Job 24 20

Job 24:20 kjv

The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

Job 24:20 nkjv

The womb should forget him, The worm should feed sweetly on him; He should be remembered no more, And wickedness should be broken like a tree.

Job 24:20 niv

The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.

Job 24:20 esv

The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.'

Job 24:20 nlt

Their own mothers will forget them.
Maggots will find them sweet to eat.
No one will remember them.
Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.

Job 24 verses

Job 24 20 Meaning

Job 24:20 vividly describes the complete and utter demise of an unrighteous individual, emphasizing a multi-faceted destruction. It portrays their origin (the "womb") forgetting them, their physical body being consumed by decay ("worm feeds sweetly"), their memory obliterated ("no longer remembered"), and their power or life source (symbolized by "unrighteousness" or the "wicked") violently severed and broken, like a tree felled to the ground. The verse underscores a final, dishonorable end, leaving no trace or legacy.

Job 24 20 Context

Job 24 is part of Job’s extended response and lament, where he grapples with the pervasive injustice he observes in the world. Chapters 22 and 23 see Eliphaz accusing Job of sin and Job passionately declaring his innocence and longing to appeal directly to God. Chapter 24 then shifts to Job cataloging various acts of wicked men (e.g., Job 24:1-17), emphasizing that they commit heinous deeds—like stealing from the poor, moving landmarks, oppressing the needy—and often seem to escape immediate divine judgment. This stark reality flies in the face of the traditional retribution theology espoused by his friends, who insist that suffering only comes to the wicked.

Verse 20 introduces a sudden, seemingly hopeful shift, asserting the eventual, decisive downfall of the unrighteous. Scholars debate if verses 18-25 represent Job's own shifting conviction, a quote of traditional wisdom he briefly assents to, or a sarcastic articulation of what should happen but often doesn't. Regardless, in verse 20, Job is articulating the common belief about the wicked's ultimate destiny: complete obliteration and disgrace. The verse contrasts the temporary prosperity of the wicked, which Job vividly described earlier, with their certain and irreversible future judgment. In the ancient Near East, remembrance, a lasting name, and progeny were paramount; to be "forgotten" and for one's "womb" (or ancestral line/source) to forget them was the ultimate curse, a wiping away from existence and memory.

Job 24 20 Word analysis

• The womb forgets him: (Hebrew: תִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם - tishkachehu rechem)
  • תִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ (tishkachehu): Verb from שָׁכַח (shakach), meaning "to forget," in the Hiphil form it implies "causing to forget" or here simply "will forget." "Him" is the direct object suffix. Significance: Represents utter oblivion. It's a profound reversal of natural order; a mother or origin never truly forgets. This implies complete erasure from any familial or ancestral memory, severing all bonds, signifying the most profound social and existential death.
  • רֶחֶם (rechem): "womb." Signifies origin, source, parental bond, or even figuratively, the place of human connection and compassion. To be forgotten by one's "womb" is the deepest rejection, the undoing of one's very existence and identity in human memory. It's an image of profound disconnection.
• the worm feeds sweetly on him; (Hebrew: מָתְקוֹ רִמָּה - matqo rimmah)
  • מָתְקוֹ (matqo): From מָתַק (mataq), "to be sweet." Here, it's a substantive: "his sweetness," or adverbially, "sweetly upon him." It indicates a full and eager consumption. The worm "enjoys" its meal.
  • רִמָּה (rimmah): "worm," specifically maggots or putrefying worms. Significance: A vivid image of bodily decay, humiliation, and a return to dust. The worm's "sweet" feeding is either ironic, highlighting the revolting reality of the body's decomposition, or it emphasizes the thoroughness and inescapable nature of this corruption. It is the ultimate indignity for one who might have been outwardly glorious or powerful.
• he is no longer remembered. (Hebrew: עוֹד לֹא יִזָּכֵר - od lo yizzaker)
  • עוֹד (od): "still, yet, anymore." Reinforces the finality.
  • לֹא (lo): "not."
  • יִזָּכֵר (yizzaker): From זָכַר (zakhar), "to remember," here in the Niphal (passive) form, "be remembered." Significance: Reiteration of the first phrase's theme but from a broader societal perspective. The "womb" forgetting points to origin, while "no longer remembered" points to general memory. In ancient cultures, a lasting name and memory through descendants were crucial for immortality. This signifies total obliteration, worse than physical death.
• Unrighteousness is broken like a tree. (Hebrew: וַתִּישָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עוּלָה - vattishshaver ka'etz ʿulāh)
  • וַתִּישָּׁבֵר (vattishshaver): From שָׁבַר (shavar), "to break," here in the Niphal (passive) form, "be broken" or "smashed." Implies violent destruction.
  • כָּעֵץ (ka'etz): כְּ (ke) - "like," עֵץ (etz) - "tree." Significance: The "tree" often symbolizes strength, stability, life, or power (e.g., kings, nations, flourishing individuals). To be "broken like a tree" signifies being felled, uprooted, or shattered. It represents a sudden, forceful, and complete end to strength or vitality. It is a common metaphor for downfall in prophetic and wisdom literature.
  • עוּלָה (ʿulāh): This is a crucial term, meaning "wickedness," "iniquity," or "unrighteousness" (from עָוֶל - avvel, meaning injustice/perversity). While some translations render this as "the wicked" (referring to the wicked person), the Hebrew word literally refers to the abstract quality of unrighteousness itself. This can be understood as: (1) The very principle of unrighteousness is broken or (2) the personification of unrighteousness (i.e., the wicked person who embodies it) is broken. Most commentators lean toward the second interpretation due to the parallelism with the "he" in the preceding clauses. However, understanding it as wickedness itself being broken adds another layer: the destruction of the person implies the vanquishing of the wickedness they represented.

Job 24 20 Bonus section

The profound descriptions in Job 24:20 speak not just to physical death, but to a holistic, existential annihilation that would have resonated deeply with ancient audiences. The "womb forgets him" taps into the deep cultural value placed on continuation through family and legacy. For an individual's name to vanish was the greatest dishonor. This goes beyond natural death and into a state of divine abandonment, where even the source of life forgets the person. The detailed decay, contrasting with the often opulent burials of powerful figures, is a powerful theological statement about divine judgment, regardless of worldly status. This vivid language serves as a theological affirmation that God's justice, though mysterious and often delayed in Job's eyes, is ultimately comprehensive and absolute against wickedness. It subtly defends God's character by reaffirming the inevitable fate of the wicked, even when current observation seems to contradict it.

Job 24 20 Commentary

Job 24:20 serves as a powerful declaration concerning the ultimate fate of those who practice wickedness. Despite the apparent prosperity or unpunished actions of the wicked that Job observes (as detailed in the preceding verses), this verse asserts their inevitable and ignominious end. The language employed is incredibly vivid and comprehensive, encompassing destruction on multiple levels.

First, "The womb forgets him" speaks to a complete severance of the deepest human bonds and memory. In a society that valued lineage and lasting legacy above almost all else, to be forgotten by one's origin, to have no name remembered, was the worst form of non-existence. This implies a complete erasure not only from living memory but from any historical record or continuation.

Second, the macabre image of "the worm feeds sweetly on him" underscores the physical humiliation and decay. The "sweetness" here is often interpreted ironically, highlighting the revolting pleasure the consuming maggots take in the body, symbolizing the utter indignity and putrefaction that awaits the unrighteous in death. It contrasts sharply with any perceived "sweetness" of their life or success, revealing their final, disgusting state.

Third, "he is no longer remembered" reinforces the theme of utter oblivion, going beyond family to the wider community. It signifies the permanent eradication of their name and influence, an anathema in ancient cultures where a good name endured.

Finally, "Unrighteousness is broken like a tree" vividly describes the violent end. The strong, flourishing "tree" is a common metaphor for a powerful or successful individual, but here, it's shattered. The use of "unrighteousness" (ʿulāh) rather than directly "the wicked one" can imply that it's not just the person who falls, but the very force or essence of their wickedness that is decisively crushed. This ultimate breaking signifies a comprehensive, unrecoverable defeat, demonstrating that while divine justice may be delayed, its judgment is final and total, uprooting and shattering the foundations of evil itself or those who embody it. The verse provides a solemn and sobering reflection on the absolute downfall of the ungodly, ensuring that their transient success leaves no lasting trace.