Job 7:5
My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Job isn't just describing having sores; he's emphasizing the relentless cycle of healing and breaking open. The Hebrew word translated as "broken" here can also mean "heals" or "comes together," suggesting his skin repeatedly tries to close up, only to burst open again, a horrifying testament to his incurable suffering.
Job is in the depths of his suffering, feeling utterly forsaken by God and tormented by a painful skin disease that covers his entire body. He's been lamenting his miserable existence, comparing his life to a slave's toil and a hired laborer's weariness, all while God seems to ignore his plight. This verse plunges into the physical horror of his affliction, detailing the gruesome reality of his decaying flesh.
Job's words paint a visceral picture of suffering. What does this graphic imagery reveal about his condition and his perception of it?
Job doesn't hold back when describing his physical state. The "worms and clods of dust" aren't just metaphors; they vividly portray the gruesome reality of his disease.
A Body Gone Wrong
This isn't a gentle description; it's raw, unfiltered agony. Job is experiencing a body in total revolt, a living tomb.
Job's skin is described as both hardening and breaking. What does this cyclical suffering reveal about his inner state?
The description of Job's skin isn't just about external rot; it mirrors his internal turmoil. The constant cycle of breaking and reforming speaks volumes about his fragile existence.
The Cycle of Pain
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.
While Job's specific historical setting is debated, the ancient Near East was marked by cycles of divine blessing, covenant faithfulness, and devastating judgment. Job's suffering mirrors the national crises of exile and destruction, underscoring the profound questions of God's justice and faithfulness amidst immense suffering.
c. 2000 BC
Abraham called to covenant
God establishes a foundational covenant with Abraham, promising descendants and land. This sets the stage for the Israelite nation, the people whose story Job's life would later echo.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Law at Mount Sinai. This marks a pivotal moment of national identity and divine relationship.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy established
King David unites the tribes of Israel and establishes Jerusalem as the capital, ushering in a golden age.
c. 950 BC
Solomon's Temple dedicated
The magnificent Temple in Jerusalem is completed and dedicated, becoming the central place of worship and national identity.
This passage describes Lazarus covered in sores and longing to be fed crumbs, mirroring Job's extreme physical suffering and broken state that made him loathsome.
Isaiah 1:6Isaiah speaks of the whole body being 'sick' and 'bruised,' with 'wounds and bruises and putrefying sores,' which vividly echoes the description of Job's corrupted flesh.
Acts 12:23The account of Herod's death, where he was eaten by worms because he did not give glory to God, directly illustrates the horrific reality of worms consuming flesh that Job is experiencing.
Psalm 22:6The Psalmist cries out, 'But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by all,' expressing a similar sense of utter degradation and being reduced to something loathsome.
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…
Job isn't just describing having sores; he's emphasizing the relentless cycle of healing and breaking open. The Hebrew word translated as "broken" here can also mean "heals" or "comes together," suggesting his skin repeatedly tries to close up, only to burst open again, a horrifying testament to his incurable suffering.
Job is in the depths of his suffering, feeling utterly forsaken by God and tormented by a painful skin disease that covers his entire body. He's been lamenting his miserable existence, comparing his life to a slave's toil and a hired laborer's weariness, all while God seems to ignore his plight. This verse plunges into the physical horror of his affliction, detailing the gruesome reality of his decaying flesh.
Job is in the depths of his suffering, feeling utterly forsaken by God and tormented by a painful skin disease that covers his entire body. He's been lamenting his miserable existence, comparing his life to a slave's toil and a hired laborer's weariness, all while God seems to ignore his plight. This verse plunges into the physical horror of his affliction, detailing the gruesome reality of his decaying flesh.
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This ongoing torment, this lack of sustained healing, reflects Job's own fluctuating hope and despair. His physical state is a constant, brutal reminder that relief is fleeting.
c. 930 BC
Kingdom divides
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and ending its existence as a distinct entity.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many Judeans. This devastating event profoundly shapes Jewish identity and theology.
"My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh." — Job isn't just describing having sores; he's emphasizing the relentless cycle of healing and breaking open. The Hebrew word translated as "broken" here can also mean "heals" or "comes together," su…
