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Job 18:16

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His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

His roots {H8328} shall be dried up {H3001} beneath, and above {H4605} shall his branch {H7105} be cut off {H5243}.

His roots beneath him will dry up; above him, his branch will wither.

The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away.

His roots shall be dried up beneath, And above shall his branch be cut off.

Commentary

Job 18:16 KJV is a vivid and stark declaration from Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's three friends, as he continues to argue for the direct and inevitable consequences of wickedness. This verse uses powerful agricultural imagery to describe the complete downfall of the unrighteous.

Context

This verse is part of Bildad's second speech in the Book of Job (Job 18:1-21). Throughout his arguments, Bildad rigidly adheres to the traditional wisdom theology of his time: that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. He believes Job's immense suffering must therefore be a direct result of hidden sin. In this chapter, Bildad paints a grim picture of the wicked man's fate, portraying a complete and irreversible destruction. His aim is to persuade Job to confess his alleged transgressions. This perspective contrasts sharply with Job's insistence on his innocence and his struggle to understand God's ways. For another example of the friends' conventional wisdom, see Bildad's earlier description of the wicked as a rootless plant in Job 8.

Key Themes

  • Total Desolation: The imagery of roots drying up beneath and branches being cut off above signifies utter ruin. It speaks to a destruction that is both foundational and outwardly visible, leaving nothing remaining or capable of recovery. There is no hope of future growth or prosperity for the wicked.
  • Consequences of Wickedness: From Bildad's perspective, this verse underscores the natural and divine consequences that inevitably befall those who walk in unrighteousness. It is a severe warning that a life lived apart from God's established order will lead to complete decay and eradication.
  • Divine Judgment: While misapplied to Job, the verse reflects a belief in God's ultimate justice, where evil will not perpetually prosper. It implies an inescapable judgment that reaches into the very source of a person's life and their future prospects.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used here are highly evocative. "Roots" (שָׁרָשָׁיו, shorashav) refers to the very foundation, the source of life, stability, and often, a person's posterity or lineage. When these are "dried up" (יִבַּשׁ, yibbash), it implies a loss of all life-sustaining nourishment and a complete inability to thrive. The "branch" (יָנֻקְתּוֹ, yanuqto) represents outward growth, prosperity, and particularly, descendants or future generations. To have this "cut off" (יִכְרַת, yikhrat) means the cessation of all outward manifestation of life and the termination of any future legacy. This dual destruction, from the ground up and the top down, emphasizes the finality of the wicked's ruin.

Reflection and Application

While Bildad's application of this principle to Job was flawed and insensitive, the imagery in Job 18:16 carries a timeless truth about the ultimate futility and destruction inherent in a life detached from a righteous foundation. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the spiritual and moral decay that results from persistent wickedness. For believers, it highlights the importance of having deep spiritual roots, being like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season (Psalm 1:3). This verse cautions against paths that lead to self-destruction and reminds us that true and lasting prosperity comes from a life rooted in God's truth and justice, not from fleeting worldly success.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Hosea 9:16 (6 votes)

    Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb.

  • Malachi 4:1 (4 votes)

    ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

  • Amos 2:9 (4 votes)

    ¶ Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, and he [was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

  • Isaiah 5:24 (4 votes)

    Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

  • Job 15:30 (4 votes)

    He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

  • Job 29:19 (3 votes)

    My root [was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

  • Job 5:3 (2 votes)

    I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.