Job 20:11 kjv
His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
Job 20:11 nkjv
His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it will lie down with him in the dust.
Job 20:11 niv
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust.
Job 20:11 esv
His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.
Job 20:11 nlt
Though they are young,
their bones will lie in the dust.
Job 20 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ingrained Sin / Youthful Sins | ||
| Ps 25:7 | Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions... | David pleads against remembering early sins. |
| Prov 5:11-14 | At the end of your life you will groan... saying, "How I hated discipline!" | Consequences of youthful rebellion/licentiousness. |
| Jer 3:25 | We lie down in our shame, and our disgrace covers us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day... | Acknowledging inherited and early sin. |
| Eph 4:22 | ...to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. | Old self corrupted by desires from prior life. |
| Rom 7:23 | ...I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. | Law of sin residing within the inner being. |
| Bones as Essence / Internal Corruption | ||
| Ps 6:2-3 | My bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled... | Physical and internal distress from sin/grief. |
| Ps 31:10 | For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. | Iniquity leading to internal decay. |
| Ps 38:3 | There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. | Sin causing deep physical and internal sickness. |
| Prov 14:30 | ...but envy makes the bones rot. | Emotional sin affecting inner health. |
| Consequences to the Grave | ||
| Gen 3:19 | ...for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. | The universal return to dust/death. |
| Ps 22:15 | My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. | Being brought to death. |
| Job 17:16 | Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Will we descend together into the dust? | The inevitability of descending to the dust of the grave. |
| Ecc 3:20 | All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. | Humanity's common fate of returning to dust. |
| Ecc 12:7 | and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. | Separation of body and spirit at death. |
| Heb 9:27 | And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment... | Death as the inescapable end for humanity. |
| Fate of the Wicked | ||
| Ps 73:17-20 | ...till I perceived their end. Surely you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin... utterly swept away by terrors! | Sudden destruction of the wicked. |
| Prov 11:21 | Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished... | The certainty of punishment for the wicked. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | ...Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. | Receiving just deserts for wickedness. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Sin's ultimate penalty is spiritual death. |
| Rom 2:8-9 | ...but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil... | God's wrath upon those who practice evil. |
| Contrast with Righteous | ||
| Ps 16:9-10 | Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. | Hope of resurrection and no corruption for the righteous. |
| Isa 58:11 | ...and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong... | God strengthens the bones/well-being of the righteous. |
Job 20 verses
Job 20 11 Meaning
Zophar declares that the wicked man's youthful vices and their consequences are deeply embedded within his very being, like marrow in bones. These deeply ingrained corruptions, formed early in life, are so integral to him that they will accompany him even to the grave, symbolizing an inescapable and eternal burden, ultimately leading to a grim, unrestful end in the dust of death.
Job 20 11 Context
Job 20 is the final speech of Zophar the Naamathite. Like his fellow friends, Eliphaz and Bildad, Zophar strongly adheres to the traditional retribution theology prevalent in his culture: the wicked surely suffer greatly, while the righteous are rewarded. In this speech, Zophar elaborates on the swift and comprehensive downfall of the wicked man, despite any temporary prosperity. He details the specific judgments that come upon them, including loss of wealth, health, family, and ultimately, life itself. Zophar presents a highly deterministic view, asserting that God’s justice always catches up to the evildoer, implying Job's suffering must be the result of secret, grave sins. Verse 11 specifically paints a grim picture of the wicked man's inescapable doom, highlighting how deep-seated his sin is, suggesting it affects him from the core of his being until his death, making a polemical statement against anyone who might believe their sins are merely superficial or easily escaped.
Job 20 11 Word analysis
- His bones (עַצְמוֹתָיו - 'ats'mo'taw): In Hebrew thought, "bones" do not simply refer to the skeletal structure. They often symbolize the very core, substance, vitality, or identity of a person. It speaks to the innermost being, the source of strength and life, or the deepest parts of one's physical and emotional constitution. To say sin fills one's bones means it has permeated the entire individual, down to their essential nature, corrupting their very essence. This contrasts with biblical ideas of bones as representing health (Isa 58:11) or stability; here, it signifies pervasive inner corruption.
- are full (מָלְאוּ - male'u): This verb indicates a state of complete saturation, being filled to capacity, overflowing. It emphasizes that the sin is not superficial or incidental but deeply ingrained and overwhelming. There is no empty space; the entirety of the wicked person is imbued with this corruption.
- of the sin of his youth (עֲלוּמָיו - 'alumaw): The Hebrew term 'alûmâw directly translates to "his youth" or "his youthful vigor/prime." Many translations add "sin of" as an interpretive rendering, understanding that Zophar is blaming youthful misdeeds. The implication is that habits and tendencies established in a person's formative years profoundly shape their character and future. It suggests that the corruption isn't just a recent development but has deep roots, originating from choices and actions made in the vigor of their early life. This highlights a progression of decay rather than a sudden fall.
- and it will lie down (וְאִתּוֹ תִּשְׁכָּב - we'itto tishkav): This phrase indicates that the condition or the 'thing' previously described (the sin/its effects) will remain with the wicked man. The verb tishkav means "it will lie down," implying resting, settling, or being buried. This points to an unbroken continuum of the sin's pervasive effects.
- with him (וְאִתּוֹ - we'itto): Emphasizes accompaniment, something inseparable. It means that the consequence or essence of this deeply ingrained sin remains attached to the person, a persistent companion.
- in the dust (עַל־עָפָר - 'al-'afar): "Dust" unequivocally refers to the grave, the final resting place for human remains (Gen 3:19). It signifies death and the ultimate dissolution of the physical body. For something to lie down "in the dust" with him means that the pervasive corruption or its resulting consequences follow him even into death and the afterlife, suggesting a grim and lasting judgment, rather than an escape through death. This contrasts with the hope of the righteous beyond the grave.
Job 20 11 Bonus section
The strong language concerning sin's permeation of "bones" can be seen as a metaphorical anticipation of later New Testament concepts regarding the "old self" (Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22) which is corrupted by deceitful desires and needs to be put off. While Zophar applies this solely to the wicked for their condemnation, the biblical understanding acknowledges humanity's fallen state often involves deep-seated sinful tendencies from birth (Ps 51:5). The ultimate counterpoint to sin filling one's being is found in Christ, who, though sinless, bore the sins of the world in His body on the tree (1 Pet 2:24), providing an avenue for redemption from this deeply ingrained corruption rather than being consumed by it.
Job 20 11 Commentary
Zophar's pronouncement in Job 20:11 encapsulates a core tenet of his (and his friends') flawed theological framework: a rigid, cause-and-effect understanding of suffering directly linked to sin. He asserts that the wicked individual's transgressions are not superficial but deeply rooted, initiated in youth, becoming an integral part of their very essence, symbolized by "bones." This signifies not just outward actions but an inner corruption that saturates their being. The tragic implication is that this ingrained sin is an inseparable part of the person, accompanying them relentlessly through life and into death, right to the grave ("in the dust"). This negates any possibility of peace or escape, contrasting sharply with the hope offered to the righteous, whose future extends beyond physical death. Zophar uses this to strongly suggest Job's immense suffering must stem from deeply hidden, foundational sin, challenging Job’s persistent claim of integrity. However, the larger narrative of Job reveals the inadequacy of this simplistic explanation, demonstrating God's ways are more complex and mysterious.