He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.
Parallel translations
- KJV And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
- BSB And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
- NKJV And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
- NASB And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes.
- NLT Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.
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 scrapes his sores with a potsherd and sits among ashes. The picture is one of utter misery and humiliation.
Overview
Reduced to scraping himself with a broken shard and sitting in the ash heap, Job is a portrait of degradation and grief. The ashes signal deep mourning and outcast suffering. Yet even here he does not abandon God, setting up his wife's challenge and his continued faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Job 42:6Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
- Jonah 3:6The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
- Ezek 27:30and shall cause their voice to be heard over you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust on their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
- Matt 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Luke 16:20–21A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
- Ps 38:5My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, because of my foolishness.
- 2 Sam 13:19Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
- Jer 6:26Daughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes! Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come on us.
- Ps 38:7For my waist is filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh.
- Job 19:14–17My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.
- Isa 61:3to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 2:8 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.