Job 18:17
His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.
Original Language Analysis
זִֽכְרוֹ
His remembrance
H2143
זִֽכְרוֹ
His remembrance
Strong's:
H2143
Word #:
1 of 10
a memento, abstractly recollection (rarely if ever); by implication, commemoration
אָ֭בַד
shall perish
H6
אָ֭בַד
shall perish
Strong's:
H6
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, to wander away, i.e., lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)
מִנִּי
H4480
מִנִּי
Strong's:
H4480
Word #:
3 of 10
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
וְלֹא
H3808
וְלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
5 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
שֵׁ֥ם
and he shall have no name
H8034
שֵׁ֥ם
and he shall have no name
Strong's:
H8034
Word #:
6 of 10
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 10
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Psalms 34:16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.Proverbs 10:7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.Psalms 109:13Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.Proverbs 2:22But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cultures valued memory and reputation highly. Names recorded in city gates, family genealogies, and oral tradition preserved individuals. To have no name in the street meant total social death—worse than physical death for ancient mindset.
Questions for Reflection
- How does desire for lasting legacy potentially idolatrous versus healthy stewardship?
- What does it mean that Job's name endures through Scripture despite Bildad's prediction?
- How does eternal life in Christ transform our concern about earthly legacy?
Analysis & Commentary
Memory of the wicked perishes: 'His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.' Loss of reputation and memory represented ultimate curse in ancient world—being forgotten meant complete obliteration. No legacy, no honor, no continuation. While the finally impenitent do lose such memory, Bildad wrongly assumes Job faces this fate. God ensures Job's name endures through Scripture itself—ultimate irony given Bildad's prediction.