Job 5:26 kjv
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
Job 5:26 nkjv
You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
Job 5:26 niv
You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.
Job 5:26 esv
You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
Job 5:26 nlt
You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!
Job 5 26 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Gen 15:15 | "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace..." | Abraham's promise of a long, peaceful life and death. |
Gen 25:8 | "Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age..." | Abraham's death fulfilling the promise, "full of years." |
Exod 20:12 | "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long..." | Commandment linking long life to honoring parents. |
Deut 5:33 | "...that you may live and that it may go well with you..." | Promise of well-being and longevity for obedience. |
Deut 30:20 | "...that you may live and multiply, you and your offspring..." | Promise of life and multiplication through love and obedience to God. |
Josh 23:14 | "Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth..." | Joshua's peaceful farewell after a long life serving God. |
1 Chr 29:28 | "He died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor..." | David's death as an example of a blessed end. |
Prov 3:2 | "...length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." | Wisdom bringing longevity and peace. |
Prov 3:16 | "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." | Wisdom personified offering long life. |
Prov 10:27 | "The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short." | Contrast between life outcomes for the righteous and wicked. |
Ps 37:37 | "Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace." | Promise of a peaceful end for the righteous. |
Ps 91:16 | "With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." | God's promise of satisfaction through a full life for those who love Him. |
Isa 65:20 | "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days... a person who fails to reach 100 is considered accursed." | Prophecy of a future where long life is the norm, representing ultimate blessing. |
Job 42:16-17 | "After this, Job lived 140 years... He died, old and full of days." | Job's own restored end, fulfilling the spirit of Eliphaz's promise. |
Matt 13:30 | "Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’" | Parable of wheat and weeds; harvest as a metaphor for final judgment/gathering. |
Rev 14:15 | "...Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." | Eschatological harvest, depicting the gathering of souls. |
Ecc 7:17 | "Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool, why should you die before your time?" | Caution against actions leading to premature death. |
Gen 49:29 | "...I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers..." | Jacob's request to be buried with his ancestors, a desire for a collective, peaceful rest. |
Num 27:13 | "...when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people..." | Moses' destiny to die and be "gathered to his people," emphasizing a natural passing. |
Ps 1:3 | "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither." | Imagery of prosperity and fruitfulness in season for the righteous. |
Jer 9:22 | "And their dead bodies shall lie as dung upon the open field... like grain that no one gathers." | Contrast of unburied dead/ungathered grain representing judgment and curse. |
Job 5 verses
Job 5 26 Meaning
Job 5:26 presents Eliphaz's counsel to Job, assuring him that if he turns to God, he will experience a blessed life culminating in a peaceful, natural death at an old age. The verse paints a picture of life's full cycle, where death comes like a timely harvest, a natural and appropriate end to a well-lived existence. It signifies completeness, honor, and the culmination of God's favor, rather than a premature or violent end.
Job 5 26 Context
Job 5:26 is part of Eliphaz the Temanite's first response to Job (chapters 4-5). Eliphaz attempts to explain Job's suffering through the conventional wisdom of the day: that God is just and punishes the wicked while blessing the righteous. He encourages Job to confess his presumed sin and turn back to God (Job 5:8). In verses 5:17-26, Eliphaz details the abundant blessings that will befall Job if he takes this advice. The promise of a peaceful old age and an honorable burial, "like sheaves gathered in their season," is the culmination of these anticipated blessings, suggesting a divinely orchestrated, favorable end. While the advice itself proves to be based on an incomplete understanding of God's ways (as the book ultimately shows), the ideal blessing described by Eliphaz reflects a deep-seated Old Testament value regarding a prosperous and divinely favored life ending in peace.
Job 5 26 Word analysis
- You will come (תָּבֹא, tavo): The verb is in the imperfect tense, denoting a future certainty or prediction. It implies a destination, an arrival, suggesting a journey completed to its proper end. The subject is singular, directly addressing Job.
- to your grave (אֶל־קָבֶר, ʾel-qāver): Qāver (קָבֶר) specifically means a sepulchre or burial place. The prepositive particle ʾel (אֶל) denotes "to" or "towards." This highlights a significant aspect of ancient culture where a proper, designated grave within family grounds was a sign of honor and belonging, distinct from an unmarked or violent death.
- in ripe old age (בִּכְלִיל גִיל, bi-khelil gil): Kelil (כְּלִיל) signifies "completeness" or "perfection." Gil (גִיל) refers to "age" or "period of life." Combined, bi-khelil gil conveys "in the fullness of age," "in complete age," or "at a full ripe age." It emphasizes a life lived to its natural maximum, achieving full maturity and not being cut short.
- like sheaves (כְּגָדִישׁ, ke-gadish): Ke- (כְּ) is a comparative particle meaning "like" or "as." Gadish (גָדִישׁ) refers to a stack, shock, or heap of harvested grain. This is a vivid agricultural metaphor, indicating a natural process of maturation and ingathering. The sheaf represents the sum of a season's growth, carefully collected and prepared.
- gathered in their season (בְּעִתּוֹ, beʿitto): Beʿitto (בְּעִתּוֹ) translates as "in its time" or "in its season." This phrase signifies timeliness and appropriateness. It means the harvest is collected when it is fully ripe and ready, not prematurely or too late, underscoring that the death will occur at the divinely appointed and fitting moment for a full life, rather than through accident or misfortune.
Job 5 26 Bonus section
The metaphor of "sheaves gathered in their season" suggests not only a long life but also one that is productive and fruitful. The "sheaf" represents the summation of one's efforts and the spiritual harvest of their life, ready for presentation. This imagery provides comfort by associating death with a peaceful collection rather than a sudden, violent cutting. While Eliphaz intends this as part of a conditional blessing linked to repentance, the underlying sentiment about the desirable nature of a long, peaceful life ending "in its season" resonates throughout the Old Testament as a sign of God's favor and perfect timing for those who are His.
Job 5 26 Commentary
Eliphaz, from the vantage point of traditional wisdom theology, presents a future of peace and a timely end for Job, contingent upon his repentance. The core message is one of blessing, where a righteous life naturally concludes with longevity and a dignified burial. The powerful agrarian imagery of "sheaves gathered in their season" evokes the natural order of growth, maturity, and a fruitful harvest. Just as a farmer waits patiently for the grain to ripen fully before gathering it, so too, God's people, if righteous, are expected to live out their full appointed years before being gathered into eternal rest. This speaks to the cycle of life, fulfillment, and a graceful departure rather than a harsh or abrupt end. While Eliphaz's overall assessment of Job's situation was ultimately flawed and did not grasp the mystery of righteous suffering, this particular promise of a long, full, and peaceful life and death resonated deeply with ancient Near Eastern and Israelite ideals of divine blessing, and indeed, Job himself is ultimately granted a long life after his trials (Job 42:16-17). The verse implies completeness and a well-lived life's natural culmination, representing God's ultimate intention for His faithful.