His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

JOB 18:16KJV
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Job 18:16 (KJV)

What does Job 18:16 mean?

Job 18:16 describes a person whose life is being completely destroyed, using the image of a tree whose roots below are dried up and whose branches above are cut off. This verse paints a picture of total ruin, with nothing left to sustain or continue the person’s life or legacy.

In this part of the book of Job, Bildad is speaking to Job and warning him about the fate of the wicked. Bildad uses the metaphor of a tree to show how a person can be devastated from the very foundation (roots) to the outward signs of life (branches), emphasizing the completeness of the downfall he believes awaits those who do evil.

The Hebrew behind Job 18:16

  • "roots" (שָׁרָשׁ, sharash): This word refers to the source or foundation of a tree, and by extension, a person’s foundation or support in life. The image suggests that destruction starts from the deepest, most essential part.
  • "up" (יָבֵשׁ, yavesh): This word means "to be dried up" or "withered." It often carries the sense of something losing all vitality or strength, highlighting the thoroughness of the ruin.
  • "above" (מַעַל, ma‘al): This word points to what is visible or on the surface, like the branches of a tree. It helps show that the destruction is not just hidden or internal, but also outward and obvious.
  • "branch" (קָצִיר, qatzir): This word can mean a shoot or branch, representing the outward growth or future of a person. Its removal means there is no hope for renewal or continuation.
  • "off" (נִמְלָה, nimlah): This word means "to be cut off," stressing the finality and suddenness of the loss.

Why Job 18:16 matters

  • Job 18:16 clarifies that Bildad is not just talking about temporary setbacks, but about a complete and irreversible downfall, both hidden and visible.
  • The verse connects to Bildad’s larger argument that suffering is a sign of wickedness, though the book as a whole questions this idea through Job’s experience.
  • The tree metaphor helps the reader see how ancient people described total loss, using everyday images to express deep truths about life, legacy, and judgment.

Where else these words appear

“off” Hebrew H5243 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
  • Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
  • Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

“roots” Hebrew H8328 · used in 32 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
  • Job 36:30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
  • Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

“branch” Hebrew H7105 · used in 49 verses

  • Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
  • 1 Samuel 6:13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
  • Isaiah 16:9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

“up” Hebrew H3001 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
  • Isaiah 19:5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
  • Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.