Topical Bible: Moth: Destructive of Garments

◄ Moth: Destructive of Garments ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, the moth is frequently used as a symbol of destruction and impermanence, particularly in relation to material possessions such as garments. The moth's ability to destroy clothing serves as a metaphor for the transient nature of earthly wealth and the futility of placing trust in material goods.

Biblical References:

1. Job 13:28 : "So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths." In this passage, Job laments the frailty and decay of human life, comparing it to a garment consumed by moths. The imagery underscores the inevitability of decay and the ephemeral nature of human existence.

2. Isaiah 50:9 : "Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment; a moth will devour them." Here, the prophet Isaiah contrasts the enduring help of the Lord with the temporary nature of human adversaries, who, like garments, will be devoured by moths. This serves as a reminder of God's eternal sovereignty over temporal challenges.

3. Isaiah 51:8 : "For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will devour them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations." This verse emphasizes the contrast between the fleeting nature of human power and the everlasting righteousness and salvation of God. The moth's destructive power is used to illustrate the ultimate futility of relying on anything other than divine providence.

4. Hosea 5:12 : "So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah." In this context, God uses the metaphor of a moth to describe His judgment upon Ephraim and Judah. The moth's destructive nature symbolizes the gradual but certain deterioration that comes as a consequence of their unfaithfulness.

5. 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." In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against the accumulation of earthly wealth, which is vulnerable to destruction by moths and other forces. Instead, He encourages the pursuit of heavenly treasures, which are imperishable.

Symbolic Meaning:

The moth, as depicted in these biblical passages, serves as a powerful symbol of the vulnerability and impermanence of material possessions. It is a reminder to believers to focus on spiritual wealth and eternal values rather than transient earthly goods. The destructive nature of the moth highlights the need for reliance on God's enduring righteousness and salvation, which stand in stark contrast to the decay and destruction inherent in the material world.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the imagery of the moth challenges believers to examine their priorities and to place their trust in God rather than in the fleeting security offered by material wealth. The moth's role as a destroyer of garments serves as a metaphor for the broader theme of divine judgment and the consequences of turning away from God's commandments. It calls for a life oriented towards spiritual growth and the pursuit of eternal truths, as opposed to the temporary satisfaction of worldly desires.

Nave's Topical Index

Job 13:28
And he, as a rotten thing, consumes, as a garment that is moth eaten.
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 50:9
Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? see, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 51:8
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
Nave's Topical Index

Hosea 5:12
Therefore will I be to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Two Kinds of Treasure
... Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust ... Moths gnaw rich
garments. ... own foes, every earthly joy has its own destructive opposite; but ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/two kinds of treasure.htm

Conclusion.
... Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ... within a subtle and
malignant principle, whose maturity is utterly destructive of benevolence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clark/the faithful steward/conclusion.htm

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... a breast-plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle'
(Exodus 28:4). These are briefly called his garments, in Revelation the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... Hence it is said again by the soul thus justified and made righteous, 'The Lord
hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

part i
My Life in Christ. <. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... What could be more destructive to the hierarchy of popes, cardinals, and papal nuncios
of the Latin, with the patriarchs ... "They parted my garments among them ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm