Job 18 6

Job 18:6 kjv

The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

Job 18:6 nkjv

The light is dark in his tent, And his lamp beside him is put out.

Job 18:6 niv

The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out.

Job 18:6 esv

The light is dark in his tent, and his lamp above him is put out.

Job 18:6 nlt

The light in their tent will grow dark.
The lamp hanging above them will be quenched.

Job 18 verses

Job 18 6 Meaning

Job 18:6 describes Bildad's stern declaration regarding the fate of the wicked. He asserts that the source of their life, prosperity, and legacy, symbolized by light and a lamp within their home, will inevitably dim and be extinguished completely. This signifies a comprehensive downfall—the cessation of their well-being, the ruin of their household, and the obliteration of their lineage and future prospects. It represents the utter removal of divine favor and earthly blessing.

Job 18 6 Context

Job 18:6 is a verse from the second speech of Bildad the Shuhite, found in Job chapter 18. This chapter immediately follows Job's latest lament (Job 16-17) where he vehemently protests his innocence and expresses his despair. Bildad, responding to Job's complaints, delivers a severe and conventional condemnation of the wicked, outlining their inevitable destruction and suffering. His words are designed to implicitly and explicitly connect Job's current plight with the fate of such a person. Bildad adheres strictly to the traditional retribution theology, believing that suffering is always a direct result of sin, and prosperity a reward for righteousness. Culturally, the imagery of 'light' and a 'lamp' was profoundly significant in ancient Near Eastern societies, symbolizing life, success, prosperity, offspring, and the continuation of a household or lineage. The 'tent' (ʾōhel) represented one's dwelling, security, and the center of family life. Thus, to speak of the light growing dark and the lamp being snuffed out was to vividly describe utter ruin and annihilation of an individual and their family legacy. Bildad's pronouncements in Job 18 are a direct challenge to Job's insistence that his suffering is not due to exceptional wickedness, and an upholding of popular wisdom regarding divine justice.

Job 18 6 Word analysis

• The light (אוֹר - ʾōr): This Hebrew word refers to physical light, but symbolically represents life, vitality, prosperity, understanding, guidance, and divine favor. Its fading signifies the decline and loss of all these blessings. In ancient thought, the continuation of light, particularly through a lamp, often symbolized the ongoing presence of life and progeny within a household.

• in his tent (בְּאָהֳלוֹ - bəʾāhŏlō): "Tent" (ʾōhel) represents the home, dwelling place, household, family unit, and even the established security and reputation of an individual. For the light within it to dim speaks to the internal collapse of his existence—his domestic peace, his family’s future, and his entire way of life.

• grows dark (כָּהָה - kāhâ): This verb means to dim, become faint, or grow dark. It implies a gradual weakening before eventual extinction, symbolizing the waning of prosperity, vitality, or life itself. It is a state of decline.

• and the lamp (וְנֵרוֹ - wənērō): A "lamp" (nēr) is a specific and practical source of light. Unlike general 'light,' a lamp often signifies continuous illumination, something tended and maintained. Symbolically, it often stands for a descendant, the perpetuation of a lineage, a ruler's power, or an individual's ongoing prosperity and reputation. Its extinguishing signifies a definitive and final end to continuity.

• above him (עָלָיו - ʿālāv): Literally "upon him" or "over him." This phrase emphasizes the personal nature of the judgment. The light and lamp are directly connected to his being, his sphere of influence, and his life. The doom is specifically and directly appointed to the individual wicked person.

• is snuffed out (יִדְעָךְ - yidʿāḵ): This verb means to be extinguished, quenched, or put out, particularly in reference to a fire or lamp. It denotes a decisive and complete cessation. While "grows dark" suggests a process, "is snuffed out" signifies the final, abrupt, and irrevocable termination. It points to absolute ruin with no hope of rekindling.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "The light in his tent grows dark": This phrase portrays the gradual decline and eventual failure of the wicked person's well-being, indicating the diminishing of his life-force, joy, and fortune within his very home and family. It speaks to the personal sphere of the individual's demise.
  • "and the lamp above him is snuffed out": This second clause powerfully reinforces and finalizes the first. The lamp's extinguishment signifies the utter termination of the individual's future, his legacy, his line, and his very existence. The repetition of imagery highlights the comprehensive and irreversible nature of the judgment Bildad proclaims. The parallelism serves to amplify the certainty and finality of the wicked person's destruction, showing both the gradual dimming and the ultimate, conclusive end.

Job 18 6 Bonus section

The doubling of the imagery ("light...grows dark" and "lamp...is snuffed out") in Job 18:6 is a characteristic feature of Hebrew poetry known as parallelism. This poetic device serves to emphasize the completeness and certainty of the wicked man's downfall, providing both a process (dimming) and a final outcome (extinguished). The imagery is universal: for humans dependent on light for daily life and safety, its removal means profound disorientation and helplessness. In this context, it speaks of divine judgment bringing total and irreversible destruction upon those deemed wicked, leaving no residue of their past glory or future hope.

Job 18 6 Commentary

Job 18:6 captures the essence of Bildad's argument against Job within the framework of traditional wisdom, where cause-and-effect morality reigns supreme. By asserting that the light in the wicked person's tent grows dark and their lamp is snuffed out, Bildad employs potent imagery that resonates deeply with ancient sensibilities. 'Light' and 'lamp' represent the entirety of life, prosperity, lineage, and reputation—essential aspects of a blessed existence. Their extinction signifies a complete, unavoidable, and final ruin, encompassing personal vitality, familial continuity, and societal standing. The 'tent' highlights the destruction extending to the very core of one's private and family life. This verse is not just a general proverb; it is Bildad's thinly veiled indictment of Job. The tragedy and irony lie in the fact that much of what Bildad describes here has literally happened to Job. Yet, Bildad, like Job's other friends, cannot conceive of suffering that falls outside the rigid bounds of divine retribution for sin. The verse functions as a key component in the friends' polemic against Job's assertion of blamelessness in the face of immense suffering, unknowingly preparing the ground for God's later revelation that challenges their narrow theology. This principle, that the wicked inevitably perish, holds true in Scripture (e.g., Ps 1:4), but Job challenges the simplicity of its application in every individual case.