TRV
Translation
King James Version
Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
Complete Jewish Bible
the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, while the thirsty are panting, eager to swallow his wealth.
Berean Standard Bible
The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
American Standard Version
Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns; And the snare gapeth for their substance.
World English Bible Messianic
whose harvest the hungry eats up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The hungrie shall eate vp his haruest: yea, they shall take it from among the thornes, and the thirstie shall drinke vp their substance.
Young's Literal Translation
Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 12,957 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Job 5 verses 1–5
1 ¶ Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
A very warm dispute being begun between Job and his friends, Eliphaz here makes a fair motion to put the matter to a reference. In all debates perhaps the sooner this is done the better if the contenders cannot end it between themselves. So well assured is Eliphaz of the goodness of his own cause that he moves Job himself to choose the arbitrators (Job 5:1): Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; that is, 1. "If there be any that suffer as thou sufferest. Canst thou produce an instance of any one that was really a saint that was reduced to such an extremity as thou art now reduced to? God never dealt with any that love his name as he deals with thee, and therefore surely thou art none of them." 2. "If there be any that say as thou sayest. Did ever any good man curse his day as thou dost? Or will any of the saints justify thee in these heats or passions, or say that these are the spots of God's children? Thou wilt find none of the saints that will be either thy advocates or my antagonists. To which of the saints wilt thou turn? Turn to which thou wilt, and thou wilt find they are all of my mind. I have the communis sensus fidelium - the unanimous vote of the faithful on my side; they will all subscribe to what I am going to say." Observe, (1.) Good people are called saints even in the Old Testament; and therefore I know not why we should, in common speaking (unless because we must loqui cum vulgo - speak as our neighbours), appropriate the title to those of the New Testament, and not say St. Abraham, St. Moses, and St. Isaiah, as well as St. Matthew and St. Mark; and St. David the psalmist, as well as St. David the British bishop. Aaron is expressly called the saint of the Lord. (2.) All that are themselves saints will turn to those that are so, will choose them for their friends and converse with them, will choose them for their judges and consult them. See Psa 119:79. The saints shall judge the world, Co1 6:1, Co1 6:2. Walk in the way of good men (Pro 2:20), the old way, the footsteps of the flock. Every one chooses some sort of people or other to whom he studies to recommend himself, and whose sentiments are to him the test of honour and dishonour. Now all true saints endeavour to recommend themselves to those that are such, and to stand right in their opinion. (3.) There are some truths so plain, and so universally known and believed, that one may venture to appeal to any of the saints concerning them. However there are some things about which they unhappily differ, there are many more, and more considerable, in which they are agreed; as the evil of sin, the vanity of the world, the worth of the soul, the necessity of a holy life, and the like. Though they do not all live up, as they should, to their belief of these truths, yet they are all ready to bear their testimony to them.
Now there are two things which Eliphaz here maintains, and in which he doubts not but all the saints concur with him: -
I. That the sin of sinners directly tends to their own ruin (Job 5:2): Wrath kills the foolish man, his own wrath, and therefore he is foolish for indulging it; it is a fire in his bones, in his blood, enough to put him into a fever. Envy is the rottenness of the bones, and so slays the silly one that frets himself with it. "So it is with thee," says Eliphaz, "while thou quarrellest with God thou doest thyself the greatest mischief; thy anger at thy own troubles, and thy envy at our prosperity, do but add to thy pain and misery: turn to the saints, and thou wilt find they understand their interest better." Job had told his wife she spoke as the foolish women; now Eliphaz tells him he acted as the foolish men, the silly ones. Or it may be meant thus: "If men are ruined and undone, it is always their own folly that ruins and undoes them. They kill themselves by some lust or other; therefore, no doubt, Job, thou hast done some foolish thing, by which thou hast brought thyself into this calamitous condition." Many understand it of God's wrath and jealousy. Job needed not be uneasy at the prosperity of the wicked, for the world's smiles can never shelter them from God's frowns; they are foolish and silly if they think they will. God's anger will be the death, the eternal death, of those on whom it fastens. What is hell but God's anger without mixture or period?
II. That their prosperity is short and their destruction certain, Job 5:3-5. He seems here to parallel Job's case with that which is commonly the case of wicked people. 1. Job had prospered for a time, seemed confirmed, and was secure in his prosperity; and it is common for foolish wicked men to do so: I have seen them taking root - planted, and, in their own and others' apprehension, fixed, and likely to continue. See Jer 12:2; Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36. We see worldly men taking root in the earth; on earthly things they fix the standing of their hopes, and from them they draw the sap of their comforts. The outward estate may be flourishing, but the soul cannot prosper that takes root in the earth. 2. Job's prosperity was now at an end, and so has the prosperity of other wicked people quickly been. (1.) Eliphaz foresaw their ruin with an eye of faith. Those who looked only at present things blessed their habitation, and thought them happy, blessed it long, and wished themselves in their condition. But Eliphaz cursed it, suddenly cursed it, as soon as he saw them begin to take root, that is, he plainly foresaw and foretold their ruin; not that he prayed for it (I have not desired the woeful day), but he prognosticated it. He went into the sanctuary, and there understood their end and heard their doom read (Psa 73:17, Psa 73:18), that the prosperity of fools will destroy them, Pro 1:32. Those who believe the word of God can see a curse in the house of the wicked (Pro 3:33), though it be ever so finely and firmly built, and ever so full of all good things; and they can foresee that the curse will, in time, infallibly consume it with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof, Zac 5:4. (2.) He saw, at length, what he had foreseen. He was not disappointed in his expectation concerning him; the event answered it; his family was undone, and his estate ruined. In these particulars he plainly and very invidiously reflects on Job's calamities. [1.] His children were crushed, Job 5:4. They thought themselves safe in their eldest brother's house, but were far from safety, for they were crushed in the gate. Perhaps the door or gate of the house was highest built, and fell heaviest upon them, and there was none to deliver them from perishing in the ruins. This is commonly understood of the destruction of the families of wicked men, by the execution of justice upon them, to oblige them to restore what they have ill-gotten. They leave it to their children; but the descent shall not bar the entry of the rightful owners, who will crush their children, and cast them by due course of law (and there shall be none to help them), or perhaps by oppression, Psa 109:9, etc. [2.] His estate was plundered, Job 5:5. Job's was so. The hungry robbers, the Sabeans and Chaldeans, ran away with it, and swallowed it; and this, says he, I have often observed in others. What has been got by spoil and rapine has been lost in the same way. The careful owner hedged it about with thorns, and then thought it safe; but the fence proved insignificant against the greediness of the spoilers (if hunger will break through the stone walls, much more through thorn hedges), and against the divine curse, which will go through the thorns and briers, and burn them together, Isa 27:4.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
Copy as
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
11. For our old enemy is conquered as an unarmed man, when, by openly prompting evil things to the mind of man, he aims to destroy all the good together. But he comes ‘armed,’ when, leaving some good things untouched, he covertly works the ruin of others. For often he does not tempt some people in the understanding, nor oppose them in their meditation on Holy Writ, yet he undoes the life of those in practice, who, while they are praised for the excellence of knowledge, neglect to have regard to the shortcomings of their works, and while the mind is decoyed in the delightfulness of good esteem, no remedy is applied to the wounds of the life; and thus the ‘armed’ enemy has swallowed up this man, whom under the cloak of deceit, whilst leaving on one side, he has got the better of on another. It goes on,
And the thirsty shall drink [so. V.] his riches.
12. Often the foolish man has a fountain of inward liquid, but he does not drink thereof; in that he is vouchsafed parts to understand, yet he disdains to acquaint himself with the sentences of Holy Writ by the reading of them; he knows that he has ability to understand by studying, yet he gives over in disdain all study of the lessons of truth. ‘The riches’ of the mind too are the words of Divine utterance, yet the foolish man regards these riches with his eyes, while he never applies them to the purpose of his own adornment. For on hearing the words of the law he sees indeed that they are great, yet he does not put himself to pains to understand them with any earnestness of love. But, reversely, another man has a thirst, but has not ability; love draws him to meditation, but the dulness of his sense withstands him, and often in the science of the Divine law, he from time to time finds out that by application, which the man of parts remains ignorant of from carelessness. Thus ‘the thirsty drink up the riches of this foolish man,’ as often as those precepts of God, which the quickwitted know nothing of from disdaining them, the duller sort follow after with warm affection. In these verily the eye of love lights up the shades of dulness; for thirst uncloses that to the slower sort, which disdain shuts up to the quicker. And they for this reason get to the depths of understanding, because they do not scorn to practise even the very least things that they have learnt, and while they aid the understanding with the hands, they lift themselves above the level of the clever. Hence it is well said by Solomon, The lizard climbeth with his hands, and is in kings’ palaces. [Prov. 30, 28] For commonly ‘birds,’ which have a wing that lifts them up to fly, dwell in the bushes, and the ‘lizard,’ which has no wings for flying, ‘climbing with hands,’ occupies the abode of royalty, in that often any that are quickwitted, while they grow slack from carelessness, continue in bad practices, and the simple folk, which have no wing of ability to stand them in stead, the excellency of their practice bears up to attain to the walls of the eternal kingdom. Whereas then ‘the lizard climbeth with his hands,’ he ‘is in kings’ palaces;’ in that the plain man, by earnestness of right practice, reaches that point, whereunto the man of ability never mounts. But having heard this, a question occurs to our mind, wherefore either the gift of understanding is bestowed on a heedless man, or any earnest mind is hindered by its slowness? To which an answer is speedily given,
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
5. Now ‘the harvest’ of this foolish man was the crop of Sacred Writ. For the words of the Prophets are like so many grains of the ears, which the foolish man had, but did not eat. For the Jewish people indeed held the Law as far as the letter, but, from an infatuated pride, as to the sense thereof, they went hungering. But ‘the hungry eateth the harvest’ of this foolish one, in that the Gentile folk eats by taking in the words of the Law, in which the Jewish people toiled and laboured without taking them in. These hungry ones of faith the Lord foresaw, when He had said by the Evangelist, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. [Matt. 5, 6] Of these hungry ones Hannah saith prophesying, They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry were satisfied. [1 Sam. 2, 5] And as he lost the harvest, it is rightly added how the foolish man himself too perishes, where it is said, And himself shall the armed one seize. The old enemy, being ‘armed,’ seized the Jewish people, for he extinguished in them the life of faith by the darts of deceitful counsel, that in the very point, wherein they imagined themselves to be rooted in God, they might resist His dispensation. And Truth forewarns the Disciples of this, saying, Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. [John 16, 2] It follows.
And the thirsty shall drink his riches.
6. The riches of this ‘foolish’ one ‘the thirsty drink,’ in that by the streams of Sacred Writ, which the Jewish people possessed in the display of pride, the converted minds of the Gentiles are watered. And hence it is said to those same persons by the Prophet, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no silver, come ye. [Is. 55, 1] For that the divine oracles are denoted by the word ‘silver,’ is testified by the Psalmist in these words, The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in the fire. [Ps. 12, 6] They then that ‘have no silver,’ are bidden to the ‘waters,’ in that the Gentile world which had never received the precepts of Holy Writ, is satisfied with the outpouring of Divine Revelation, which they now drink of the more eagerly, in proportion as they thirsted for it long time in a state of drought. Thus the very same Divine oracles are called at once ‘harvests’ and ‘riches;’ ‘harvests,’ because they refresh the hungering soul; ‘riches,’ because they array us in a rare richness of moral excellences. The same things are said both to be ‘eaten,’ and to be ‘drunk,’ for this reason, that whereas there are certain things therein that are obscure, which we understand not without they be interpreted, these same we in a manner swallow eating; and whereas certain other things indeed, that are easy to be understood, we so take as we find them, these we drink as if unchewed, in that we swallow them unbroken. These things we have run through in brief mode under their mystical signification, lest perchance we might seem to have passed over any thing; but because they could not be the friends of blessed Job, except in some points they also shone conspicuous for high moral worth, it remains that in their words we examine the force of their import in a moral sense, that, whilst the weight and substance of their speech is made out, it may be shown what sort of teaching they were masters of.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 6.4
All who are given birth through the preaching of unbelief are “the children” of this foolish man. These “are far from safety,” for though they enjoy the temporal life without trouble, they are struck more severely with eternal vengeance. As the Lord says concerning these same sons of such a person, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are.” The text continues, “And they are crushed, neither shall there be any to deliver them.” Who else is to be understood by the name of “gate” but the Mediator between God and man, who says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” The sons, then, of this foolish man do not advance through the gate.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Job 5:5 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Job 5:5 encapsulates Eliphaz the Temanite's central assertion that suffering is a direct, divinely ordained consequence of wickedness, vividly portraying the fate of the unrighteous whose prosperity and diligent gains are utterly consumed by various destructive forces. This verse serves as a powerful, albeit flawed, illustration within his rigid theological framework, positing that God's justice inevitably leads to the comprehensive stripping away of wealth, security, and the fruits of labor from those who are deemed unrighteous.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 5:5 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and visceral picture of consumption and seizure. The "harvest" being "eaten up" by the "hungry," and the "robber" "swallowing up" "substance" are concrete visual and sensory images that powerfully convey devastating loss and dispossession. The "harvest" itself functions as a Metaphor for the accumulated wealth, prosperity, and the fruit of one's labor, making an abstract concept of gain tangible and its loss palpable. The phrase "taketh it even out of the thorns" employs Hyperbole or Exaggeration to emphasize the absolute and inescapable nature of the loss; even that which is most difficult to access, protected by natural barriers, or acquired through struggle is not spared. Furthermore, the "hungry" and the "robber" are almost given a sense of agency, acting as instruments of divine judgment or natural consequence, which can be seen as a subtle form of Personification. The cumulative effect of these devices is to create a powerful, unsettling, and memorable depiction of the wicked's inevitable downfall, as seen through Eliphaz's theological lens.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Eliphaz's application of this principle to Job was ultimately proven incorrect—Job's suffering was not a direct consequence of his sin—the general concept of divine justice bringing about the loss of ill-gotten gains or the reversal of fortunes for the wicked is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. God is indeed sovereign over all possessions and can, in His wisdom, allow or orchestrate the transfer of wealth, especially when it has been gained unjustly or is held in defiance of His will. This verse, therefore, serves as a poignant reminder of the impermanence of material wealth and the ultimate accountability before a just God, even if the timing and specific reasons for such reversals are not always clear to human understanding. It challenges a purely materialistic view of prosperity and subtly points to a higher, spiritual economy where true security is not found in earthly accumulation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 5:5, though spoken by a character whose theological framework is ultimately challenged and corrected by the broader narrative, still offers profound insights for reflection and application in the life of faith. It serves as a potent reminder of the impermanence of material wealth and the inherent folly of placing ultimate security or identity in earthly possessions. While we must carefully avoid adopting Eliphaz's simplistic and often unbiblical retribution theology, the verse does prompt us to consider the transient nature of all that is gained apart from God's enduring favor. True security and lasting prosperity are found not in accumulated "harvests" or "substance," which can be swiftly lost, but in a right and steadfast relationship with the Creator, whose steadfast love, faithfulness, and sovereign care endure beyond any earthly loss or hardship. For believers, this truth encourages a focus on eternal treasures and a trust in God's sovereign hand, even when life's circumstances lead to unexpected loss or profound suffering. It also implicitly calls us to examine our own hearts regarding the pursuit and retention of wealth, ensuring that our gains are not ill-gotten and that our ultimate trust remains firmly in the Lord, who alone is the source of all true and lasting blessing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Job 5:5 an accurate theological statement about suffering?
Answer: Not universally. Job 5:5 reflects Eliphaz's rigid retribution theology, which posits that all suffering is a direct and punitive consequence of sin. While the Bible certainly teaches that God judges sin and that unrighteousness can lead to negative consequences (Proverbs 13:21), the book of Job as a whole ultimately refutes Eliphaz's simplistic view. Job's suffering is not due to his sin, but rather serves a mysterious divine purpose, demonstrating that not all suffering is punitive. Therefore, while the verse describes a potential outcome for the wicked, it is not a comprehensive or universally applicable explanation for all suffering, and applying it indiscriminately to those who suffer can be deeply misleading and harmful.
What does "taketh it even out of the thorns" mean?
Answer: This phrase emphasizes the completeness and inevitability of the loss described. "Thorns" (Hebrew: tsên) can refer to thorny plants or difficult, dangerous places, often used metaphorically to represent obstacles or difficulties. The imagery suggests that even wealth or possessions that are hard to acquire, or are seemingly protected (like a crop growing among thorny bushes, or a treasure hidden in a thorny thicket), are not safe from seizure by the "hungry" or "robber." It underscores that no amount of effort, difficulty, or natural protection can safeguard the wicked's gains from the divine judgment or the destructive forces Eliphaz describes. It speaks to the totality of their dispossession, indicating that nothing is truly secure for those who are under God's judgment, according to Eliphaz's perspective.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 5:5, spoken by Eliphaz, presents a human and ultimately flawed understanding of divine justice, it subtly foreshadows a profound truth ultimately fulfilled in Christ: the ultimate loss due to sin and the ultimate, eternal gain found in Him. Humanity's "harvest" and "substance" were indeed consumed by the "robber" of sin, leading to spiritual destitution, brokenness, and separation from God, as vividly described in Romans 5:12. Yet, Jesus Christ, the true Lamb of God, entered this fallen world not to accumulate earthly "substance" but to become poor, so that through His poverty, we might become spiritually rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He willingly surrendered everything, even His very life, enduring the ultimate "loss" on the cross, taking upon Himself the divine judgment for sin that Eliphaz mistakenly attributed to Job (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His perfect sacrifice and glorious resurrection, Christ became the imperishable "harvest" for all who believe, offering an eternal inheritance that can never be taken away by any "hungry" or "robber"—neither by sin, nor death, nor any earthly power (1 Peter 1:3-5). In Him, believers find true security, an abundant life, and treasures that endure forever, demonstrating that the only lasting "gain" is found in forsaking earthly treasures for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 3:7-8).