Job 14:19 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Water wears away stones, and you wash away the plants that grow from the earth's soil; in the same way, you destroy human hope.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Job is saying that just as water slowly erodes even the hardest stones and washes away growing things, God seems to gradually wear down and destroy human hope.

📚 Historical Context

Job is speaking from the depths of his suffering, having lost his children, wealth, and health. In this chapter, he's reflecting on the frailty and brevity of human life compared to God's eternal power. Ancient people would have been very familiar with how water gradually carved through rock and how floods could wash away crops and vegetation.

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Matthew 21:44

Anyone who trips over this stone is going to get hurt, but if this stone falls on you? You're completely done for.

2 Kings 3:19

You will attack every fortified city and every important city, cut down every good tree, stop up all the water wells, and ruin every good piece of farmland by throwing stones on it.

Psalms 105:35

They ate up all the plants in their land and destroyed all the crops that grew from their soil.

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