He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

JOB 18:19KJV
Know the Bible

Job 18:19 (KJV)

What does Job 18:19 mean?

Job 18:19 describes a person who will have no descendants or relatives left among his people, and no survivors living in his home. This verse paints a picture of total isolation and the end of a family line, emphasizing complete loss and abandonment.

In this part of the book of Job, Bildad the Shuhite is speaking to Job, warning about the fate of the wicked. Bildad claims that someone who opposes God will be left without children ("son" or "nephew") or any remaining family, highlighting the idea of utter devastation. The verse is part of Bildad’s argument that suffering is a sign of God’s judgment, though the book as a whole questions this view.

The Hebrew behind Job 18:19

  • בֵּן (ben; "son"): This word means a direct male descendant. Bildad’s use of "son" underscores the idea that the person’s family line will be completely cut off, with no children to carry on the name.
  • נֶכֶד (neched; "nephew"): Often understood as "grandson" or "descendant," this word broadens the scope beyond immediate children to include any future generations. Bildad is stressing that not even distant descendants will survive.
  • עָם (am; "people"): This refers to the person’s own community or nation. The verse emphasizes that the lack of descendants is not just a private loss, but one visible and recognized among the wider community.
  • שָׂרִיד (sarid; "remaining"): This word means "survivor" or "remnant." Bildad is saying there will be no one left at all from this person’s household, highlighting total extinction.
  • מָעוֹן (maon; "dwellings"): This word refers to the person’s home or place of living. The loss is not just of people, but of the household itself—no one will remain in the family’s dwelling places.

Why Job 18:19 matters

  • Job 18:19 clarifies that Bildad is describing the ultimate disgrace and loss in ancient culture: having no descendants or survivors, which meant a family’s name and memory would disappear.
  • The verse shows how Bildad interprets suffering as a direct result of wickedness, which is a central debate in the book of Job and helps the reader see why Job’s friends misunderstand his situation.
  • Understanding the specific Hebrew words adds depth, revealing that Bildad’s warning is not just about immediate family, but about the total erasure of a person’s legacy and presence from the community.

Where else these words appear

“son” Hebrew H5209 · used in 3 verses

  • Genesis 21:23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
  • Isaiah 14:22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

“nephew” Hebrew H5220 · used in 3 verses

  • Genesis 21:23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
  • Isaiah 14:22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

“dwellings” Hebrew H4033 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Genesis 37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
  • Psalms 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

“remaining” Hebrew H8300 · used in 28 verses

  • Numbers 21:35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
  • Joshua 10:37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
  • Isaiah 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.