Job 13:28
New International Version
“So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.

New Living Translation
I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth-eaten coat.

English Standard Version
Man wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Berean Standard Bible
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

King James Bible
And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

New King James Version
Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

New American Standard Bible
While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

NASB 1995
While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

NASB 1977
While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Legacy Standard Bible
While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Amplified Bible
While I waste away like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Christian Standard Bible
A person wears out like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Man wears out like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

American Standard Version
Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Contemporary English Version
I am rotting away like cloth eaten by worms.

English Revised Version
Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I am like worn-out wineskins, like moth-eaten clothes.

Good News Translation
As a result, I crumble like rotten wood, like a moth-eaten coat.

International Standard Version
So I'm a man who wears out like something rotten, like a garment that has become moth-eaten."

Majority Standard Bible
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

NET Bible
So I waste away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.

New Heart English Bible
though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten.

World English Bible
though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, "" A moth has consumed him as a garment.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he as rottenness will fall away; as a garment the moth ate it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who am to be consumed as rottenness, and as a garment that is moth-eaten.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I will be left to decay like something rotten and like a garment that is being eaten by moths.

New American Bible
Though I wear out like a leather bottle, like a garment the moth has consumed.

New Revised Standard Version
One wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Yet a man is like a worn-out waterskin, and a garment that is moth-eaten.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he is as a skin which wears out, and like clothing which a moth eats.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Though I am like a wine-skin that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I am as that which waxes old like a bottle, or like a moth-eaten garment.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Reproves His Friends
27You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet. 28So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

Cross References
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

Psalm 102:3-11
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers. / My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread. / Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones. ...

Isaiah 50:9
Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them.

Isaiah 51:8
For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

James 1:10-11
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Psalm 103:14-16
For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. / As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. / For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, / because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ...

Romans 8:20-21
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. / It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. / It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

2 Peter 3:10-12
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. / Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness / as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

Matthew 6:19-20
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Hebrews 1:10-12
And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. / You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”


Treasury of Scripture

And he, as a rotten thing, consumes, as a garment that is moth eaten.

And he

Job 30:17-19,29,30
My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest…

Numbers 12:12
Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.

as a garment

Job 4:19
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

Psalm 39:11
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

Hosea 5:12
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

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Bit Consumed Consumeth Dead Decaying Eaten Eateth Food Garment Moth Moth-Eaten Moths Robe Rotten Something Wastes Weareth Wine-Skin Wood Worm
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Bit Consumed Consumeth Dead Decaying Eaten Eateth Food Garment Moth Moth-Eaten Moths Robe Rotten Something Wastes Weareth Wine-Skin Wood Worm
Job 13
1. Job reproves his friends for partiality
14. He professes his confidence in God;
19. and entreats to know his own sins, and God's purpose in afflicting him














So man wastes away
This phrase reflects the transient nature of human life, emphasizing the frailty and mortality of mankind. In the context of the Book of Job, it underscores Job's lament about the human condition and the inevitability of decay and death. This theme is echoed in other scriptures, such as Psalm 39:5, which speaks of the brevity of life, and James 4:14, which compares life to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. The imagery of wasting away also connects to the curse of sin introduced in Genesis 3, where death becomes a part of human existence.

like something rotten
The comparison to something rotten suggests corruption and decay, highlighting the effects of sin on the world. This imagery is used throughout scripture to describe moral and spiritual decay, as seen in Isaiah 64:6, where human righteousness is compared to filthy rags. The rottenness symbolizes the inevitable decline and the ultimate futility of life without divine intervention. It serves as a reminder of the need for redemption and the hope of resurrection, which is fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.

like a moth-eaten garment
The metaphor of a moth-eaten garment illustrates the destructive forces that render something once valuable into something worthless. In ancient times, garments were precious possessions, and moths could easily destroy them, symbolizing vulnerability and impermanence. This imagery is also found in Matthew 6:19-20, where Jesus advises storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth, where moth and rust destroy. The moth-eaten garment serves as a metaphor for the temporal nature of earthly life and possessions, pointing to the eternal value found in a relationship with God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, enduring immense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.

2. God
The sovereign Creator who allows Job's faith to be tested by Satan, yet remains the ultimate authority and source of wisdom throughout the account.

3. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visit Job to offer counsel but often misinterpret his suffering as a result of sin.

4. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

5. Suffering and Testing
The overarching event in the Book of Job, where Job's faith and righteousness are tested through severe trials.
Teaching Points
Human Frailty and Mortality
Job's description of wasting away reminds us of the temporary nature of human life. It calls us to reflect on our mortality and the importance of living with an eternal perspective.

The Reality of Suffering
Suffering is a part of the human experience, and Job's lament highlights the depth of pain that can accompany it. Believers are encouraged to seek God amidst their trials, trusting in His ultimate wisdom and purpose.

The Need for Righteousness
Despite his suffering, Job maintains his integrity. This challenges us to pursue righteousness and faithfulness, even when circumstances are difficult.

The Importance of Perspective
Job's imagery of decay serves as a reminder to focus on what is eternal rather than temporary. Believers are called to invest in spiritual growth and treasures in heaven.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Job's trials and his response underscore the importance of trusting in God's sovereignty, even when His ways are beyond our understanding.Verse 28. - And he. The change of person is very strange, but not unknown to the Hebrew idiom. It is impossible that any one but Job himself can be meant. As a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten. An allusion to the character of the disease from which he is suffering.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So man
וְ֭הוּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

wastes away
יִבְלֶ֑ה (yiḇ·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1086: To fail, to wear out, decay

like something rotten,
כְּרָקָ֣ב (kə·rā·qāḇ)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7538: Rottenness, decay

like a moth-eaten
אֲכָ֣לוֹ (’ă·ḵā·lōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

garment.
כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד (kə·ḇe·ḡeḏ)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage


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OT Poetry: Job 13:28 Though I am decaying like a rotten (Jb)
Job 13:27
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