My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Beyond the literal imagery of worms and dirt, Job highlights the relentless cycle of his suffering: his skin heals just enough to give false hope, only to break open again with fresh agony. This isn't just a description of a disease; it's a profound metaphor for hope constantly being crushed, a fresh wound appearing just as the old one seems to close.
My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is in the depths of despair, describing his physical suffering in vivid, agonizing detail. He feels utterly consumed by his affliction, which has left his body covered in sores, a repulsive sight that also brings him immense pain and discomfort.
Imagine your skin, your body's protection, turning against you. Job's words paint a vivid, almost unbearable picture of physical decay.
The Horrors of Physical Decay
Job doesn't hold back. He describes his body as being "clothed" not in fine linen, but in "worms and dirt." This isn't just a metaphor for feeling dirty; it's a graphic description of severe skin disease and ulceration.
Job's physical torment isn't just about discomfort; it's about becoming an object of disgust, a loss of identity and humanity.
The Shame of a Loathsome Body
The verse concludes with a powerful statement about how his skin becomes "loathsome." This goes beyond the physical pain to the social and emotional horror.
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Understand the original words
basar · Hebrew Noun
The physical substance of living creatures; in Scripture, it often represents human frailty, mortality, and the propensity toward sin or corruption.
rimmah · Hebrew Noun
Small, crawling creatures often associated with decay, corruption, and the temporary, fragile state of the human body in the grave.
Job's vivid description of worms, dust, and his breaking skin points to severe, debilitating skin diseases common in the ancient world, like elephantiasis, which were understood through contemporary medical observations and biblical laws concerning affliction.
c. 2000 BC
Ancient Mesopotamian Medical Texts
Early medical texts from Mesopotamia describe various skin diseases, some potentially related to Job's afflictions, indicating awareness of such ailments in the ancient Near East.
c. 1400 BC
Egyptian Medical Papyri
Medical papyri from Egypt detail numerous skin ailments, including conditions with symptoms like ulceration and decomposition, reflecting the medical understanding of the time.
c. 600 BC— this verse
Job's Life and Suffering
Job, a righteous man living in the land of Uz, experiences immense personal tragedy and a devastating skin disease that covers him from head to foot.
c. 500 BC
Composition of the Book of Job
The Book of Job is believed to have been composed during or after the Babylonian Exile, reflecting on themes of suffering, justice, and God's sovereignty, with Job's physical agony serving as a central element.
c. 400 BC
Leviticus Laws on Skin Diseases
The Law of Moses in Leviticus addresses various skin afflictions ('leprosy'), outlining purification rituals and social implications, showing the ancient Israelite concern with and categorization of such diseases.
This passage describes the underworld as being filled with maggots and worms, echoing Job's visceral description of his own flesh decaying while still alive.
Acts 12:23This verse records King Herod being eaten by worms after he failed to give glory to God, presenting a stark consequence of pride that parallels Job's physical suffering as a potential, though not explicitly stated, divine judgment.
Psalm 22:6Here, the psalmist cries out, 'But I am a worm and not a man,' expressing his deep humiliation and suffering, which Job's own physical degradation powerfully illustrates.
Job 2:7-8This passage directly precedes Job's lament, describing the affliction of painful sores from head to toe, providing the immediate context for his graphic description of his decaying flesh.
Job 19:17Job laments that even his wife cannot stand the smell of his breath, highlighting the profound loathsomeness and isolation caused by his affliction, which is vividly detailed in Job 7:5.
jfbJob 7:5: "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome."
- In elephantiasis maggots are bred in the sores (Ac 12:23; Isa 14:11).clods of dust—rather, a crust of dried filth and accumulated corruption (Job 2:7, 8).my skin is broken and … loathsome—rather, comes together so as to heal up, and again breaks out with running matter [Gesenius]. More simply the Hebrew is, "My skin rests (for a time) and (again) melts away" (Ps 58:7).
pulpitJob 7:5: "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome."
Verse 5. - My flesh is clothed with worms. The leas et origo mall in elephantiasis is a worm called filaria sanguinis hominid. It is a long, fine, thread-like creature, of a white colour, smooth; and devoid of markings (Quain's 'Dictionary of Medicine,' vol. 1, pp. 512, 513). And clods of dust. This is rather poetical than strictly medical. The special characteristic of elephantiasis, from whi…
Beyond the literal imagery of worms and dirt, Job highlights the relentless cycle of his suffering: his skin heals just enough to give false hope, only to break open again with fresh agony. This isn't just a description of a disease; it's a profound metaphor for hope constantly being crushed, a fresh wound appearing just as the old one seems to close.
Job is in the depths of despair, describing his physical suffering in vivid, agonizing detail. He feels utterly consumed by his affliction, which has left his body covered in sores, a repulsive sight that also brings him immense pain and discomfort.
Job is in the depths of despair, describing his physical suffering in vivid, agonizing detail. He feels utterly consumed by his affliction, which has left his body covered in sores, a repulsive sight that also brings him immense pain and discomfort.
"My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh." — Beyond the literal imagery of worms and dirt, Job highlights the relentless cycle of his suffering: his skin heals just enough to give false hope, only to break open again with fresh agony. This isn'…
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Last reviewed October 2026