Job 27 18

Job 27:18 kjv

He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

Job 27:18 nkjv

He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes.

Job 27:18 niv

The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman.

Job 27:18 esv

He builds his house like a moth's, like a booth that a watchman makes.

Job 27:18 nlt

The wicked build houses as fragile as a spider's web,
as flimsy as a shelter made of branches.

Job 27 verses

Job 27 18 Meaning

Job 27:18 vividly portrays the inherent insecurity and futility of the wicked person's achievements and presumed stability. Their efforts to establish a legacy or acquire wealth are depicted as transient and fragile. Building "like a moth" refers not to a durable structure but to a moth's web or the fabric it damages and consumes, which is delicate, easily destroyed, and lacks substance. Similarly, building "like a booth made by a watchman" signifies something temporary, quickly erected for a provisional purpose, offering minimal shelter, and easily abandoned or dismantled. This verse asserts that the unrighteous ultimately construct nothing of lasting value or genuine security, for their foundation is flawed, and their end is ruin.

Job 27 18 Context

Job 27:18 is part of Job’s final extended discourse (chapters 27-31). Following the conclusion of his friends' arguments, Job emphatically reasserts his righteousness and integrity before God (Job 27:1-6). He then shifts his focus, not to directly rebutting his friends, but to defining the true fate of the wicked, outlining their ultimate downfall despite any temporary prosperity they might experience. This speech stands in tension with much of what his friends argued (that the wicked immediately suffer and only the righteous prosper). Job concedes that God indeed judges the wicked, but perhaps on a longer timeline or in ways not fully discernible by human wisdom alone. In verses 13-23 of chapter 27, Job provides a detailed and somewhat graphic description of the wicked's destiny, characterized by swift destruction, lack of inheritance, and terror. Verse 18 fits precisely into this theme, illustrating the flimsy and insecure nature of everything the wicked build and rely upon. Historically and culturally, in the ancient Near East, a "house" often signified not just a dwelling but also one's lineage, legacy, security, and dynastic endurance. The verse thus undermines the prevailing notion that worldly success equates to divine favor or lasting permanence, challenging the very idea of building a human legacy apart from God.

Job 27 18 Word analysis

• He builds (יִבְנֶה - yivneh): A common verb for construction. Here, it highlights the action of the wicked in attempting to establish permanence. The very act of building implies an intent for stability and longevity, which the similes immediately negate.
• his house (בֵּיתוֹ - beito): "House" (bayit) can refer to a physical dwelling, but often, especially in Hebrew thought, it signifies one's family, lineage, dynasty, estate, or reputation. The verse describes the attempt of the wicked to secure their entire legacy and future, only for it to be rendered insignificant.
• like a moth (כָעָשׁ - ka'ash): עָשׁ (ʿāsh) refers to a moth, specifically the clothes moth (as in Isa 51:8, Psa 39:11). The simile "like a moth" carries multiple layers of meaning:
  • Fragility/Weakness: A moth's work (e.g., a cocoon, web, or damage it causes) is inherently delicate and easily destroyed. It is not something designed to last.
  • Destructiveness/Decay: Moths consume and destroy valuable fabrics, signifying a foundation based on decay or built upon ruin. What the wicked "build" may in fact be based on corrupt practices or lead to its own internal decay.
  • Transience/Shortness: A moth has a very short lifespan, echoing the ephemeral nature of the wicked person's success.
  • Some interpretations suggest the "house of a moth" refers to the delicate cobweb or spider web (qûr 'akkābîsh in Job 8:14, although a different word), implying something fine but utterly unsubstantial and easily swept away.
• like a booth (וּכְסֻכָּה - uk'sukah): סֻכָּה (sukkâ) is a temporary shelter or hut. It implies:
  • Provisional/Temporary: A sukkah is never meant to be permanent. It is erected for a specific, short-term purpose (e.g., for agricultural workers during harvest, or a guard).
  • Vulnerability/Exposure: Unlike a solidly built house, a sukkah offers minimal protection against the elements (rain, wind, heat) or intruders. It is inherently exposed.
  • Ease of Removal: It can be quickly disassembled or abandoned once its temporary purpose is served.
• made by a watchman (עָשָׂה נוֹצֵר - asah notzer): נוֹצֵר (notzêr) refers to a guard or watchman, typically one guarding a vineyard or field. The "booth made by a watchman" reinforces the temporary nature: a watchman's purpose is limited to the growing season, and his shelter is practical, makeshift, and necessary only for that short duration, then discarded.

Words-group analysis:

• He builds his house: This phrase immediately sets up the expectation of permanence and security, which is then dramatically subverted by the ensuing similes. The focus is on the human attempt at creating stability.
• like a moth, like a booth: The doubling of the "like" simile (k prefix) emphasizes and intensifies the point of frailty and temporariness. Both images are powerful analogies for impermanence, vulnerability, and lack of true substance. They collectively paint a picture of efforts that, despite outward appearance or intent, are ultimately destined for ruin. The contrast between "building a house" and the reality of its moth-like or booth-like nature highlights the fundamental flaw in the wicked's understanding of security and permanence.

Job 27 18 Bonus section

The verse stands as a profound poetic illustration within the Wisdom Literature tradition, which often contrasts the fate of the righteous and the wicked. It subtly asserts divine oversight, suggesting that ultimate stability and legacy are not results of human accumulation or power, but rather divinely granted or preserved. While Job’s friends argued that such a transient state was immediate proof of wickedness, Job presents it as the ultimate end of the wicked, regardless of their present prosperity. This aligns with a broader biblical understanding that true wealth is not material but spiritual, and true security rests in God, not in earthly possessions or self-made achievements. The brevity and inherent vulnerability described apply not just to material structures but to entire lifespans and the very memory of the unrighteous.

Job 27 18 Commentary

Job 27:18 powerfully conveys that the prosperity and security attained by the wicked are illusory. Despite their ambition to establish a lasting "house" (be it wealth, dynasty, or reputation), their endeavors are as fundamentally unsound and transient as a moth's web or a field watchman's hut. This fragility stems from their lack of true, righteous foundation. A moth's work is fragile and destructive; a watchman's booth is hastily constructed for short-term utility and readily abandoned. Both images vividly demonstrate that the wicked's attempts at security are neither enduring nor truly protective against the ultimate forces of judgment and time. Their works crumble or are consumed, leaving nothing of value behind.