O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Earth, don’t cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.
- BSB O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.
- NKJV “O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!
- NASB ¶“Earth, do not cover my blood, And may there be no resting place for my cry.
- NLT “O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job cries that the earth not cover his blood and his cry never rest until vindicated. He appeals for his cause to be heard.
Overview
Using the image of unavenged blood that cries out (Genesis 4:10), Job pleads that his innocent suffering not be silenced or forgotten. He longs for justice and vindication. This yearning for a cry that will not be stilled until righted anticipates the gospel, where the blood of Christ speaks a better word than Abel's (Hebrews 12:24).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 26:21For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
- Ezek 24:7For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
- Gen 4:11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
- Ps 66:18–19If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
- Neh 4:5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
- Isa 1:15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
- Isa 58:9–10Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
- Jas 4:3–4Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
- Job 27:9Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
- Jer 22:29O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 16:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.