Job 27:18

He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth [that] the keeper maketh.

He buildeth {H1129} his house {H1004} as a moth {H6211}, and as a booth {H5521} that the keeper {H5341} maketh {H6213}.

He builds his house weak as a spider's web, as flimsy as a watchman's shack.

The house he built is like a mothโ€™s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.

He buildeth his house as the moth, And as a booth which the keeper maketh.

Commentary

Context

Job 27:18 is part of Job's final discourse (chapters 27-31) where he continues to assert his innocence and attempts to reconcile his suffering with God's justice. In this particular chapter, Job describes the ultimate fate of the wicked, contrasting their temporary prosperity with their inevitable downfall. He uses vivid imagery to emphasize the fragility and transience of anything built upon unrighteousness, speaking from a perspective that acknowledges God's ultimate sovereignty and judgment, even as he struggles with his own situation. This passage serves as a counter-argument to his friends' simplistic theology, affirming that while the wicked may flourish for a time, their foundation is inherently unstable.

Key Themes

  • The Fragility of Ill-Gotten Gains: The verse powerfully illustrates that wealth, security, or legacy built on injustice or apart from God's blessing is inherently unstable and easily destroyed. Unlike a solid home, it offers no lasting protection.
  • Transience of Worldly Security: The imagery of the "moth's house" and the "keeper's booth" highlights the temporary nature of all human efforts and achievements when disconnected from eternal principles. The wicked may accumulate riches, but their perceived security is fleeting, like a spider's web that is easily swept away or a temporary shelter.
  • Divine Judgment and Justice: Underlying this description is the implicit truth of God's eventual judgment. Though the wicked may seem to prosper, their end is certain and their "house" will not stand. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that the wicked are set in slippery places, destined for destruction.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "booth" is sukka (ืกึปื›ึผึธื”), which refers to a temporary shelter, often constructed from branches or light materials. This term is used elsewhere in the Old Testament, notably for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), where Israelites were commanded to live in temporary booths to remember their wilderness wanderings. The imagery evokes something built quickly for a short-term purpose, offering minimal protection, and then abandoned. Similarly, the "moth's house" (referring to a moth's cocoon or web) is a delicate, easily broken structure, emphasizing vulnerability and impermanence.

Cross-References & Connections

This verse resonates with other biblical passages that speak to the fleeting nature of the wicked's prosperity and the ultimate stability of the righteous. For instance, Psalm 49:11-13 describes how the wicked, despite naming lands after themselves, cannot ensure their legacy, as their dwellings are ultimately temporary. Similarly, Proverbs 10:25 states, "When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." The New Testament also reiterates this theme, reminding us not to store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy (Matthew 6:19), highlighting the perishable nature of worldly accumulations.

Practical Application

Job 27:18 serves as a stark warning and a call to introspection. It challenges us to consider the foundation upon which we are building our lives, our security, and our aspirations. Are we investing in temporary, fragile "booths" of worldly success, fleeting pleasures, or ill-gotten gains that will inevitably collapse? Or are we building upon an eternal foundation, trusting in God's enduring promises and seeking righteousness? The verse encourages us to pursue values that have lasting significance, understanding that true security and an enduring legacy are found not in material possessions or human power, but in a relationship with God and obedience to His Word. It reminds believers that while the world's systems may seem robust, their ultimate end is fragility and dissolution, urging us to build our house upon the rock.

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Cross-References

  • Job 8:14 (5 votes)

    Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust [shall be] a spider's web.

  • Job 8:15 (5 votes)

    He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

  • Isaiah 1:8 (5 votes)

    And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

  • Isaiah 51:8 (3 votes)

    For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

  • Isaiah 38:12 (1 votes)

    Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me.

  • Lamentations 2:6 (1 votes)

    And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as [if it were of] a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.