Job 21:26
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
Original Language Analysis
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
עָפָ֣ר
in the dust
H6083
עָפָ֣ר
in the dust
Strong's:
H6083
Word #:
3 of 7
dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud
יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ
They shall lie down
H7901
יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ
They shall lie down
Strong's:
H7901
Word #:
4 of 7
to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה
and the worms
H7415
וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה
and the worms
Strong's:
H7415
Word #:
5 of 7
a maggot (as rapidly bred), literally or figuratively
Cross References
Isaiah 14:11Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.Ecclesiastes 9:2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.Job 20:11His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
Historical Context
Ancient burial practices made decay's reality unavoidable. Unlike modern embalming, bodies visibly deteriorated. Worms consuming corpses was observed reality, not merely metaphor. This created vivid awareness of mortality's leveling effect on all social and economic distinctions.
Questions for Reflection
- How should death's leveling effect on earthly distinctions shape our values?
- What does it mean that resurrection restores distinctions that death eliminates (rewards, responsibilities)?
- How do we live in light of both death's equality and resurrection's differentiation?
Analysis & Commentary
All lie down together: 'They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.' Death as the great equalizer—prosperous and bitter, healthy and sick, all become dust and worm food. This graphic imagery emphasizes mortality's leveling effect. Physical death eliminates all earthly distinctions. This should humble both prosperity's pride and suffering's despair—neither lasts forever.