KJV ORIGINAL
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he also passes by like a shadow, and doesn't last.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is saying that human life is brief and fragile, like a flower that blooms and is quickly cut down, or like a shadow that quickly passes away.
📚 Historical Context
Job spoke these words during his intense suffering, reflecting on the brevity and fragility of human existence. In ancient times, people were very familiar with how quickly flowers could wither in the harsh Middle Eastern climate, and how shadows move and disappear as the sun changes position. Job was using these common observations to express his deep understanding of mortality during his time of great loss and pain.
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