Job 15:23 Meaning and Explanation
“He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Eliphaz pictures the wicked man as a hungry wanderer who knows ruin is near.
What Does Job 15:23 Mean?
Eliphaz portrays the wicked man brought low, wandering in search of bread and asking where it can be found, knowing all the while that a day of darkness stands ready at his hand. The once-secure oppressor is reduced to a hungry vagrant who senses his own coming ruin.
The reversal from plenty to want is a recurring biblical theme, and the dread of approaching judgment is sobering. Yet Eliphaz frames it to brand Job as such a man, which the larger story refuses to allow. The verse warns against reading every hungry wanderer as a punished sinner. Christ himself had nowhere to lay his head, and many righteous have known want. Need is not a verdict, and the day of darkness is known fully to God alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 15:23
What does Job 15:23 mean?
Eliphaz pictures the wicked man as a hungry wanderer who knows ruin is near.