Job 18:16 Meaning and Explanation
“His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Like a withering tree, the wicked is destroyed from root to branch.
What Does Job 18:16 Mean?
Bildad shifts to the image of a tree. 'Roots' below are 'dried up' and the 'branch' above is 'cut off' the plant is killed at both ends, with no hidden life left to revive it. The picture means total destruction: nothing of the wicked man remains to grow again.
A tree cut off root and branch cannot recover by itself. Bildad sees this as the final end of the godless. Yet the same image of root and branch becomes, elsewhere in Scripture, a word of hope: out of a cut-down stump comes a living Branch, the promised Messiah. Where human life withers, God brings forth new life from what seemed dead. In Christ, even the dried root may be made to live, for He is the resurrection and the life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 18:16
What does Job 18:16 mean?
Like a withering tree, the wicked is destroyed from root to branch.