Job 13:28

Job 13:28 Meaning and Explanation

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

King James Version (KJV)

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Job describes human life wasting away like something rotten and like a moth-eaten garment.

What Does Job 13:28 Mean?

Job closes the chapter with a picture of decay. Humanity, himself included, wastes away like something rotten that crumbles and like a garment slowly eaten through by moths, frail and perishing.

This sober image of mortality sets the stage for the meditation on life's brevity that opens the next chapter. Job feels the fragility of his existence, dissolving like cloth consumed by moths. Yet such honesty about decay is not despair; it drives the heart to seek what does not perish. Against the moth-eaten garment of mortal life stands the promise of a treasure no moth can touch, a hope of imperishable life secured by the God who clothes His people in righteousness that never fades.

Job 13:28 in the Original Language

raqab (רָקָב), 'rotten thing' -- rottenness or decay, the slow corruption of something perishing from within.

Frequently Asked Questions About Job 13:28

What does Job 13:28 mean?

Job describes human life wasting away like something rotten and like a moth-eaten garment.

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