Job 14:9 Meaning and Explanation
“Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At the mere scent of water the dead-looking stump buds and grows boughs like a young plant.
What Does Job 14:9 Mean?
Job completes the image with a striking phrase: "the scent of water." The faintest nearness of moisture is enough to wake the buried stump, and it bursts into bud and branch as though newly planted. It is a small miracle of revival that anyone who has seen a desert bloom would recognize.
The verse glows with a hope Job both reaches for and grieves, for he wonders whether mortals share it. Yet the picture itself preaches: the smallest touch of life-giving water can raise what looked dead. Christ would speak of living water that springs up to everlasting life, and the budding stump becomes a quiet sign that God delights to bring life where only death seemed to remain.
Job 14:9 in the Original Language
mayim (מַיִם), 'water' -- the source of life in a dry land, often a biblical sign of God's reviving grace.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 14:9
What does Job 14:9 mean?
At the mere scent of water the dead-looking stump buds and grows boughs like a young plant.