And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing {H7538}, consumeth {H1086}, as a garment {H899} that is moth {H6211} eaten {H398}.
though [my body] decays like something rotten or like a moth-eaten garment.
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
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Job 4:19
How much less [in] them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation [is] in the dust, [which] are crushed before the moth? -
Psalms 39:11
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man [is] vanity. Selah. -
Job 30:17
My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest. -
Job 30:19
He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. -
Hosea 5:12
Therefore [will] I [be] unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. -
Numbers 12:12
Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. -
Job 30:29
I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
In Job 13:28, Job continues his passionate defense and lament before his friends, expressing the profound depths of his physical and emotional decay. He likens himself to something utterly perishable, reflecting his perception of his own imminent destruction and his deep despair.
Context
This verse is part of Job's third discourse, where he directly confronts his friends and, implicitly, God. Job feels unjustly accused and persecuted, believing that God Himself is treating him as an adversary. Having already lost his children, wealth, and health (as detailed in Job 1 and Job 2:7-8), Job's body is ravaged by painful sores. In this passage, he describes his physical deterioration as a direct consequence of what he perceives as God's relentless scrutiny and judgment, making him feel like a decaying object.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "rotten thing" is raqab (רָקָב), which refers to decay, putrefaction, or rottenness, often associated with bones or wood. It conveys a sense of deep, internal disintegration. The phrase "consumeth" implies a slow, ongoing process of destruction from within. Similarly, "moth eaten" uses the Hebrew term ash (עָשׁ) for a moth, which silently and thoroughly destroys fabric. This metaphor highlights a gradual, unseen destruction, much like the way a moth works from the inside out, paralleling Job's internal and external suffering. This imagery also reminds us of the transience of earthly possessions that are susceptible to moth and rust.
Practical Application
Job's lament in this verse resonates with anyone experiencing severe physical or emotional decay. It acknowledges the brutal reality of suffering and the human experience of feeling utterly vulnerable and helpless. While Job's perspective here is one of despair, his honest expression reminds us that it is permissible to voice our deepest pains. Ultimately, the book of Job points beyond human understanding of suffering to a deeper trust in God's sovereignty, even when His ways are mysterious, as revealed in later chapters where God answers Job (Job 38:1).