Job 24:20

20 The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.

Job 24:20 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
English Standard Version (ESV)
20 The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.'
New Living Translation (NLT)
20 Their own mothers will forget them. Maggots will find them sweet to eat. No one will remember them. Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.
The Message Bible (MSG)
20 The womb has forgotten them, worms have relished them - nothing that is evil lasts.
American Standard Version (ASV)
20 The womb shall forget him; The worm shall feed sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
20 The womb forgets them. Worms feast on them. No one remembers them anymore, and wickedness is snapped like a twig.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
20 The womb forgets them; worms feed on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is broken like a tree.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
20 Even their mothers forget them. The worms in their graves eat them up. No one remembers sinful people anymore. They are cut down like trees.

Job 24:20 Meaning and Commentary

Job 24:20

The womb shall forget him
His mother that bore him; or his wife, by whom he had many children; or his friend, as Gersom, who had a tender and affectionate respect for him; these all, and each of them, either because of his wicked life and infamous death, care not to speak of him, but bury him in oblivion; or because of his quiet and easy death, are not distressed with it, but soon forget him; unless this is to be understood of the womb of the earth, in which being buried, he lies forgotten, to which the next clause agrees; though some interpret it of God himself the word having the signification of mercy {b}; who, though mercy itself, is rich and abundant in it, yet has no mercy for, nor shows any favour to, such men; but they lie in the grave among those whom he remembers no more in a way of grace and favour, ( Psalms 85:5 ) ;

the worm shall feed sweetly on him;
for being brought to the grave at once, without any wasting distemper, is a fine repast for worms, his breasts being full of milk, and his bones moistened with marrow, and full of flesh; or "the worm [is] sweet unto him" F3; he feels no pain by its feeding on him, and so the sense is just the same with that expression, "the clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him", ( Job 21:33 ) ;

he shall be no more remembered;
with any mark of honour and respect; his memory shall rot with him, while the righteous are had in everlasting remembrance; or rather dying a common death, and not made a public example of:

and wickedness shall be broken as a tree;
that is, wicked men, who are wickedness itself, extremely wicked, and are like to a tree, sometimes flourishing in external prosperity, having an affluence of the things of this world, and always like barren and unfruitful trees, with respect to grace and good works; these, when the axe of death is laid to the root of them, they are cut down, and their substance comes to nothing, and their families are destroyed, and so they become like trees struck with thunder and lightning, and broken into ten thousand shivers; or as the trees in Egypt were broken to pieces by the plague of hail, ( Exodus 9:25 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mxr) "misericordia", V. L. "miseratio", Montanus, Bolducius; so Tigurine version, Grotius.
F3 (wqtm) "dulcescit ei", Beza, Piscator; "suavis", Cocceius; so Michaelis, Schultens.

Job 24:20 In-Context

18 “Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards.
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow they show no kindness.
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Job 7:5
  • 2. S Job 21:26
  • 3. S Job 18:17; Proverbs 10:7
  • 4. S Job 14:7; Psalms 31:12; Daniel 4:14
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