Job 5:26

KJV

Thou shalt come to [thy] grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

KJV (with Strong's)

Thou shalt come {H935} to thy grave {H6913} in a full age {H3624}, like as a shock of corn {H1430} cometh in {H5927} in his season {H6256}.

Complete Jewish Bible

You will come to your grave at a ripe old age, like a pile of grain that arrives in season.

Berean Standard Bible

You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.

American Standard Version

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, Like as a shock of grain cometh in in its season.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 5:26, spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, offers a conditional promise of a long and peaceful life, culminating in a natural death at a ripe old age, akin to a shock of grain being gathered in its proper season. This verse encapsulates Eliphaz's belief that if Job were to repent of his perceived sin, God would restore him to prosperity and grant him a blessed, complete life, reflecting a common ancient Near Eastern understanding of divine justice and reward.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 5:26 concludes Eliphaz's first discourse to Job, which began in [Job 4](/job/4 "Job 4 - Eliphaz's First Speech to Job"). His speech is characterized by an appeal to traditional wisdom and personal revelation, asserting that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, and prosperity is a reward for righteousness. Throughout [Job 4-5](/job/4 "Job 4-5 - Eliphaz's First Discourse"), Eliphaz attempts to persuade Job that his immense suffering must be due to some hidden transgression. He recounts a vision ([Job 4:12-17](/job/4-12 "Job 4:12-17 - Eliphaz's Vision")) to bolster his claims of divine insight and argues that "man is born to trouble" ([Job 5:7](/job/5-7 "Job 5:7 - Man is Born to Trouble")), but that God is just and will deliver the righteous. Verse 26 serves as a climactic promise of restoration and a blessed end, contingent upon Job's repentance and turning to God. It is meant to be an encouraging word, offering a path out of Job's misery, but it is deeply flawed by its foundational premise of retribution theology.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, longevity and a peaceful death at an advanced age were highly valued and considered a supreme blessing from the gods, signifying divine favor and a life well-lived. Conversely, premature death or a violent end was often seen as a sign of divine displeasure or judgment. The agricultural imagery of "a shock of corn cometh in in his season" would have resonated deeply with an agrarian society, where the harvest was a critical event, symbolizing the culmination of effort and the natural cycle of life. A bountiful harvest gathered at the optimal time represented prosperity, completion, and divine provision. Eliphaz's counsel reflects the prevailing wisdom tradition of his time, which often linked moral conduct directly to material blessings and misfortunes, a concept known as retribution theology. This worldview, while containing elements of truth, is ultimately challenged and nuanced by the Book of Job itself.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes to several key themes within the Book of Job. Primarily, it highlights the theme of **retribution theology**, which posits a direct, simplistic correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and sin and suffering. Eliphaz is a staunch proponent of this view, believing that God always rewards the good and punishes the wicked. The verse also touches on the theme of **divine order and sovereignty**, suggesting that God orchestrates the seasons of life and death, much like the agricultural cycle. The promise of "full age" speaks to the ancient desire for **longevity and a peaceful death**, a blessing often associated with covenant faithfulness in the Old Testament (e.g., [Deuteronomy 30:20](/deuteronomy/30-20 "Deuteronomy 30:20 - Love the Lord and Live Long")). While Eliphaz intends to offer **hope and restoration**, his conditional offer ultimately reveals the limitations of human wisdom in comprehending God's complex ways, setting the stage for God's later rebuke of Job's friends ([Job 42:7](/job/42-7 "Job 42:7 - God Rebukes Job's Friends")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **full age (Hebrew, _sêbâ'_):** This term (שֵׂיבָה) literally means "old age" or "gray hairs." It signifies not merely a long duration of years but a life that has reached its natural, venerable maturity and completion. It implies a life lived to its natural end, often associated with honor, wisdom, and the fulfillment of one's days. It stands in contrast to a life cut short by tragedy or judgment.
* **shock of corn (Hebrew, _gāḏîš'_):** The Hebrew word (גָּדִישׁ) refers to a stack, heap, or shock of grain, specifically harvested grain piled up in the field. It evokes the image of a bountiful harvest, ready to be brought into the threshing floor or barn. This imagery is rich with connotations of fruitfulness, completion, and the successful culmination of a natural process.
* **in his season (Hebrew, _bəʿittô'_):** This phrase (בְּעִתּוֹ) emphasizes the perfect timing and appropriateness of the harvest. It suggests that the grain is gathered when it is fully ripe and ready, not prematurely or past its prime. Applied to human life, it implies a natural, divinely appointed end, where one's life has run its full course and is "gathered" at the optimal moment.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Thou shalt come to [thy] grave in a full age":** Eliphaz promises Job that if he repents, he will experience a complete and honored life, culminating in a natural death in old age. This was considered a pinnacle of divine blessing in the ancient world, signifying a life free from premature tragedy or divine judgment. It implies a peaceful transition, not a violent or untimely end.
* **"like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.":** This simile compares the end of a long and complete life to the harvesting of grain that is fully ripe and ready. Just as a farmer gathers a bountiful "shock of corn" at the perfect time, so too will the righteous individual's life reach its natural, fruitful conclusion, gathered by God at the appointed moment. This agricultural imagery underscores the naturalness, completeness, and divine timing of such a blessed end.

#### Literary Devices
Eliphaz employs several potent literary devices in this verse. The most prominent is **Simile**, explicitly comparing coming to the grave in old age to "a shock of corn cometh in in his season." This comparison creates vivid **Imagery** of a life that is full, ripe, and complete, ready for a peaceful "harvest." The **Metaphor** of life as a growing plant, culminating in a harvest, is deeply embedded in this simile, suggesting a natural, cyclical process ordained by God. The verse also functions as a rhetorical device within Eliphaz's broader argument, serving as a **Conditional Promise** based on his **Retribution Theology**. It is designed to persuade Job by painting a picture of an ideal, blessed future, thereby subtly pressuring him to confess sin as the prerequisite for such restoration.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Eliphaz's counsel is ultimately flawed in its application to Job's specific situation, the underlying sentiment of a life lived fully and ending peacefully is a recurring theme of blessing in the Old Testament. A long life, often accompanied by children and grandchildren, and a peaceful death "in a good old age" (e.g., [Genesis 15:15](/genesis/15-15 "Genesis 15:15 - Abraham's Peaceful End")) was considered a sign of God's favor and faithfulness to His covenant people. This concept reflects a desire for completeness and fruitfulness in one's earthly journey, culminating in a natural transition, rather than a life cut short by calamity or judgment. It speaks to the divine order of creation, where everything has its season and purpose, and the hope that God's people will experience the full measure of their days.

* [Genesis 25:8](/genesis/25-8 "Genesis 25:8 - Abraham's Death at a Good Old Age")
* [Psalm 92:14](/psalm/92-14 "Psalm 92:14 - Flourishing in Old Age")
* [Proverbs 3:1-2](/proverbs/3-1 "Proverbs 3:1-2 - Long Life Through Wisdom")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Though Eliphaz's theological framework for Job's suffering was mistaken, the imagery of a life lived to "full age" and gathered like "a shock of corn in his season" offers profound insights into God's design for human flourishing and the nature of a well-completed life. For believers, this metaphor encourages us to live lives that are productive, faithful, and complete in God's eyes, not merely in terms of longevity, but in terms of character and purpose. It reminds us that our ultimate hope is not in avoiding suffering, but in trusting God's sovereign timing and purpose for our lives, knowing that He is good, even when circumstances are not. We are called to cultivate our lives in such a way that, when our earthly season concludes, we are found "ripe" for His eternal harvest, having faithfully served Him and fulfilled the unique calling He has placed upon us. This perspective offers comfort and peace, knowing that our times are in His hands.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the imagery of "a shock of corn" shape your understanding of a "full" or complete life?**
* **In what ways might we strive to live a life that is "ripe" for God's harvest, regardless of its length?**
* **How does the Book of Job's ultimate message about suffering challenge or affirm the idea of a peaceful end as a sign of divine favor?**

### FAQ
**Does Job 5:26 mean that all righteous people will live to old age?**

Answer: No, not necessarily. While longevity and a peaceful death were often seen as blessings in ancient Israel, the Book of Job itself demonstrates that suffering and untimely death can befall the righteous, and prosperity can be enjoyed by the wicked. Eliphaz's statement in [Job 5:26](/job/5-26 "Job 5:26 - Eliphaz's Promise of Old Age") reflects a common ancient Near Eastern retribution theology, which posits a direct, simplistic cause-and-effect relationship between righteousness and blessing, and sin and suffering. The entire Book of Job serves to challenge and nuance this simplistic view, revealing that God's ways are more complex and His purposes often transcend human understanding. While God does bless His faithful people, His blessings are not always material or temporal, nor do they guarantee a specific life span. Our ultimate hope is in God's faithfulness and eternal promises, not in a guaranteed earthly outcome.

**What is the significance of the "shock of corn" analogy?**

Answer: The analogy of "a shock of corn cometh in in his season" is highly significant, drawing from the agrarian context of the ancient world. It symbolizes a life that reaches its natural, intended conclusion, much like a crop that is fully ripe and ready for harvest. It conveys ideas of completeness, fruitfulness, and divine timing. Just as a farmer gathers a bountiful harvest at the optimal moment, so too, Eliphaz suggests, will the righteous person's life end in its proper time, full and complete, gathered peacefully. This imagery emphasizes the natural cycle of life and death as part of God's established order, and for Eliphaz, it signifies a blessed end for those who walk in righteousness. It highlights the beauty of a life lived to its full potential, culminating in a peaceful transition.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Eliphaz's counsel to Job was rooted in a limited understanding of God's justice, the profound longing for a "full age" and a peaceful "harvest" finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Christ. Humanity, cut short by sin, could never truly achieve a "full age" in the spiritual sense, always falling short of God's glory. However, Jesus Christ lived the only perfectly "full" and complete life, fulfilling all righteousness ([Matthew 3:15](/matthew/3-15 "Matthew 3:15 - Fulfilling All Righteousness")) and completing His mission on the cross with the cry, "It is finished!" ([John 19:30](/john/19-30 "John 19:30 - It is Finished")). Through His death and resurrection, Christ conquered the sting of death ([1 Corinthians 15:55-57](/1_corinthians/15-55 "1 Corinthians 15:55-57 - Death Swallowed Up in Victory")) and opened the way for believers to experience not just a full earthly life, but eternal life in Him. He is the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" ([1 Corinthians 15:20](/1_corinthians/15-20 "1 Corinthians 15:20 - Christ the Firstfruits")), signifying a future spiritual harvest where all who are in Him will be gathered. Our "full age" is not merely longevity on earth, but a life fully realized in union with Christ, culminating in the blessed hope of resurrection and eternal rest, where "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on" ([Revelation 14:13](/revelation/14-13 "Revelation 14:13 - Blessed are the Dead in the Lord")). He grants us a perfect end, not based on our works, but on His finished work, ushering us into everlasting peace.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Proverbs 9:11

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

Job 42:16

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations.

Job 42:17

So Job died, [being] old and full of days.

Genesis 15:15

And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Psalms 91:16

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Proverbs 10:27

¶ The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Genesis 25:8

Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full [of years]; and was gathered to his people.