Job 18:13

It shall devour the strength of his skin: [even] the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

It shall devour {H398} the strength {H905} of his skin {H5785}: even the firstborn {H1060} of death {H4194} shall devour {H398} his strength {H905}.

disease eats away at his skin; the first stages of death devour him gradually.

It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs.

The members of his body shall be devoured, Yea, the first-born of death shall devour his members.

Commentary

Job 18:13 is part of Bildad the Shuhite's second speech to Job, where he continues to argue for the direct correlation between wickedness and suffering. This verse vividly describes the dire consequences awaiting the wicked, portraying a destructive force that consumes their very vitality.

Context

In chapter 18, Bildad takes a harsh tone, rebuking Job for his lamentations and asserting that the calamities Job faces are clear evidence of his great wickedness. Bildad's speech is a classic example of the "retribution theology" held by Job's friends, which posits that God always blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. He describes in detail the fate of the wicked, using a series of grim images of their downfall, their family's destruction, and their ultimate disappearance from memory. Verse 13 specifically focuses on the physical and vital decay that Bildad believes afflicts the transgressor. This perspective stands in stark contrast to Job's own insistence on his innocence and the apparent suffering of the righteous.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The verse highlights the belief that severe, even fatal, judgment awaits those who defy God. It emphasizes the inescapable nature of these consequences.
  • Physical and Vital Decay: "The strength of his skin" points to the physical well-being, health, and vigor of a person. The imagery suggests a consumption of one's life force from within.
  • The Destructive Power of Death: "The firstborn of death" is a powerful, personified image of ultimate destruction or a particularly virulent, fatal disease. It represents the most potent and dreadful manifestation of death's dominion.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "the strength of his skin" translates the Hebrew 'on 'oro (ืขึนืŸ ืขื•ึนืจื•ึน), which signifies the person's vigor, vitality, or even the substance of their being. It refers to their physical health and flourishing. The more striking phrase, "the firstborn of death," is bekor maveth (ื‘ึฐึผื›ื•ึนืจ ืžึธื•ึถืช). This is a vivid personification of death, where "firstborn" doesn't imply a literal offspring but rather the most prominent, powerful, or ultimate manifestation of death's destructive power. It could refer to a particularly devastating disease, a catastrophic event, or the most severe form of ruin that death can inflict. It underscores the severity and inevitability of the described doom.

Practical Application

While Bildad's rigid theology in Job 18:13 is ultimately challenged and corrected by God in the book of Job, the verse still offers insights into the destructive nature of sin. Although suffering is not always a direct consequence of individual wickedness, sin does carry inherent destructive power that can erode one's spiritual, emotional, and even physical well-being. From a New Testament perspective, believers understand that the ultimate "firstborn of death"โ€”its power and stingโ€”has been swallowed up in victory through Christ Jesus. This verse serves as a reminder to be discerning about the causes of suffering and to rely on God's true wisdom, rather than human assumptions, when interpreting life's difficulties.

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Cross-References

  • Isaiah 14:30

    And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

  • Jonah 2:6

    I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

  • Revelation 6:8

    And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

  • Zechariah 14:12

    And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

  • Genesis 49:3

    Reuben, thou [art] my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

  • Job 17:16

    They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when [our] rest together [is] in the dust.