Job 8:14

14 What they trust in is fragile^[a] ; what they rely on is a spider’s web.

Job 8:14 in Other Translations

14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

14 His confidence is severed, and his trust is a spider's web.

14 Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web.

14 They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web.

14 His source of confidence is fragile; what he trusts in is a spider's web.

Job 8:14 Meaning and Commentary

Job 8:14

Whose hope shall be cut off
The same thing as before, expressed in different words, and repeated for the certainty of it; signifying that it should be of no manner of use, should be wholly lost, and issue in black despair: the word has the signification of loathing, and is differently rendered, either, "whom his hope shall loathe" ^F5 or, "who shall loathe his hope" ^F6; he shall fret and tease, and vex himself that he should be such a fool to entertain such a vain hope, or to place hope and confidence in such vain things, finding himself most sadly disappointed:

and whose trust [shall be] a spider's web;
or "a spider's house" ^F7; and such its web is to it; having made it, it encloses itself in it, and dwells securely: very fitly is the hope and confidence of an hypocrite compared to a spider's web, which is a very nice and curious piece of workmanship, as are the outward works of righteousness, done by hypocrites they are wrought out and set off to the best advantage, to be seen of men; yet very slight and thin, and will bear no weight; such are the best works of carnal professors; they make a fine appearance, but have no substance, do not flow from principles of grace, nor are done in the strength of Christ, or to the glory of God; are but "splendida peccata", as one calls them, and fall infinitely short of bearing the weight of the salvation of the soul: as the spider's web is spun out of its own bowels, so the works of such persons are wholly of themselves; they are their own, done without the grace of God and spirit of Christ; and such webs are not fit for garments, are too thin to cover naked souls; insufficient to shelter from divine wrath and vengeance; cannot bear the besom of justice, one stroke of which will sweep them all away; and though they may think themselves safe enclosed in them as in a house, they will find themselves in the issue wretchedly mistaken; for there is no shelter, safety, and security, in such cobwebs; there is none but in Christ and his righteousness.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (zlok jwqy rva) "quem abominabitur spes ejus", Montanus; "fastidit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "cum taedio rejectabit", Schultens.
F6 "Quippe abominabitur spem suam", Schmidt.
F7 (vybke tyb) "domus araneae, vel aranei"; Pagninus, Montanus

Job 8:14 In-Context

12 While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass.

13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless.

14 What they trust in is fragile ; what they rely on is a spider’s web.

15 They lean on the web, but it gives way; they cling to it, but it does not hold.

16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden;

Cross References

• 1. ver 15; Job 27:18; Isaiah 59:5

Footnotes

• [a]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.