Job 18:15
In his tent dwells that which is none of his; sulfur is scattered over his habitation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse emphasizes that desolation, not security, will inhabit the wicked person's home, highlighting it as no longer truly "theirs" but a place consumed by ruin. The imagery of brimstone scattered upon their habitation powerfully evokes the idea of utter destruction and cursed desolation, making it a stark warning against unrighteous living.
Bildad is continuing his harsh accusations against Job, insisting that Job's suffering is clear proof of his hidden wickedness. He describes the inevitable doom awaiting the wicked, painting a picture of utter desolation. This verse vividly portrays that the wicked man's dwelling will become a place where terror resides, no longer his own, and will be covered in brimstone, like the cursed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Understand the original words
goprit · Hebrew Noun
A substance frequently associated in the Bible with divine judgment, fire, and destruction, signifying the total desolation of a place due to God's wrath.
Bildad's vivid imagery of a habitation scattered with brimstone likely alludes to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a well-known event that served as a powerful, ancient symbol of utter desolation and divine retribution. This imagery would have resonated deeply with Job's audience, emphasizing the complete ruin he was experiencing as a consequence of his perceived sin.
c. 1400 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone rained from heaven, serving as a stark example of divine judgment for wickedness.
c. 2000 BC - 1800 BC
Abrahamic Covenant established
God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising land and descendants, and foreshadowing judgment on wicked nations.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Job's Life and Trials
The events described in the Book of Job, including the destruction of his property and family, take place during this period.
c. 1400 BC
The Law given at Sinai
God gives the Law to Israel, including statutes and warnings against various sins and their consequences, reinforcing themes of divine justice.
This passage describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, directly mirroring the imagery used here for the ultimate desolation of the wicked.
Deuteronomy 29:23This verse speaks of a land ruined by sulfur, pitch, and burning, serving as a stark warning of God's judgment and the lasting desolation that follows wickedness.
Psalm 11:6This psalm states that God rains down burning coals and sulfur on the wicked, providing a strong parallel to the imagery of brimstone scattered upon the habitation of the ungodly.
Isaiah 34:9-10This prophetic passage describes the land of Edom being turned into burning pitch and sulfur, a powerful image of complete devastation and uninhabitable ruin, echoing Job 18:15.
Jeremiah 9:21This verse personifies death entering homes and cutting off inhabitants, which aligns with the idea of 'terror' or 'destruction' taking up residence in the wicked man's dwelling.
barnesJob 18:15: "It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation."
It shall dwell in his tabernacle - It is uncertain what is to be understood as referred to here. Some suppose that the word to be understood is soul, and that the meaning is "his soul," that is, he himself, "shall dwell in his tent." Rosenmuller, Noyes, Wemyss, and others, suppose that the word is terror. "Terror (בלהה ballâhâh) shall dwell in his tent," the same word w…
clarkeJob 18:15: "It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation."
Job 18:15It shall dwell in his tabernacle - Desolation is here personified, and it is said that it shall be the inhabitant, its former owner being destroyed. Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation, so that, like Sodom and Gomorrah, it may be an everlasting monument of the Divine displeasure. In the Persian poet Saady, we find a couplet which contains a similar se…
The verse emphasizes that desolation, not security, will inhabit the wicked person's home, highlighting it as no longer truly "theirs" but a place consumed by ruin. The imagery of brimstone scattered upon their habitation powerfully evokes the idea of utter destruction and cursed desolation, making it a stark warning against unrighteous living.
Bildad is continuing his harsh accusations against Job, insisting that Job's suffering is clear proof of his hidden wickedness. He describes the inevitable doom awaiting the wicked, painting a picture of utter desolation. This verse vividly portrays that the wicked man's dwelling will become a place where terror resides, no longer his own, and will be covered in brimstone, like the cursed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Bildad is continuing his harsh accusations against Job, insisting that Job's suffering is clear proof of his hidden wickedness. He describes the inevitable doom awaiting the wicked, painting a picture of utter desolation. This verse vividly portrays that the wicked man's dwelling will become a place where terror resides, no longer his own, and will be covered in brimstone, like the cursed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
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 18:15 is available in the Sola app.
"In his tent dwells that which is none of his; sulfur is scattered over his habitation." — The verse emphasizes that desolation, not security, will inhabit the wicked person's home, highlighting it as no longer truly "theirs" but a place consumed by ruin. The imagery of brimstone scattered…
