Job 14 18

Job 14:18 kjv

And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

Job 14:18 nkjv

"But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place;

Job 14:18 niv

"But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place,

Job 14:18 esv

"But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place;

Job 14:18 nlt

"But instead, as mountains fall and crumble
and as rocks fall from a cliff,

Job 14 verses

Job 14 18 Meaning

Job 14:18 expresses a profound sense of despair regarding the impermanence of existence. Job, suffering immensely, articulates his conviction that even the most formidable and seemingly eternal elements of the earth—mountains and rocks—are subject to decay, disintegration, and displacement. He draws a vivid picture of erosion and change, observing that what appears unmovable eventually gives way. This observation underscores his lament over the ephemeral nature of human life, contrasting it with the perceived ability of a tree to sprout anew (Job 14:7-9) while humans have no such renewal after death. His point is that if the mighty earth itself is fleeting, how much more so is frail humanity.

Job 14 18 Context

Job 14:18 is found within Job's prolonged lament to God, a soliloquy stretching from chapter 12 to the end of chapter 14. In this particular chapter, Job explores themes of human frailty, the brevity of life, and the seeming finality of death. He contrasts humanity's lack of revival after death with the possibility of a cut tree sprouting again (Job 14:7-9). However, this brief glimmer of hope is quickly extinguished as he shifts back to his despondent view of human destiny. Verse 18 is a key part of his argument, moving from the human condition to the very fabric of the earth, stating that if even the most stable parts of creation are subject to utter dissolution, how much more precarious is human existence. It highlights his perceived absence of a path to restoration for humanity in contrast to other forms of life or even inanimate elements, reinforcing his conviction that "man lies down and rises no more" (Job 14:12).

Job 14 18 Word analysis

• But (וְ): This conjunction often introduces a strong contrast or continuation. Here, it signifies a shift from the previous, slightly hopeful thought about a tree's renewal to Job's profound despair concerning human mortality, implying "in stark contrast" or "however."

• the mountain (הַר har): A fundamental symbol of permanence, stability, strength, and immense size in ancient Near Eastern thought and throughout the Bible (e.g., Ps 30:7). Its seemingly unchangeable nature makes its proposed "falling" all the more impactful as a metaphor for decay.

• falling (יִפּוֹל yippōl): From the root naphal, meaning "to fall, cast down." This verb suggests collapse, demolition, or degradation. It implies a dramatic and visible act of change, disrupting the mountain's stability.

• cometh to nought / crumbles away (וְיִבּוֹל wəyibbōl): From the root balal, meaning "to mix, confound, wither, decay, be consumed." The verb often describes the withering of plants or decay. Applied to a mountain, it intensifies the image beyond mere falling to complete disintegration, becoming nothingness, signifying an irreversible process of dissolution and ultimate destruction. It highlights total consumption and vanishing.

• and the rock (וצוּר wəṣūr): Similar to "mountain," tsur denotes solidity, firmness, and a place of refuge. It is frequently used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for God's steadfastness (e.g., Dt 32:4, Ps 18:2). Its inclusion further emphasizes the radical nature of the decay Job describes.

• is removed (יֶעְתָּק ye‘tāq): From the root ‘ataq, meaning "to remove, move, depart." It implies a forceful or irreversible displacement. This suggests that even foundations can be dislodged, losing their stability and being forced from their accustomed, steadfast position.

• out of his place (מִמְּקֹמוֹ miməqōmō): This phrase emphasizes not just removal, but removal from its designated, fixed, and expected position. It highlights a complete disruption of natural order and permanence.

• "But the mountain falling cometh to nought": This phrase paints a vivid picture of the seemingly unchangeable undergoing utter destruction. It underscores the powerful, consuming force of decay and change, challenging common perceptions of durability. Job implies a total breakdown of structure, leading to non-existence, rather than just transformation.

• "and the rock is removed out of his place": This parallelism reinforces the idea of fundamental stability being undone. A rock being dislodged from its foundation speaks of a violent or overwhelming force that overcomes even the most stable of earthly elements, highlighting utter disarray and displacement from its natural, secure base. This pair of images cumulatively portrays an apocalyptic sense of terrestrial instability.

Job 14 18 Bonus section

Job's use of hyperbole in this verse serves to magnify his feeling of utter helplessness. While mountains indeed erode over geological ages, Job presents this natural, gradual process as an active, devastating event, reflecting his immediate and acute sense of things falling apart. His language mirrors his internal experience of life crumbling around him. The deep irony in Job's lament is his desire for death as a release, yet his simultaneous profound despair over the very finality that death brings, using images of unrecoverable decay from the physical world. This passage highlights a central theological tension in Job: the human experience of universal decay contrasted with the biblical witness to God's ultimate steadfastness and promise of renewal for those who trust Him.

Job 14 18 Commentary

Job 14:18 is a poignant expression of Job's despair, illustrating the human condition through the metaphor of geological erosion. Having argued that humans, unlike trees, cannot regenerate after death, Job then escalates his point by observing that even the earth's seemingly permanent features—mountains and rocks—are subject to forces that cause them to fall, crumble, and be removed from their place. This stark observation is not just poetic imagery; it reflects an ancient understanding of long-term natural processes, but within Job's mind, it underscores the overwhelming and unyielding power of decay that applies to all existence, most acutely to fleeting human life. He sees nothing, not even the strongest of earth's elements, as immune to the forces of transience, thus solidifying his hopeless view of humanity's inability to rise again after death. This perspective stands in sharp contrast to biblical teachings elsewhere about God as the ultimate, unmoving Rock, highlighting Job's limited, suffering-filtered viewpoint at this point in the narrative.