Job 13:28 — Word Study
WLCוְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃
BSA◂So manhûwʼ [like a garment that is moth-eaten, falling apart] wastes awaybâlâh▸ [consumes, decaying] like something rottenrâqâb [rottenness, decaying, consumed by corruption] like a moth-eatenʼâkal■ [consumed by larvae] garmentbeged
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְ֭הוּא | and he | Conjunction, pronoun |
| כְּרָקָ֣ב | like rottenness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יִבְלֶ֑ה | he wears out | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד | like a garment | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אֲכָ֣לוֹ | [which] it eats it | Verb qal perfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| עָֽשׁ׃ | a moth | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment. |
| KJV | And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten. |
| ASV | Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. |
| YLT | And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him. |
| WEB | though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. |
| BBE | Though a man comes to nothing like a bit of dead wood, or like a robe which has become food for the worm. |
Where they part company is כְּרָקָ֣ב — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with two comparative phrases, emphasizing the decay of man.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
verbבָּלָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 13:28
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Reflection on Human Frailtygenerated
Job 13:28 illustrates Job's view of human life as fragile and fleeting. He uses the imagery of decay and moth-eaten garments to express the inevitability of deterioration, emphasizing the transient nature of existence. This reflects a broader theme in Job's discourse about suffering and the human condition, as seen in the surrounding verses where he contemplates his own suffering and the limitations of human life.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 30:17–19 | Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest. |
| 2 | Numbers 12:12 | Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” |
| 3 | Job 4:19 | how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth! |
| 4 | Psalm 39:11 | You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah |
| 5 | Hosea 5:12 | So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כְּרָקָ֣ב, ke.ra.Kavgenerated
The word כְּרָקָ֣ב (raqab) refers to rottenness or decay, often used figuratively to describe moral or spiritual corruption. In this verse, it conveys the idea of physical deterioration, illustrating how man, like decaying matter, is subject to the ravages of time and circumstance.
This noun is derived from the root רָקַב (raqab), which also relates to decay. The parsing indicates it is a common masculine singular noun, emphasizing its role in describing the state of being worn out or consumed.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִבְלֶ֑ה (yivleh), meaning he wears out, governs the entire verse. It is followed by a prepositional phrase כְּרָקָ֣ב that describes what man becomes, and a second prepositional phrase כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד that compares man to a garment.
The structure emphasizes the comparison between man and decaying garments, highlighting the theme of mortality and decay in human life.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְּרָקָ֣ב as ἀσκῷ (askō), which means in decay. This choice narrows the focus to the idea of something being in a state of decay, aligning with the theme of deterioration present in the Hebrew text.
The Greek term emphasizes the physical aspect of decay, paralleling the Hebrew's figurative use.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 13:28 shows that man decays like something rotten or a moth-eaten garment. This imagery highlights the frailty of human life and the inevitability of deterioration.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is emphasizing the transient and fragile nature of human life, suggesting that just as things rot and decay, so too does man face deterioration.
The moth-eaten garment symbolizes how life can be worn down and destroyed by time and circumstances, much like clothing that is no longer usable.
Decay represents the suffering and mortality that Job is grappling with, highlighting the harsh realities of life and the human condition.
This verse reflects Job's struggle with suffering and the nature of existence, contributing to the overall discourse on faith and human frailty.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see the fragility of life reflected in my own experiences?
- How can I find hope in the midst of life's inevitable decay?
- What lessons can I learn about the transient nature of material possessions?
- How does understanding human frailty impact my relationships with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist quotes this verse to illustrate human frailty and decay, arguing from Job's reflections on mortality.
Who am as a rotten thing to be consumed, and as a garment that is moth eaten. For as a garment is eaten by the moth sprung out of itself, so man containeth rottenness in himself, whereby he consumeth, and that which he is,Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 13:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he as a rotten thing consumeth,.... This by some Jewish writers (z) is referred to and connected with the driven leaf and dry stubble Job compares himself to, Job 13:25; and so the sense is, that
Read John Gill on Job 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten. Job speaks of himself in the third person, thus forming the transition to the general lot of man (Job 14:1; Psalms 39:11; Hosea 5:12).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe; either, 1. Man, or Job, supposed to be God’ s adversary in this contest. So he speaks of himself in the third person, as is usual in this and other sacred books. So the sense is, he, i.e. this poor frail creature, this carcass or body of mine, which possibly he pointed at with his finger, consumeth or pineth away, &c. So he mentions here the effect of God’ s severe proceedings against him, to wit, his consumption and utter destruction, which was making haste towards him. Or, 2. God, of whom he hitherto spoke in the second person, and now in the third person; such changes of persons being very frequent in poetical writings, such as this is. So he continueth the former discourse; and as…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 13:28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.Ver. 28. And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth] Heb. Waxeth old. He, that is, this poor man, this silly wretch, as David speaketh of himself, Psalms 34:6. Or this body of mine, as Job 19:26; Job pointing to it, as it is like he did there; and Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54. "As a rotten thing" (Heb. as rottenness), "consumeth." When a thing once rotteth, as an apple, flesh, &c., it soon perisheth. Such is man, under pressing afflictions especially. And as a garment that is moth eaten] The beauty whereof is defaced, and the usefulness departed.
Read John Trapp on Job 13 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 28. And he, as a rotten thing] I am like a vessel made of skin; rotten, because of old age, or like a garment corroded by the moth. So the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic understood it. The word he may refer to himself.
Read AdamClarke on Job 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges28. And he as a rotten thing] Or, one who as a rotten thing. Job no more speaks of himself in the first person, but in the third, because he thinks of himself as one of the human race in general, which is feeble and short-lived.
Read Cambridge on Job 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd he, as a rotten thing, consumeth - Noyes renders this, “And I, like an abandoned thing, shall waste away.” Dr.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible28. Rotten thing — Rottenness. Such as caries, or decay, in wood. The most destructive agencies work in silence.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 13 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
So I waste away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.
Tyndale line
And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten.
Such one consumeth like a rotten thing, and as a garment that is motheaten.
Strictly literal
One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, || A moth has consumed him as a garment.”
And yet the body decayeth like a rotten thing, as a garment that the moth hath eaten.
although I am like a rotten thing that wastes away, like a garment that moths have eaten.
From the Latin
Who am to be consumed as rottenness, and as a garment that is moth-eaten.
Simplified
I'm falling apart like something rotten, like moth-eaten clothes.
Though a man comes to nothing like a bit of dead wood, or like a robe which has become food for the worm.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃, while the Septuagint matches only three of the six words. The differences highlight the unique interpretations and translations of the text.
וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃
3 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 13:28
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
It resumes the subj. with emph.
Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
As an emph. predicate, of God
In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
base
H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
. It resumes the subj. with emph.
. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
. As an emph. predicate, of God
. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
1931 huw' hoo
of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a
primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or
it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also
(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;
sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally
(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),
it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,
this, those, which (is), who.
הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.
pron 3p s
1) he, she, it
1a) himself (with emphasis)
1b) resuming subj with emphasis
1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)
1d) (anticipating subj)
1e) (emphasising predicate)
1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron
2) that (with article)
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronounHC/Pp3ms
ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.
רָקָב (raqab) refers to rottenness or decay, often used in a figurative sense. It is derived from the root word רָקַב (raqab), which also relates to decay. The term appears in contexts discussing physical deterioration.
רָקָב n.[m.] rottenness, decay
base
H7538 רָקָב
7538 raqab raw-kawb'
from 7537; decay (by caries):--rottenness (thing).
see HEBREW for 07537
רָקָב (ra.qav) — rottenness.
rottenness, decay (always fig)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
בָּלָה (balah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to become old or worn out. It encompasses the ideas of wearing out through use, enjoying something to the fullest, and implies decay or consumption. The entries indicate that it can be used in both a simple form (Qal) and a causative form (Piel), with a related Aramaic term noted.
[בָּלָה] vb. become old and worn out
Qal wear out
Pi. caus. of Qal.
wear out (trans.)
wear out by use, use to the full, enjoy
base
H1086 [בָּלָה] become old and worn out .wear out
. caus. of Qal. . wear out (trans.)
. wear out by use, use to the full, enjoy
1086 balah baw-law'
a primitive root; to fail; by implication to wear out, decay
(causatively, consume, spend):--consume, enjoy long, become
(make, wax) old, spend, waste.
בָּלָה (ba.lah) — to become old.
1) to wear out, become old
1a) (Qal) to wear out
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to wear out
1b2) to wear out by use, use up completely
1b3) to enjoy, use to the full
Aramaic equivalent: be.la (בְּלָא "to wear out" H1080)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.
H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering
899 beged behg'-ed
from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or
pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,
raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.
see HEBREW for 0898
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.
treachery, deceit
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.
(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.
אָכַל 806 vb. eat
Qal
eat, human subject
of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
fig. of fire, devour, consume
of sword, devour, slay
in genl., devour, consume, destroy
fig. of oppression, devour the poor
Niph.
be eaten by man
be devoured by fire, consumed
be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
Pu. be consumed
Hiph.
cause to eat, feed with
cause to devoure, obj. sword
base
H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject
. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
. fig. of fire, devour, consume
. of sword, devour, slay
. in genl., devour, consume, destroy
. fig. of oppression, devour the poor
. . be eaten by man
. be devoured by fire, consumed
. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
. be consumed
. . cause to eat, feed with
. cause to devoure, obj. sword
398 'akal aw-kal'
a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at
all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),
feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)
meat, X quite.
אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.
1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to eat (human subject)
1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)
1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)
1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)
1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)
1a6) to devour (of oppression)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be eaten (by men)
1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to cause to eat, feed with
1c2) to cause to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to feed
1d2) to cause to eat
1e) (Piel)
1e1) consume
Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVqp3ms/Sp3ms
עָשׁ (ash) refers to a moth, while עֲשַׂב (a.sav) denotes herbage or grass. The word is built from the root associated with vegetation. There is a connection to Aramaic, indicating a broader range of meaning related to plant life.
עָשׁ moth
base
עֲשַׂב n.[m.] herbage, grass
base
H6211a עָשׁ moth H6211b עֲשַׂב herbage, grass
6211 `ash awsh
from 6244; a moth:--moth. See also 5906.
see HEBREW for 06244
see HEBREW for 05906
עָשׁ (ash) — moth.
moth
עֲשַׂב (a.sav) — grass.
herbage, grass
Aramaic of e.sev (עֵ֫שֶׂב "vegetation" H6212)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
moth (`ash; compare Arabic `uththat, "moth"; colloquial, `itt; cac, "worm" (Isa 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm," especially an insect larva in flesh, wood or grain; ses, "moth" (Mt 6:19,20; Lu 12:33); setobrotos, "moth-eaten" (Jas 5:2)):
The moths constitute the larger division of the order Lepidoptera. Two of the points by which they are distinguished from butterflies are that they are generally nocturnal and that their antennae are not club-shaped. Further, the larva in many cases spins a cocoon for the protection of the pupa or chrysalis, which is never the case with butterflies. The Biblical references are to the clothes-moth, i.e. various species of the genus Tinea…
Moth
Heb. ‘ash, from a root meaning “to fall away,” as moth-eaten garments fall to pieces (Job 4:19; 13:28; Isa. 50:9; 51:8; Hos. 5:12).
Gr. ses, thus rendered in Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:33. Allusion is thus made to the destruction of clothing by the larvae of the clothes-moth. This is the only lepidopterous insect referred to in Scripture.
By the Hebrew word we are certainly to understand some species of clothes-moth (tinea). Reference to the destructive habits of the clothes-moth is made in (Job 4:19; 13:28; Psalms 39:11) etc. (The moth is a well-known insect which in its caterpillar state is very destructive to woollen clothing, furs, etc. The egg of the moth, being deposited on the fur or cloth, produces a very small shining insect, which immediately forms a house for itself by cuttings from the cloth. It east away the nap, and finally ruins the fabric. There are more than 1500 species of moths. --McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia.)
The common moth is an insect destructive to woolen cloths. The egg is laid by a small shining worm; which by another transformation becomes a miller. Allusions to the moth, as devouring clothes, and as a frail and feeble insect, are frequent in Scripture, Job 4:19 13:28 27:18 Isa 50:9 Ho 5:12 Mt 6:19,20. See GARMENTS.
The insects called in general moths, of which the above is only one species, are exceedingly numerous. The main genus is called by naturalists Phaloena, and contains more than fifteen hundred species. Moths fly abroad only in the evening and night; differing in this respect from the tribe of butterflies that fly only by day. Their larva, or the worms from which…