In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What Job points out is that those who are comfortably settled often develop a cruel indifference to the struggles of others, seeing misfortune not as something to empathize with, but as a fitting end for those who aren't as "together" as they are. It's a thought that actively looks down on those who falter, as if their stumbles are a personal failing rather than part of the human condition.
In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is responding to his friends who are arguing that his suffering must be due to some hidden sin. He pushes back, asserting his integrity and questioning their simplistic view of justice, essentially saying that those who are comfortable and haven't faced hardship often have nothing but scorn for those who are struggling. He feels like a flickering lamp, cast aside and useless in their eyes, simply because his "foot has slipped" into deep misfortune.
Ever notice how people at the top sometimes look down on those struggling below? This verse nails that harsh reality.
Job is saying that those who live a life of ease and prosperity often develop a disdain for misfortune. They can't truly empathize with someone else's pain because they haven't experienced it themselves. Their comfort blinds them to the suffering of others, leading to a contemptuous thought process towards those who are struggling. It's as if they think, 'How could anyone let themselves get into such a mess?' It's a natural, though deeply unkind, reaction from a place of security.
Imagine a torch that's almost burned out. That's the image Job uses to describe his own situation.
Job compares the person who is 'ready to slip' (meaning in deep trouble or about to fall completely) to a despised lamp. Think of a torch that has burned brightly, providing light and guidance, but is now sputtering, almost out, and seen as useless or even offensive. The person who is at ease, and has likely benefited from Job's light in the past, now looks at him in his suffering and sees only a dying flame. His past usefulness is forgotten, and he's just an annoyance or an object of scorn. This vividly portrays how prosperity can blind people to the value of those in adversity.
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buz · Hebrew Noun
An attitude of disdain, scorn, or looking down upon someone. In the Bible, it is often viewed negatively, especially when directed toward those suffering, as it reflects a lack of compassion and an arrogant assumption of superiority.
lappid · Hebrew Noun
Refers to calamity, disaster, or a ruinous state. It is often used to describe the trials, hardships, or divine judgment that may befall an individual or a nation.
This psalm speaks of the Psalmist's enemies rejoicing and speaking of his downfall, mirroring the contempt shown to someone whose 'foot slips' as described in Job.
Psalm 73:2-3The Psalmist here contrasts his own near-stumbling with the ease and prosperity of the wicked, highlighting the mindset of those 'at ease' who look down on those in distress.
Proverbs 25:19This proverb directly compares a faithless man in a time of trouble to a 'splintered bone' or 'a lame foot,' echoing the imagery of slipping and misfortune.
Luke 10:34The parable of the Good Samaritan shows a person left half-dead by the roadside, a vivid picture of someone in misfortune who is passed by by those who are 'at ease' and likely unaffected by his plight.
pooleJob 12:5: "He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease."
i.e. The just man last mentioned, who is upon the brink of the pit or grave, ready to fall into mischief, so as never to rise again in this world, which is my case, and the occasion of their scorn and contempt. As a lamp despised, i.e. like a lamp or torch, which whilst it shines clearly and in a dark night is very useful and comfortable; but when it draws towards an end, and is nigh…
cambridgeJob 12:5: "He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease."
5 . There is contempt for misfortune in the thought of him that is at ease, It awaiteth them who are slipping with their foot. Zophar’s references for Job’s advantage to the Divine wisdom and might implied that Job was ignorant of all this, and took no account of Job’s past life spent in the fellowship of God and in meditation on His ways. It is to this last that Job refers when he s…
What Job points out is that those who are comfortably settled often develop a cruel indifference to the struggles of others, seeing misfortune not as something to empathize with, but as a fitting end for those who aren't as "together" as they are. It's a thought that actively looks down on those who falter, as if their stumbles are a personal failing rather than part of the human condition.
Job is responding to his friends who are arguing that his suffering must be due to some hidden sin. He pushes back, asserting his integrity and questioning their simplistic view of justice, essentially saying that those who are comfortable and haven't faced hardship often have nothing but scorn for those who are struggling. He feels like a flickering lamp, cast aside and useless in their eyes, simply because his "foot has slipped" into deep misfortune.
Job is responding to his friends who are arguing that his suffering must be due to some hidden sin. He pushes back, asserting his integrity and questioning their simplistic view of justice, essentially saying that those who are comfortable and haven't faced hardship often have nothing but scorn for those who are struggling. He feels like a flickering lamp, cast aside and useless in their eyes, simply because his "foot has slipped" into deep misfortune.
"In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip." — What Job points out is that those who are comfortably settled often develop a cruel indifference to the struggles of others, seeing misfortune not as something to empathize with, but as a fitting end…
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Last reviewed October 2026