His bones are full of his youth, but youth shall lie down with him in the dust.
Parallel translations
- KJV His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
- BSB The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
- NKJV His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it will lie down with him in the dust.
- NASB “His bones are full of his youthful strength, But it lies down with him in the dust.
- NLT Though they are young, their bones will lie in the dust.
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
Zophar says the wicked man's bones, full of youthful vigor, will lie down with him in the dust. His strength cannot save him from death.
Overview
Even the vitality of the wicked man's youth offers no escape; his strength is buried with him in the grave. The verse stresses that bodily vigor is no defense against the judgment that overtakes the godless. It sounds the universal note that strength and life itself are fleeting, urging all to seek a hope that outlasts the dust (Psalm 90:10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Job 13:26For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth:
- Ps 25:7Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh.
- Job 21:26They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
- Ezek 24:13In your filthiness is lewdness: because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you shall not be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.
- John 8:24I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
- Ezek 32:27They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
- Prov 5:11–13You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
- Prov 5:22–23The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
- Acts 1:25to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.”
- Job 19:20My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
- Prov 14:32The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
- John 8:21Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”
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 20:11 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.