Job 20:11
in Job 20The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
KJV
His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
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This verse in Job 20
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
His bones are full of the sin of his youth - The words “of the sin” in our common translation are supplied by the translators. Gesenius and Noyes suppose that the Hebrew means, “His bones are full of youth;” that is, full of vigor and strength, and the idea according to this would be, that he would be cut off in the fulness of his strength.
This site's exposition
fly away like a dream
on Job 20:8-11
The wicked man's end is pictured as a dream that leaves no trace: "he will be chased away like a vision in the night". His sons "will seek the favor of the poor", for "his own hands must return his wealth", restoring what he took from them.
This site's exposition
The youthful vigor that fills his bones
Barnes notes that the King James translators supplied the words of sin, and reports Gesenius and Noyes reading bones full of youthful vigor. The man is cut off in his strength and lies down in the dust. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown hear an echo of Job 17:16.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
It is apparent that this retribution of pain must be understood to be after death, when the text adds, "His bones will be full of the vices of his youth and they will sleep with him in the dust," as if to say: Even after …
"Their bones are full of marrow and will lie down in the dust with them." By the "marrow" that is inside the bones, the author signifies prosperity. That is, from his former prosperity he will pass to a profound abasement, so that he will not …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
No, he is likely to carry his pains and diseases with him to the grave, or rather they are likely to carry him thither, and so the sins of his youth shall lie down with him in the dust; the very putrefying of his body in the grave is to him the effect of sin ( ch. xxiv. 19 ), so that his iniquity is upon his bones there, Ezek. xxxii. The sin of sinners follows them to the other side death.
); for those are the sins which, at that age, people are most tempted to. The forbidden pleasures of sense are said to be sweet in his mouth (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
His bones are full of the sins of his youth,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
UMBREIT translates, "full of his secret sins," as in Ps 90:8; his secret guilt in his time of seeming righteousness, like secret poison, at last lays him in the dust. The English Version is best. Zophar alludes to Job's own words (Job 17:16). with him--His sin had so pervaded his nature that it accompanies him to the grave: for eternity the sinner cannot get rid of it (Re 22:11).
His bones are full of the sin of his youth - Our translators have followed the Vulgate, Ossa ejus implebuntur vitiis adolescentiae ejus; “his bones shall be filled with the sins of his youth.” The Syriac and Arabic have, his bones are full of marrow; and the Targum is to the same sense. At first view it might appear that Zophar refers to those infirmities in old age, which are the consequences of youthful vices and irregularities. עלומו alumau, which we translate his youth, may be rendered his hidden things; as if he had said, his secret vices bring down his strength to the dust. For this rendering Rosenmuller contends, and several other German critics. Mr. Good contends for the same.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
His sons will placate the poor This reply was stated in reference to the people of Sodom, who were robbers and were cruel to the poor.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
be sweet So is the custom of a wicked man: if evil is sweet in his mouth and he does not see now the moment for it to take effect. though he hide it under his tongue until the time comes when it will prosper.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו | atzmotav | bones his | H6106 → | 126 times |
| מָלְא֣וּ | malu | they were full | H4390 → | 249 times |
| עֲלוּמָ֑יו | alumov | youthful vigor<s> his | H5934 → | |
| וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ | veimo | and with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עָפָ֥ר | ʾafar | [the] dust | H6083 → | 110 times |
| תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ | tishkav | it will lie down | H7901 → | 212 times |
עַ֭צְמוֹתָיוbones his
atzmotavH6106 →126 times
מָלְא֣וּthey were full
maluH4390 →249 times
עֲלוּמָ֑יוyouthful vigor<s> his
alumovH5934 →
וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹand with him
veimoH5973 →1050 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עָפָ֥ר[the] dust
ʾafarH6083 →110 times
תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃it will lie down
tishkavH7901 →212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 8:24That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
it leads to
- John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
- Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
- John 3:18
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
- Hebrews 10:26–29
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
- Hebrews 12:25
See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if…
- John 3:36
Through
Psalms 25:7Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD.
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
- Isaiah 38:17
Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
- Hebrews 10:16–18
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
- Isaiah 43:25
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON JOB 20:11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.