Job 34:15

Authorized King James Version

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All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

Original Language Analysis

יִגְוַ֣ע shall perish H1478
יִגְוַ֣ע shall perish
Strong's: H1478
Word #: 1 of 8
to breathe out, i.e., (by implication) expire
כָּל H3605
כָּל
Strong's: H3605
Word #: 2 of 8
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
בָּשָׂ֣ר All flesh H1320
בָּשָׂ֣ר All flesh
Strong's: H1320
Word #: 3 of 8
flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
יָ֑חַד together H3162
יָ֑חַד together
Strong's: H3162
Word #: 4 of 8
properly, a unit, i.e., (adverb) unitedly
וְ֝אָדָ֗ם and man H120
וְ֝אָדָ֗ם and man
Strong's: H120
Word #: 5 of 8
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
עַל H5921
עַל
Strong's: H5921
Word #: 6 of 8
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
עָפָ֥ר unto dust H6083
עָפָ֥ר unto dust
Strong's: H6083
Word #: 7 of 8
dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud
יָשֽׁוּב׃ shall turn again H7725
יָשֽׁוּב׃ shall turn again
Strong's: H7725
Word #: 8 of 8
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);

Analysis & Commentary

All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. The inevitable consequence of God withdrawing His breath: universal death. "All flesh" (kol-basar, כָּל־בָּשָׂר) encompasses all living creatures, emphasizing humanity's solidarity with creation in mortality. "Perish" (gava, גָּוַע) means to expire, breathe one's last, or die. "Together" (yachad, יַחַד) stresses simultaneity—if God withdrew His sustaining power, death would be instant and universal, not gradual or selective.

Man shall turn again unto dust (adam al-afar yashuv, אָדָם עַל־עָפָר יָשׁוּב) echoes Genesis 3:19's curse: "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." The verb shuv (שׁוּב, "turn again") implies returning to one's source or origin. Adam (אָדָם, man) shares etymology with adamah (אֲדָמָה, ground), emphasizing humanity's earthy origin. This verse reveals life's contingency—we exist only because God wills it, not by inherent necessity. The doctrine should inspire both fear (we stand moment-by-moment at God's mercy) and gratitude (He sustains us despite our sin). It also underscores the gospel's necessity—only divine intervention (resurrection) can reverse the dust-to-dust trajectory. Christ's resurrection demonstrates God's power to reverse the curse, prefiguring believers' future resurrection when mortality puts on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

Historical Context

Genesis 2:7 describes God forming man from dust and breathing life into him; Genesis 3:19 pronounces the curse of returning to dust. Elihu's words would resonate with Job's earlier lament (10:9, "thou hast made me as the clay"). The dust-to-dust cycle was visible reality in ancient Near East, where death was ever-present. Yet covenant faith hoped for resurrection (Job 19:25-27), distinguishing Israel's theology from surrounding cultures that viewed death as final.

Questions for Reflection