A-Z: Common sayings from the Bible: At death's door

Usage

Usually used of someone who is near to death or has narrowly escaped death. Numerous books and films about near-death experiences have 'Death's Door' in the title.

Definition

The Bible often uses concrete images for spiritual concepts. Here dying is likened to leaving a city or a room through a gate or door.

Bible References

Job 38:17; Psalms 107:18

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ²Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? ³Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. ⁴Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. ⁵Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, ⁷when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ⁸Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, ⁹when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, ¹⁰and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, ¹¹and said, Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed? ¹²Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, ¹³that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? ¹⁴It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. ¹⁵From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. ¹⁶Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? ¹⁸Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. ¹⁹Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, ²⁰that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? ²¹You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! ²²Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, ²³which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? ²⁴What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? ²⁵Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunderbolt, ²⁶to bring rain on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man, ²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground sprout with grass? ²⁸Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? ³⁰The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. ³¹Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? ³²Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? ³³Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? ³⁴Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? ³⁵Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, Here we are? ³⁶Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? ³⁷Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, ³⁸when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick fast together? ³⁹Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? ⁴¹Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?

¹Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? ³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. ⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. ⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? ⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; ⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? ⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, ¹⁰And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, ¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? ¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; ¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? ¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment. ¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken. ¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? ¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? ¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. ¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, ²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? ²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? ²²Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, ²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? ²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? ²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; ²⁶To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; ²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? ²⁸Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? ³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. ³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? ³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? ³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? ³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? ³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are? ³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? ³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, ³⁸When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? ³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? ⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ²Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble ³and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. ⁴Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; ⁵hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. ⁶Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ⁷He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. ⁸Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ⁹For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. ¹⁰Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, ¹¹for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. ¹²So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. ¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. ¹⁵Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ¹⁶For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. ¹⁷Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; ¹⁸they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. ¹⁹Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁰He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. ²¹Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ²²And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! ²³Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; ²⁴they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. ²⁸Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³²Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. ³³He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, ³⁴a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. ³⁵He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. ³⁶And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; ³⁷they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. ³⁸By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. ³⁹When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, ⁴⁰he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; ⁴¹but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. ⁴²The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. ⁴³Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. ⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. ⁶Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. ⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. ¹⁰Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; ¹¹Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: ¹²Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. ¹³Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. ¹⁵Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ¹⁶For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. ¹⁷Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. ¹⁸Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. ¹⁹Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. ²⁰He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ²¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. ²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; ²⁴These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. ²⁵For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. ²⁶They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. ²⁷They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. ²⁸Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. ²⁹He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. ³⁰Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. ³¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ³²Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. ³³He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; ³⁴A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. ³⁵He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. ³⁶And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; ³⁷And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. ³⁸He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. ³⁹Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. ⁴⁰He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. ⁴¹Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. ⁴²The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. ⁴³Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

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