Job 18 · Verse 13

Job 18:13

It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
Job 18:13, King James Version

Job 18:13 in other translations

BSBIt devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs.
WEBThe members of his body will be devoured. The firstborn of death will devour his members.
ASVThe members of his body shall be devoured, Yea, the first-born of death shall devour his members.
YLTIt consumeth the parts of his skin, Consume his parts doth death's first-born.
DARBYThe firstborn of death devoureth the members of his body; it will devour his members.
BBEHis skin is wasted by disease, and his body is food for the worst of diseases.
WebsterIt shall devour the strength of his skin: even the first-born of death shall devour his strength.

What does Job 18:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. Umbreit has "he" for "it," that is, "in the rage of hunger he shall devour his own body"; or, "his own children" (La 4:10). Rather, "destruction" from Job 18:12 is nominative to "devour." strength--rather, "members" (literally, the "branches" of a tree). the first-born of death--a personification full of poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief place (Ge 49:3); so here the chiefest (most deadly) disease that death has ever engendered (Is 14:30; "first-born of the poor"--the poorest). The Arabs call fever, "daughter of death."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 It shall devour the strength of his skin - This may refer to the elephant, or to the rhinoceros, whose skin scarcely any dart can pierce: but in the case referred to above, the animal is taken in a pitfall, and then the first-born of death - a sudden and overwhelming stroke - deprives him of life. See the account of hunting the elephant in the East at the end of the chapter, Job 18:21 (note). The Chaldee has: "The strength of his skin shall devour his flesh; and the angel of death shall consume his children."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 18:11-21

Bildad describes the destruction wicked people are kept for, in the other world, and which in some degree, often seizes them in this world. The way of sin is the way of fear, and leads to everlasting confusion, of which the present terrors of an impure conscience are earnests, as in Cain and Judas. Miserable indeed is a wicked man's death, how secure soever his life was. See him dying; all that he trusts to for his…

Read the full comment on Job 18:11-21 →

Job 18:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יֹ֭אכַלYo.khalit consumesH398
בַּדֵּ֣יba.Dei[the] parts ofH905
עוֹר֑וֹo.Roskin hisH5785
יֹאכַ֥לyo.Khalit consumesH398
בַּ֝דָּ֗יוba.Davparts hisH905
בְּכ֣וֹרbe.Khor[the] firstborn ofH1060
מָֽוֶת\׃Ma.vetdeathH4194

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 18:13

  • Zechariah 14:12

    And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

  • Revelation 6:8

    And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

  • Job 17:16

    They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

  • Jonah 2:6

    I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

  • Genesis 49:3

    Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

  • Isaiah 14:30

    And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
strength. Heb. bars.
17:16; Jon 2:6
the firstborn.
Ge 49:3; Isa 14:30; Re 6:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 18:12

    His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

  • Job 18:13

    It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

  • Job 18:14

    His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

Read all of Job 18

Job 18:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El primogénito de la muerte comerá los ramos de su piel, y devorará sus miembros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Le premier-né de la mort dévore les membres de son corps, il dévore ses membres.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Der Erstgeborene des Todes wird fressen die Glieder seines Leibes, seine Glieder wird er fressen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Devoret pulchritudinem cutis ejus; consumat brachia illius primogenita mors.