Job 27:15
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
Original Language Analysis
בַּמָּ֣וֶת
in death
H4194
בַּמָּ֣וֶת
in death
Strong's:
H4194
Word #:
2 of 6
death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin
Historical Context
Proper burial and mourning were sacred duties in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures. Professional mourners were hired for funerals (Jeremiah 9:17-18), and widows especially were expected to lament (2 Samuel 14:2). Job's description of unburied dead recalls covenant curses in Deuteronomy 28:26, where corpses become food for birds and beasts. The plague or pestilence ("death" as divine judgment) appears throughout ancient Near Eastern texts as punishment for covenant violation.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the absence of mourning reveal about how the wicked person lived and impacted others?
- How does Job's description of shameful death contrast with the honorable burial and legacy he once enjoyed?
- In what ways do our lives earn either genuine grief or relief when we die?
Analysis & Commentary
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death—the Hebrew בַּמָּוֶת יִקָּבֵרוּ (bammavet yiqqaveru) literally means "in death they shall be buried," emphasizing that death itself is their grave—no honorable burial, no memorial. The plague or pestilence personified as "death" consumes survivors. His widows shall not weep reverses normal mourning customs; the Hebrew תִבְכֶּינָה (tivkeynah, shall weep) appears negated, indicating even wives refuse lamentation. Ancient Near Eastern culture considered proper burial and mourning essential for honoring the dead—their absence signified ultimate disgrace.
Job describes complete social breakdown: the wicked man's death is so shameful that even widows—who depended on him and should mourn most—refuse tears. Either they're glad he's gone (suggesting his wickedness), or they're too devastated to mourn (suggesting plague killed them too). The verse depicts the erasure of memory and legacy—no honorable burial, no mourning, no continuation.