further in the translation in Hebrew, it’s the word sukah which comes from the same root as sukkah, the Moed/Appointed Time of the Feast of Sukkot/Booths/Tabernacles.
Translators use the root word sakakwhich is spelled Samek, Kaph, Kaph and means a covering of protection and is also a word used for weaving or intermingling. Our Heavenly Father had so intermingled and woven His protection around and into Job, that the enemy could not touch Him without touching Adonai Himself! This meant by threatening Job, it would be the same as threatening YHVH. The scripture in John 14:20 where Messiah says: On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.. is the exact same picture, providing we are keeping His commandments and walking along the narrow way. All promises are conditional and not optional, whether we like it or not the promises are always prefaced with IF…its our choice to comply obey or not.
In a previous post we looked at the moed/feast of Sukkot Tabernacles/booths and the sukkah itself. Link below:
Phonetic Spelling: (sook-kaw’) Definition: a barb, spear
This Hebrew word sukah has other usages. It means protection and covering, but a protection and covering by intermingling and weaving throughout. It is also a word used for intercourse. There is another possible root word, sakah, which comes from the root word savak. This means the same, as far as weaving and intermingling, but this means more like a weaving and intermingling of love.
The enemy knew that he couldn’t touch Job because our Heavenly Father had so intermingled Himself in Job with His love that He couldn’t separate that love from him. However the devil also knew that Job could choose to willingly detach himself from the Father. So one way the devil could try to disentangle this sakah from Job was to attack everything that was important on this earth, which was his family, possessions and reputation. He hoped that Job would willingly /detach from our Heavenly Father’s savak or love and reject His love; however the devil’s plan didn’t work because the love of the Father meant more to Job than anything else on this earth and he held fast to that love.
The only other way was to get Job to un-mingle Himself, by willingly removing the Succoth, and that way was to get him to sin, and to separate his focus away from Adonai so the Father would not be able to keep Himself mingled or woven into Job. By getting Job to focus on things other than his Heavenly Father, such as worldly and carnal problems Job would break the intimate fellowship with Him and this weaving and intermingling that Adonai had with Job would be totally unraveled.
From the text we read that the enemy tried and it didn’t work because Job kept offering sacrifices, kept doing teshuvah, turning back to the Father and continually committing everything back into His hands. Every time the enemy attacked him, Job kept hitting the mark, the devil couldn’t get Job to sin or miss the mark. Sin in Hebrew:חַטָּאָהchaṭṭâʼâh, khat-taw-aw’; or חַטָּאת chaṭṭâʼth; from H2398. Chatah which means: unintentional mistakes or sins. The Hebrew word most often translated as sin in our English Bibles is the word chata’ah (חֲטָאָה), which means “missing the mark,” as an archer might miss his target when shooting an arrow.
The verb שׂוּךְ (sukh) is used in the context of enclosing or shutting in, often implying protection or confinement.
The Hebrew verb שׂוּךְ (sukh) is a primitive root that conveys the idea of entwining or shutting in. This term is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions that involve enclosing or surrounding, often with the connotation of protection or confinement. The imagery associated with שׂוּךְ can be likened to the act of weaving or interlacing, creating a barrier or enclosure.
In the Berean Standard Bible, the usage of שׂוּךְ is seen in contexts where yhvh’s protective nature is highlighted, as well as in situations where individuals or groups are enclosed or restricted. The term emphasizes the dual nature of being shut in—both as a means of safeguarding and as a form of limitation.
The concept of being “shut in” by God can be seen as a metaphor for divine protection, where the faithful are surrounded by God’s care and kept safe from harm. On the other hand, it can also imply a form of divine judgment or discipline, where individuals are confined or restricted as a consequence of their actions.
The mention of Job’s household highlights the importance of family and community in ancient times. In the patriarchal society of the Old Testament, a man’s household included not only his immediate family but also servants and extended kin. This reflects the biblical principle that the Father’s blessings often extend beyond the individual to their family and community, as seen in Genesis 12:3 with His promise to Abraham and all that he owns?
The enemy will often attack us at the closest and most precious things to us in this physical, natural earthly realm; he tries to make us voluntarily detach ourselves from this hedge or sakah. We like Job, can also cling to the savak, the love of our Heavenly Father that has intermingled itself in us, because we are in Him and He is in us. That is where the enemy has an advantage over us, because in our natural minds we have a hard time fully comprehending the depth of our Heavenly Father’s love for us.
It is critical that we must make every effort to understand the depths of His love, so when the enemy tries to attack us at our weakest moments we can say “Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”
Job could say this because he really knew and understood the depths of that love. When we are walking in close relationship with our Heavenly Father, there is a hedge of protection around us, He places a protective hedge around His faithful servants, indicating His care and sovereignty over their lives. Satan’s challenge about Job’s faithfulness reminds us of the spiritual battles we as believers face, where our faith is tested. We are to remember that even when our Father allows trials, His ultimate control and purpose remain intact, encouraging trust in His plans. Job’s account encourages believers to maintain integrity and faithfulness regardless of their circumstances.
He seeks to protect all our lives. There is many a hedge that we have hardly ever noticed, and certainly have never valued correctly. Our Heavenly Father has given some of us a hedge in the example and guidance through godly parents and teachers; as well as wholesome companionships. Hedges can also be in the form of the discipline we have at home, in places of education, work and in all of life. Many farmers plant thorns in their hedges and field boundaries to help keep the flocks and herds from leaving the protected areas, and we must not be surprised if Adonai does the same in the hedges He places around us.
A hedge not only shelters, it often keeps us from wandering off in the wrong direction and into danger. Sometimes we don’t like hedges; we want to see what is on the other side and wander where we want to go. Our Father’s way of hedging us in, is not always by sending us blessings which we love to receive, but it is sometimes by sending us sorrow in the form of tests and trials. These things keep us in our place, guarding us from going astray. We have a part to play in maintaining a hedge without holes, where the enemy might gain access; however our loving Heavenly Father is always watching over us to nudge us back to where we should be.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
From the text we read that the enemy tried and it didn’t work because Job kept offering sacrifices, kept doing teshuvah, turning back to the Father and continually committing everything back into His hands. Every time the enemy attacked him, Job kept hitting the mark, the devil couldn’t get Job to sin or miss the mark. Sin in Hebrew: חַטָּאָה chaṭṭâʼâh, khat-taw-aw’; or חַטָּאת chaṭṭâʼth; from H2398. Chatah which means: unintentional mistakes or sins. The Hebrew word most often translated as sin in our English Bibles is the word chata’ah (חֲטָאָה), which means “missing the mark,” as an archer might miss his target when shooting an arrow. 
