Job 14:18

18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

Job 14:18 Meaning and Commentary

Job 14:18

And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought
Job here returns to his former subject of the irreparable state of man at death, which he illustrates by various other similes, as before; and first by a "mountain falling", which may be supposed, and has been fact, and when it does, it "comes to nought"; it crumbles into dust, and where it falls there it lies, and never rises up to a mountain, or to the height it had, any more; or it "withers" F14, as some render it, the plants, herbs, and trees that grow upon it, wither away, see ( Nahum 1:4 ) ; or "it is dissolved", or "flows" F15, and spreads itself over the face of the green earth it covers, and destroys with its dust and sand, which is never more gathered up to form a mountain again; so man, like unto a mountain, as kingdoms and states, and kings and princes, and great men are; the Targum instances in Lot; as a man may be said to be, that is in good health of body, and in prosperous circumstances in his family; when he falls, as he does by death, which is expressed by falling, ( 2 Samuel 3:38 ) ; he comes to nought, he is not any more in the land of the living, nor in the place and circumstances in which he was before:

and the rock is removed out of his place;
from the mountain, of which it was a part; or elsewhere, by earthquakes, by force of winds, or strength of waters; and which, when once removed, is never returned to its place any more; so man, who in his full strength seems like a rock immovable, when death comes, it shakes and moves him out of his place, and that never knows him any more.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (lwby) "marceseit", Tigurine version, Mercerus; "emarcescit", Schultens.
F15 "Diffluit", Cocceius, Schmidt, Michaelis.

Job 14:18 In-Context

16 Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
17 Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
19 Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
20 Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
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