Job 15 32

Job 15:32 kjv

It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

Job 15:32 nkjv

It will be accomplished before his time, And his branch will not be green.

Job 15:32 niv

Before his time he will wither, and his branches will not flourish.

Job 15:32 esv

It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green.

Job 15:32 nlt

They will be cut down in the prime of life;
their branches will never again be green.

Job 15 verses

Job 15 32 Meaning

Eliphaz the Temanite pronounces the fate of the wicked, stating they will meet a premature end, having their life "cut off" before its natural course. Furthermore, their progeny, prosperity, or vitality, symbolized by a "branch," will fail to flourish or even come into being, destined to wither rather than bear fruit. This illustrates Eliphaz’s belief in a strict, immediate divine retribution where wickedness inevitably leads to a visible, desolate demise and an extinguished legacy.

Job 15 32 Context

Job 15:32 is part of Eliphaz the Temanite's second discourse to Job. Having previously suggested Job's suffering stemmed from some secret sin (Job 4), Eliphaz now escalates his attack. Chapter 15 finds Eliphaz firmly reiterating the traditional theological principle of retribution, arguing that great suffering is irrefutable evidence of great wickedness (verses 20-35). He describes the fate of the "wicked man" (verse 20), emphasizing their anxiety, terror, and eventual destruction at God's hand. Verse 32 specifically falls within this catalog of calamities, detailing how the wicked are cut short in life and their lineage or vitality withers away. Eliphaz presents this as universal truth, aiming to compel Job to confess presumed sin, but fundamentally misrepresents God's complex dealings with humanity and oversimplifies the nature of suffering. Historically, many cultures held a simplified view where good actions led to blessings and bad actions led to curses in this life, a belief Job's suffering directly challenges.

Job 15 32 Word analysis

• He shall be cut off

  • Hebrew: יִקָּטֵף (yiqqatef)
  • Meaning: Passive voice of qaṭaf (קָטַף), meaning "to pluck," "to pick," "to cut off."
  • Significance: Implies a swift, decisive, often violent or untimely removal, like a flower or fruit plucked from its stem before full maturity. It is not a natural wilting but an act of being severed. This suggests a divine intervention in their lifespan, not a natural death.

• before his time

  • Hebrew: לֹא יוֹם (lo' yom) - literally "not a day" or "not his day," expressing prematurity. Another rendering is בְּלֹא-עֵת (b'lo-`eth), "without his season/time."
  • Meaning: Before the expected or allotted time, prematurely.
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea of an untimely death, directly linked to their wickedness by Eliphaz. It suggests a disruption of their natural life course, indicating divine judgment.

• and his branch

  • Hebrew: יֹנַקְתּוֹ (yonq'to)
  • Meaning: "Young shoot," "sucker," "branch," "sprig." Metaphorically, it refers to progeny, offspring, or the vital part that carries life forward, like a lineage or a continuing legacy.
  • Significance: Trees and their branches frequently symbolize life, growth, family, and prosperity in biblical literature. Here, the "branch" signifies the future of the wicked – their descendants, their achievements, their vitality.

• shall not be green

  • Hebrew: לֹא יַכְדִּיר (lo' yakhdir)
  • Meaning: From kadar (כָּדַר), "to be dark," "to be dismal." In the Hiphil here, "to make dark," "to blacken," "to become discolored." In context of a branch, it means to wither, fade, or not retain its freshness and vitality.
  • Significance: Instead of flourishing (being green, vibrant, full of life), the branch becomes dark, indicating decay, barrenness, and an utter lack of future hope. This completes the image of a desolate end for the wicked, not only in life but also in their legacy.

Words-group analysis:

• "He shall be cut off before his time": This phrase paints a picture of abrupt, premature termination. It denies the wicked a full lifespan, emphasizing the divine decree in their swift demise. This reflects a prevalent belief in that era: that God ensures the wicked do not fully experience their years.
• "and his branch shall not be green": This extended metaphor depicts the complete nullification of the wicked's future. It signifies that they will have no legacy, no posterity to carry their name, and no continuing prosperity or vitality after their death. Their very "life source," like a detached and withered branch, produces nothing and dies, leaving them without any lasting mark or continuation in the world. This is seen as a particularly devastating curse in a society valuing lineage and descendants.

Job 15 32 Bonus section

The metaphor of a "tree" or "branch" is exceptionally rich in biblical theology, representing life, spiritual vitality, lineage, prosperity, and connection to God. In the context of Job 15:32, "not green" (dark/withered) starkly contrasts with imagery often associated with the righteous: "like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither" (Psa 1:3) or Christ as the true vine whose branches must remain connected to Him to bear fruit (John 15:5). Eliphaz uses this powerful imagery to underscore what he perceives as a divine curse upon the wicked, leaving them bereft of life, fruit, and future, entirely outside the sphere of divine favor. This specific usage by Eliphaz also highlights the "anti-wisdom" the book of Job later unmasks; it is human wisdom attempting to interpret divine judgment rather than God's revealed truth concerning Job.

Job 15 32 Commentary

Job 15:32 serves as a pivotal summary of Eliphaz's flawed theology: a rigid system of divine justice where suffering always correlates to sin, and prosperity to righteousness. Eliphaz applies a deterministic rule that the wicked are universally condemned to premature death and an unproductive existence. He projects the traditional wisdom of his time, emphasizing visible, temporal consequences for sin, like an untimely death ("cut off before his time") and a blighted legacy or posterity ("his branch shall not be green"). This stark declaration about the wicked's fate implicitly accuses Job, suggesting his suffering must be the result of a hidden wickedness deserving such an end.

However, the book of Job as a whole challenges this precise teaching. While Scripture often speaks of the wages of sin and the ultimate demise of the wicked, it also highlights that God's ways are beyond human understanding, and suffering is not always a direct result of personal sin. The prosperity of the wicked is sometimes observed (Psa 73), and the righteous can experience immense suffering, as Job's story clearly illustrates. Eliphaz's error lies in his overly simplistic application of divine justice and his presumption of knowing God's exact reasons for all circumstances.

Practically, this verse serves as a reminder to:

1. Beware of theological oversimplification: Not every negative consequence in life is a direct result of immediate sin.
2. Focus on God's wisdom over human assumption: Eliphaz spoke for God without truly understanding God's intricate purposes (Job 42:7).