Job 21:25 Meaning and Explanation
“And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →By contrast, another person dies in bitterness of soul, having never enjoyed any good in life.
What Does Job 21:25 Mean?
Job sets the opposite case beside the first. Another person dies in deep bitterness of soul, having never tasted pleasure or known a good day. Two lives, two deaths, and no visible justice distinguishing them.
Job is describing his own kind of sorrow, the life that knows only grief. The point is not despair but honesty: God does not always sort the comfortable and the suffering according to merit in this life. This is a word of compassion for all who, like Job, eat their bread in bitterness. Their afflicted state is not proof of God's displeasure. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and He keeps every tear until the day He wipes them all away.
Job 21:25 in the Original Language
nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ), 'soul' -- the whole living person, here the inmost self steeped in bitterness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 21:25
What does Job 21:25 mean?
By contrast, another person dies in bitterness of soul, having never enjoyed any good in life.