Job 15:35
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse uses the metaphor of pregnancy and childbirth to show that the wicked's actions don't just happen; they are deeply conceived and intentionally prepared within them. It's not just about what they do, but the deceitful "womb" of their inner being that actively hatches treachery.
Job's friend Eliphaz is concluding his speech, painting a grim picture of the wicked. He argues that suffering is a sure sign of wickedness, and by extension, Job's suffering must mean he's done something terrible. This verse uses a powerful metaphor of a woman's pregnancy to describe how wicked people constantly plot and bring forth deceit and trouble, only to find their schemes ultimately fail them.
Ever feel like bad things just happen out of the blue? Eliphaz says the wicked's troubles aren't random. They're a planned, 'born' outcome.
Eliphaz uses a powerful metaphor here: conception and birth. The wicked don't just stumble into trouble; they actively 'conceive mischief.' It's a deliberate process, a plotting and planning of evil.
This isn't about a single bad deed, but a whole system of living that produces evil as its natural offspring.
The Bible often talks about the 'fruit' of our actions. What kind of fruit does the wicked produce, according to Job?
Eliphaz states that what the wicked 'bring forth' is 'vanity.' This word is significant because it doesn't just mean emptiness; it can also mean trouble, iniquity, or something ultimately useless and ruinous.
Understand the original words
amal · Hebrew Noun
Commonly used in Scripture to represent sin, suffering, distress, or turmoil. It often highlights the internal and external consequences of a life lived apart from God, where one's efforts result in chaos rather than peace.
aven · Hebrew Noun
A moral and spiritual term describing that which is contrary to God’s nature and will. It encompasses both wickedness of heart and the harmful actions that proceed from that corruption.
mirmah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to falsehood, treachery, or craftiness. It is the antithesis of truth and represents the deceptive nature of the human heart that seeks to manipulate reality rather than submit to God.
This passage uses a similar powerful metaphor of conception and birth to describe how sin originates from our desires, leading to destructive outcomes, mirroring Job's description of evil being conceived and born.
Psalm 7:14This verse speaks of wicked people who 'conceive trouble and give birth to evil,' directly paralleling the imagery and idea found in Job 15:35 about the wicked's harmful intentions.
Isaiah 59:4This prophecy describes people who 'conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity' and 'hatch the eggs of vipers,' aligning with Job's portrayal of the wicked's deceptive and destructive inner workings.
Matthew 15:19Jesus points out that 'out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander,' showing that the 'conception' of evil originates from within, just as Job describes.
jfbJob 15:35: "They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit."
- Bitter irony, illustrating the "unfruitfulness" (Job 15:34) of the wicked. Their conceptions and birthgivings consist solely in mischief, &c. (Isa 33:11).prepareth—hatcheth.
clarkeJob 15:35: "They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit."
They conceive mischief - The figure here is both elegant and impressive. The wicked conceive mischief, from the seed which Satan sows in their hearts; in producing which they travail with many pangs, (for sin is a sore labor), and at last their womb produces fraud or deception. This is an accursed birth, from an iniquitous conception. St. James gives the figure at full length, most beautifully touched…
This verse uses the metaphor of pregnancy and childbirth to show that the wicked's actions don't just happen; they are deeply conceived and intentionally prepared within them. It's not just about what they do, but the deceitful "womb" of their inner being that actively hatches treachery.
Job's friend Eliphaz is concluding his speech, painting a grim picture of the wicked. He argues that suffering is a sure sign of wickedness, and by extension, Job's suffering must mean he's done something terrible. This verse uses a powerful metaphor of a woman's pregnancy to describe how wicked people constantly plot and bring forth deceit and trouble, only to find their schemes ultimately fail them.
Job's friend Eliphaz is concluding his speech, painting a grim picture of the wicked. He argues that suffering is a sure sign of wickedness, and by extension, Job's suffering must mean he's done something terrible. This verse uses a powerful metaphor of a woman's pregnancy to describe how wicked people constantly plot and bring forth deceit and trouble, only to find their schemes ultimately fail them.
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"They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit.”" — This verse uses the metaphor of pregnancy and childbirth to show that the wicked's actions don't just happen; they are deeply conceived and intentionally prepared within them. It's not just about wha…
