Job 13:28
Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Job 13:28
Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Job shifts from speaking about himself in the first person to the third person, "he," to emphasize his own utter helplessness and insignificance, like a decaying thing or a moth-eaten garment. This isn't just about being sick; it's about becoming so consumed by decay that he's practically invisible, too insignificant for God's intense scrutiny.
Job is expressing his profound sense of decay and worthlessness under God's intense scrutiny, comparing himself to a crumbling, moth-eaten garment. This verse directly follows his passionate defense and questioning of God's treatment, leading into his reflections on the fragility and fleeting nature of human life in general in the following chapter.
Job's words take an unexpected turn, shifting from 'He' to 'I.' What does this grammatical shift reveal about his inner state?
In Job 13:28, Job makes a subtle but significant shift in perspective. He begins by speaking of 'he' (referring to man or himself in the third person), but the implication is deeply personal. This isn't just an abstract observation about human frailty; it's Job recognizing his own condition within that universal truth.
A Collective Lament
This third-person reference allows Job to step back slightly, viewing his suffering not just as an isolated event, but as part of the larger human experience. It's as if he's saying, 'Look at this creature, this man – he wastes away... and that man is me.' This helps him process the overwhelming nature of his affliction by connecting it to a broader, shared vulnerability.
Personal Identification
Yet, the message is undeniably directed inward. The scholars note that this use of the third person is common in ancient Hebrew poetry to refer to oneself, especially in moments of deep emotion or reflection. So, while the word is 'he,' Job's heart is crying out, 'I am this wasting, moth-eaten thing.'
Job compares himself to 'rottenness' and a 'moth-eaten garment.' What profound truths about our existence are captured in these vivid images?
Job's words paint a stark picture of human vulnerability and the inevitable process of decay.
Like Rottenness
To be like 'rottenness' signifies a complete breakdown from within. It’s not just an external wound, but an internal corruption that leads to disintegration. This speaks to the physical and spiritual decay that sin and suffering can bring, leaving a person feeling hollowed out and collapsing under their own weight.
Like a Moth-Eaten Garment
The image of a 'garment that is moth-eaten' is equally powerful. A garment is meant for protection, covering, and dignity. But when moths attack, the fabric weakens, threads unravel, and the garment loses its integrity and usefulness. It slowly, insidiously falls apart until it's irreparable. This reflects how our bodies, our lives, and even our reputations can be gradually destroyed by unseen forces or the slow passage of time, leaving us feeling exposed and worn out.
Understand the original words
raqab · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the physical state of deterioration, decay, or corruption. Biblically, it emphasizes the frailty and temporary nature of human life when afflicted by suffering or aging.
This Psalm echoes Job's sentiment of human frailty, describing how God 'consumes' us like a moth eats away at a garment, highlighting the pervasive decay of life.
Isaiah 50:9This passage uses the powerful imagery of a moth eating a garment to illustrate God's eventual triumph over His enemies, showing how swiftly and completely things can decay and fall apart.
Hosea 5:12Hosea directly compares Israel's spiritual decay to a moth consuming a garment, emphasizing how sin and rebellion lead to a gradual but certain disintegration, much like Job's physical decay.
Job 14:1-2Immediately following this verse, Job expands on his own decay by describing the fleeting and trouble-filled nature of all human life, reinforcing the comparison of man to ephemeral things that quickly perish.
clarkeJob 13:28: "And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten."
And he, as a rotten thing - I am like a vessel made of skin; rotten, because of old age, or like a garment corroded by the moth. So the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic understood it. The word he may refer to himself.
pooleJob 13:28: "And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten."
He; either, 1. Man, or Job, supposed to be God’s adversary in this contest. So he speaks of himself in the third person, as is usual in this and other sacred books. So the sense is, he , i.e. this poor frail creature, this carcass or body of mine, which possibly he pointed at with his finger, consumeth or pineth away, &c. So he mentions here the effect of God’s severe proceedings against him, to wit, his consump…
Job shifts from speaking about himself in the first person to the third person, "he," to emphasize his own utter helplessness and insignificance, like a decaying thing or a moth-eaten garment. This isn't just about being sick; it's about becoming so consumed by decay that he's practically invisible, too insignificant for God's intense scrutiny.
Job is expressing his profound sense of decay and worthlessness under God's intense scrutiny, comparing himself to a crumbling, moth-eaten garment. This verse directly follows his passionate defense and questioning of God's treatment, leading into his reflections on the fragility and fleeting nature of human life in general in the following chapter.
Job is expressing his profound sense of decay and worthlessness under God's intense scrutiny, comparing himself to a crumbling, moth-eaten garment. This verse directly follows his passionate defense and questioning of God's treatment, leading into his reflections on the fragility and fleeting nature of human life in general in the following chapter.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Job 13:28 is available in the Sola app.
"Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten." — Job shifts from speaking about himself in the first person to the third person, "he," to emphasize his own utter helplessness and insignificance, like a decaying thing or a moth-eaten garment. This i…