איוב, פרק י״ח, פסוק י״א

A wicked person often lives like a hunted animal, trapped in a suffocating cycle of terror from which there is no escape. Fear closes in from every direction, ensuring that every step taken only hastens his ultimate physical and mental collapse. The primary approach among commentators is that this overwhelming dread is caused by demons standing around him, casting intense terror upon him. They encircle him completely, blocking any possible route of escape [רמב״ן]. Others view this imagery as a direct reference to the relentless, back-to-back disasters that struck Job from all four corners of the earth, such as the sudden fire from the sky and the fierce desert wind [אלשיך].

The destructive result of this inescapable terror is absolute scattering and ruin, though commentators differ on how this unfolds. One approach continues the hunting imagery, suggesting that the demons act like hunting dogs. They frighten their prey so severely that it runs in sheer panic, falling directly into a hidden trap they have spread around its feet [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

Alternatively, this scattering is understood as direct and severe physical harm. Overcome by extreme fright, the person falls and strikes the ground heavily [רש״י]. The impact is so forceful that his body shatters, scattering his limbs exactly where he stood, much like stones smashed against a solid rock [רמב״ן, שטיינזלץ]. Taking a more personal view of Job's suffering, another explanation suggests that Satan and his followers trapped his feet by striking him with a severe skin disease, leaving him completely immobilized and unable to move from his place [אלשיך].