Job 18:13 (KJV)

What does Job 18:13 mean?

Job 18:13 describes a person suffering so severely that even the strength and health of his skin are consumed, and it pictures "the firstborn of death" as a force that devours his strength. The verse uses vivid language to show that death is not just an end, but an active, destructive power overwhelming the person.

In this part of the book of Job, Bildad is speaking to Job, warning him about the fate of the wicked. Bildad uses strong imagery to say that disaster and death will eat away at a person's very body and vitality. The phrase "firstborn of death" suggests the most powerful or chief agent of death, emphasizing how total and unstoppable this destruction is.

The Hebrew behind Job 18:13

• "Devour" (אָכַל, 'akal) means to eat or consume. Here, it paints a picture of something relentlessly eating away at the person's body, not just harming but completely consuming.
• "Strength" (בַּד, bad) can refer to the limbs or members of the body, not just abstract strength. This suggests that the destruction is physical and visible, not just a loss of energy.
• "Skin" (עוֹר, 'or) is the outer covering of the body, so the verse is describing suffering that is visible and severe, affecting even the surface of the person.
• "Firstborn" (בְּכוֹר, bekhor) often means the most important or chief. "Firstborn of death" (בְּכוֹר מָוֶת, bekhor mavet) is a poetic way to describe the most powerful or deadly force associated with death.

Why Job 18:13 matters

• The verse clears up that Bildad is not just talking about spiritual suffering, but a real, physical wasting away that others can see.
• The phrase "firstborn of death" highlights how death is personified as an active, almost living force, not just a passive event.
• This verse connects to Bildad's larger speech, where he warns Job that the fate of the wicked is total ruin, using graphic and memorable language to make his point.