The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

JOB 24:20KJV
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Job 24:20 (KJV)

What does Job 24:20 mean?

Job 24:20 describes how, after death, the wicked are quickly forgotten and their bodies are consumed by decay, with no lasting memory or honor left for them. The verse uses vivid images to show that evil people will be broken and erased, much like a tree that is cut down and destroyed.

In the book of Job, Job is speaking to his friends, challenging their belief that wicked people always face punishment in this life. Here, Job paints a stark picture: the wicked may seem to prosper for a time, but in the end, they are forgotten, and their evil is brought to an end. The verse uses strong natural images—like the womb forgetting, worms feeding, and a tree being broken—to emphasize the total erasure of the wicked from memory and from the world.

The Hebrew behind Job 24:20

  • "womb" (רֶחֶם, rechem): This word usually means a mother's womb, the place of nurture and origin. Here, it is used to show that even the source of life will forget the wicked, highlighting complete abandonment.
  • "worm" (רִמָּה, rimmah): This refers to the creatures that consume a body after death. The image is meant to be unsettling, stressing the finality and dishonor of the wicked's fate.
  • "sweetly" (מָתוֹק, matoq): This word means "pleasantly" or "sweetly," and its use here is ironic—the worms feed "sweetly" on the dead, showing that the wicked's end is not glorious but rather a feast for decay.
  • "broken" (שָׁבַר, shavar): This word means "to break" or "to shatter." The comparison to a tree being broken shows the sudden and irreversible destruction of wickedness.

Why Job 24:20 matters

  • Job 24:20 clears up the idea that the wicked always receive their punishment in obvious, public ways during their lives; instead, Job points out that their end is often quiet erasure.
  • The verse emphasizes the totality of the wicked's downfall—not only are they physically destroyed, but even their memory and legacy are wiped away.
  • This verse connects to Job’s larger argument in the chapter, where he questions simple explanations for why bad things happen and challenges his friends’ assumptions about justice and suffering.

Where else these words appear

“worm” Hebrew H7415 · used in 7 verses

  • Exodus 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
  • Job 17:14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.
  • Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

“womb” Hebrew H7358 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
  • Numbers 8:16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
  • Job 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

“wickedness” Hebrew H5766 · used in 51 verses

  • Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
  • Job 34:10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
  • Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

“forget” Hebrew H7911 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • Psalms 31:12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
  • Proverbs 31:7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.