Job 8 18

Job 8:18 kjv

If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

Job 8:18 nkjv

If he is destroyed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, 'I have not seen you.'

Job 8:18 niv

But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, 'I never saw you.'

Job 8:18 esv

If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, 'I have never seen you.'

Job 8:18 nlt

But when it is uprooted,
it's as though it never existed!

Job 8 verses

Job 8 18 Meaning

Job 8:18 vividly describes the complete eradication of the wicked from their former prominence and memory. Zophar, continuing his argument, posits that the unrighteous man, once seemingly established, will be utterly uprooted from his place of prosperity and influence. This removal is so definitive that the very ground or environment where he once stood will emphatically disavow ever knowing him, signifying a profound and irreversible erasure from history and collective memory. It's a statement about the impermanence of the wicked's perceived security and the swift, divine judgment that renders their existence forgotten and their legacy nullified.

Job 8 18 Context

Job chapter 8 records Zophar the Naamathite's first speech in response to Job's profound lament and self-justification. Following Job's outpouring in chapters 6 and 7, where he describes the intensity of his suffering and questions God, Zophar enters the conversation as the most severe and dogmatic of Job's three friends. Zophar embodies the rigid, traditional retribution theology common in the ancient Near East: divine justice is simple and immediate – righteousness leads to prosperity, and wickedness inevitably results in suffering and destruction.

In this chapter, Zophar sternly rebukes Job, accusing him of endless words (8:2) and hinting at Job's iniquity as the cause of his suffering (8:6). He draws on common wisdom literature motifs, comparing the fate of the wicked to a paper reed or a marsh plant that withers quickly without water (8:11-13) and a spider's web that offers no security (8:14-15). The verse in question, 8:18, is part of this extended simile depicting the temporary, superficial prosperity of the wicked, which quickly vanishes, leaving no trace. Zophar uses this vivid imagery to emphasize that God’s justice is precise and will certainly root out evil, implying that Job’s great loss can only be due to great sin. His intention is not comforting but chastising, urging Job to confess his hidden sins and return to God.

Job 8 18 Word analysis

• If (כִּי, kī): Introduces a hypothetical or illustrative scenario within Zophar's argument. It sets up a conditional statement regarding the fate of the wicked.
• he is uprooted (נָסַח, nāsaḥ): From the Hebrew root נָסַח (nasach), meaning "to tear up, to uproot, to pull up." This is a strong agricultural metaphor, indicating a sudden, violent, and complete removal from the ground or foundation where something was established. It contrasts with the image of a well-planted tree or vine. The passive form emphasizes that this action is done to the wicked person, implying divine agency in their removal.
• from his place (מִקּומוֹ, miq-qŏmōw): From מָקוֹם (maqom), meaning "place, standing, position." This refers not just to a physical location but also to a man's social standing, reputation, and perceived security or influence. Being uprooted "from his place" signifies a total loss of all he possessed or was known for.
• then (וְאָז, wĕ-ʾāz): A conjunctive adverb signifying "and then," indicating the immediate consequence or outcome of being uprooted.
• the place (מְקוֹם, mĕqōm): Again, maqom, but here it is personified. The environment itself, the very location where the wicked man stood, takes on an active role.
• denies (יְכַחֲשֶׁנּוּ, yəḵaḥăšennū): From the Hebrew verb כָּחַשׁ (kāḥash), meaning "to deal falsely with, to deceive, to deny, to shrink away." In this context, it conveys an emphatic, vigorous denial. It’s more than merely forgetting; it's as if the place itself vehemently repudiates any association, claiming utter ignorance, erasing all historical evidence of the person. This powerful personification underlines the absolute finality and ignominy of the wicked's obliteration.
• him (נוּ, nū): Suffixed pronoun referring back to the wicked man.
• saying (וְאָמַר, wĕʾāmar): "And says," further elaborating on the personification, giving voice to the "place."
• I have never seen you (לֹא רְאִיתִךָ, lōʾ rəʾîṯīḵā): A strong double negative in Hebrew (לֹא...אָמַר - lo... amar, 'not' combined with 'seen'). It's an absolute denial of recognition, as if the person never existed or made any mark on the world. It signifies a complete erasure of memory and presence.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If he is uprooted from his place": This phrase emphasizes the swift, forceful, and complete removal of a seemingly stable individual. The imagery of uprooting from "his place" indicates a loss of foundation, belonging, and every shred of his former life, implying divine judgment that targets their very roots of existence.
• "then the place denies him, saying, 'I have never seen you.'": This powerful personification signifies the utter void left by the wicked. It’s not just people forgetting, but the very earth or context disowning any connection. This conveys a terrifying completeness of erasure, suggesting a life so insignificant or condemned that even its surroundings pretend it never existed, sealing the wicked's fate in total oblivion and ignominy.

Job 8 18 Bonus section

The dramatic use of personification in Job 8:18, where "the place" speaks and denies, is a significant literary device that enhances the verse's impact. It elevates the fate of the wicked from a mere historical footnote to an active repudiation by creation itself, echoing God's ultimate disdain for evil. This kind of vivid imagery, common in Hebrew poetry, serves to impress upon the hearer the severity and completeness of divine judgment on the unrighteous, rendering their very existence inconsequential. This also implicitly contrasts with the eternal establishment and remembrance promised to the righteous by God Himself.

Job 8 18 Commentary

Zophar's words in Job 8:18 represent a stark expression of traditional wisdom, asserting a rigid link between actions and immediate consequences. His imagery of the wicked being "uprooted from his place" is profoundly resonant, utilizing the vulnerability of a plant torn from its sustaining soil to symbolize the sudden collapse of worldly security. The wicked man, no matter how prosperous or deeply entrenched he seemed, has his foundation ripped away. This physical removal leads to a dramatic spiritual and memorial obliteration, expressed through the poignant personification of "the place denies him." This suggests a supernatural erasure; not merely forgetting, but a deliberate repudiation by existence itself. The final phrase, "'I have never seen you,'" is a terrifying pronouncement of absolute non-existence in memory, far more devastating than mere physical death for someone whose life was built on earthly achievement and recognition.

This verse functions as a direct, though misplaced, polemic against any perception of sustained unrighteous success. Zophar aims to counter Job's apparent despair by upholding God's justice as meticulously predictable and unwavering. However, within the broader narrative of Job, this commentary reveals the flaw in the friends' theology: divine justice is indeed perfect, but its unfolding is often mysterious, complex, and transcends human expectation of immediate cause-and-effect, particularly in suffering. The "uprooting" in this book will eventually be reversed for Job, though not in the simplistic terms Zophar envisions, thereby highlighting the limits of their traditional wisdom. The ultimate memory or legacy, as the New Testament often suggests (e.g., Phil 4:3), is found not in worldly establishments but in divine books.