Job 18:5 kjv
Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
Job 18:5 nkjv
"The light of the wicked indeed goes out, And the flame of his fire does not shine.
Job 18:5 niv
"The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning.
Job 18:5 esv
"Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of his fire does not shine.
Job 18:5 nlt
"Surely the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
The sparks of their fire will not glow.
Job 18 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:4 | "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away." | Contrast wicked with righteous; no stability |
| Ps 37:10 | "Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more..." | Fleeting existence of the wicked |
| Ps 37:20 | "...but like the glory of the meadows they vanish." | Wicked vanish like fading glory |
| Ps 73:17-19 | "When I considered their end. Surely You set them in slippery places..." | Sudden destruction of the wicked |
| Prov 4:18-19 | "But the path of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble." | Light/darkness for righteous/wicked paths |
| Prov 13:9 | "The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked goes out." | Direct parallel on light/lamp of wicked going out |
| Prov 24:20 | "For there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out." | No future; lamp of wicked extinguished |
| Job 20:5 | "that the triumph of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?" | Triumph of wicked is short-lived |
| Job 21:17 | "How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, Or does their calamity come upon them?" | Job questioning frequency of wicked's lamp going out |
| Isa 50:11 | "Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with firebrands: Walk in the light of your fire..." | Trusting own light leads to darkness |
| Jer 25:10 | "...and the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp will be banished from them." | Joy and life extinguished as judgment |
| Mal 4:1 | "'For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace..." | Wicked to be burned up completely |
| Matt 6:23 | "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." | Inner darkness from a corrupt core |
| Jn 3:19 | "And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light..." | Love for darkness implies rejecting divine light |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people..." | God's judgment against unrighteousness |
| Heb 10:27 | "...but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE which will consume the adversaries." | Fiery judgment for adversaries |
| 1 Thess 5:5 | "for you are all children of light and children of day. We are not of night nor of darkness..." | Contrast between children of light and darkness |
| 1 Jn 1:6 | "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie..." | Darkness associated with falsehood and separation |
| Rev 18:23 | "and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer..." | Judgment on Babylon; lamp extinguished |
| Ps 112:10 | "The wicked man will see it and be vexed; He will gnash his teeth and melt away..." | The wicked vexed and melting away |
| Ps 58:8 | "Let them be as a snail which melts away as it goes, like the untimely birth of a woman that never sees the sun." | Wicked disappear like melting snail |
| Jude 1:13 | "wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever." | Wandering stars destined for utter darkness |
Job 18 verses
Job 18 5 Meaning
Job 18:5, spoken by Bildad the Shuhite, is an emphatic declaration that the perceived prosperity, life, and hope of the wicked are fleeting and inevitably destined for a complete cessation. It metaphorically describes the absolute extinguishment of their vitality, influence, and future, asserting a divine retribution that leaves no trace of their perceived glory.
Job 18 5 Context
Job 18:5 is a core part of Bildad's second speech to Job, delivered in response to Job’s fervent expressions of suffering and his questioning of God's justice. Throughout the book of Job, Bildad, along with Eliphaz and Zophar, represents the conventional wisdom of their time, particularly the doctrine of retribution theology. This theology posits a direct and immediate correlation between an individual's righteousness or wickedness and their worldly fortunes. If one suffers, it is assumed to be due to sin; if one prospers, it is a sign of righteousness.
In Chapter 18, Bildad begins by chiding Job for his outburst (vv. 2-4) and then launches into a detailed description of the wicked man's inevitable downfall. Verse 5 opens this litany of impending judgments. He systematically outlines how the wicked lose their "light" (prosperity, life, joy), are snared in their own ways, their home destroyed, their progeny perish, and their very name forgotten. His intention is to indirectly accuse Job of wickedness by portraying the dire consequences that Job is currently experiencing as proof of his hidden sin. Historically, ancient Near Eastern societies, including early Israel, often interpreted public prosperity and progeny as blessings from the divine, while calamities were seen as divine curses. Bildad's arguments are deeply rooted in this widely accepted cultural understanding, which the Book of Job, in its entirety, subtly challenges and expands upon, demonstrating that God's ways are more complex than human wisdom can fully grasp.
Job 18 5 Word analysis
- Indeed: (
’ak, אַךְ) - This is a particle used for emphatic assertion. Bildad employs it to convey absolute certainty and conviction regarding the truthfulness of his statement, presenting it as an undeniable fact rather than a mere opinion or possibility. It adds weight and authority to his declaration. - the light: (
’ôr, אוֹר) - A foundational metaphor in the Bible and ancient thought. "Light" here symbolizes life, vitality, prosperity, success, joy, hope, wisdom, guidance, and reputation. For the wicked, their "light" is presented as a deceptive or transient semblance of these qualities, not true divine blessing. The very source of existence and well-being. - of the wicked: (
rāšāʿ, רָשָׁע) - Refers to someone who is morally wrong, lawless, or guilty in a significant way. It denotes someone actively opposing what is righteous or acting contrary to God’s standards. Bildad uses this term pointedly to describe the individual whose ultimate fate he is detailing, implicitly applying it to Job. - will be extinguished: (
yikhbeh, יִכְבֶּה) - From the Hebrew rootkābāh(כָּבָה), meaning to go out, be quenched, or be put out, typically of a lamp or fire. This verb signifies a complete and irreversible cessation. It implies the utter removal of presence, power, and any sign of life or former glory. - And the flame: (
wəšālhbheth, וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת) - A powerful image representing intense, visible, and consuming fire. The flame embodies vigor, vibrancy, the manifest power or outward display of a person's life or influence. It speaks to the passionate intensity or even the destruction inherent in something. - of his fire: (
’ešô, אִשּׁוֹ) - "Fire" in this context refers to the source of the flame, encompassing the essence of one's active existence, their means, or their life-force. It could represent their achievements, influence, or the very essence of their vitality which produces the 'flame'. - will not shine: (
lō’ yiphʿā, לֹא יִפְעָה) -lō’(לֹא) is the absolute negative.yiphʿā(יִפְעָה) comes from the rootyāphaʿ(יָפַע), meaning to shine forth, to radiate, to gleam, or to be brilliant. The phrase means it will utterly fail to produce light, glow, or manifest itself. It conveys a complete lack of any outward display of life, power, or presence.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Indeed, the light of the wicked will be extinguished;": This clause sets up Bildad’s thesis about the fate of the wicked. It highlights the perceived impermanence of any prosperity or success they might have. The image of a light being "extinguished" is final, indicating not just a dimming but an absolute end to their life, hope, and good standing.
- "And the flame of his fire will not shine.": This parallel clause reinforces and amplifies the first. While "light" suggests general illumination, "flame" indicates active, vivid, and burning power. The negation "will not shine" ensures that even the most energetic and outwardly impressive aspects of the wicked’s existence will completely fail to manifest any life or impact, signifying a comprehensive downfall, where no flicker of their influence remains. The use of parallel synonymous phrases ("light... extinguished" and "flame... not shine") strengthens the emphasis on the certainty and totality of the wicked’s ruin.
Job 18 5 Bonus section
- The metaphor of "light" being extinguished is not just about death, but also about the blotting out of one's memory and legacy. In ancient cultures, a name living on meant that one still "shined." An extinguished light implies no remembrance or descendants to carry on the name, further detailed in subsequent verses in Job 18.
- Bildad's argument here functions as a form of social and theological pressure on Job, demanding confession of sin. By painting such a grim, unavoidable fate for the wicked, he hopes to force Job into admitting culpability and seeking forgiveness, aligning Job's suffering with the commonly understood divine punishment.
- While Bildad’s direct application of this principle to Job is flawed within the context of the book, the underlying truth that the ultimate destiny of true wickedness is judgment and the end of its fleeting power is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture, particularly concerning the ultimate judgment for those who continually oppose God. However, the timing and manifestations of such judgments are often complex and do not always follow a simple earthly cause-and-effect as the friends portray.
Job 18 5 Commentary
Job 18:5 powerfully encapsulates Bildad's rigid view of divine justice, articulating a standard retribution theology. He contends that the prosperity ("light" and "flame") of the wicked, no matter how bright it appears, is fundamentally unsustainable and destined for complete and unequivocal cessation. The double imagery of an "extinguished light" and a "flame that will not shine" leaves no room for temporary success or lasting influence for those whom Bildad perceives as wicked. This declaration serves as a direct, albeit veiled, accusation against Job, implying that his current suffering is proof of his wickedness and his previously "shining" life is now justly extinguished. However, the book of Job, in its overarching narrative, reveals the inadequacy of this simplistic theological framework. It challenges the notion that all suffering directly correlates with sin, showcasing God’s deeper, sometimes inscrutable, purposes beyond human comprehension of justice and retribution.