Job 36:14
They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
Original Language Analysis
נַפְשָׁ֑ם
They
H5315
נַפְשָׁ֑ם
They
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
3 of 5
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
Cross References
Deuteronomy 23:17There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.Psalms 55:23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.Job 22:16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:Job 15:32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
Historical Context
Elihu, the youngest of Job's counselors, speaks in chapters 32-37 with a different tone than the three friends. Writing during the patriarchal period (c. 2000-1800 BC), the text assumes familiarity with Canaanite cult prostitution, a persistent temptation for Israel throughout the Old Testament era. The qedeshim served at fertility shrines, engaging in ritualized sexual acts believed to ensure agricultural prosperity.
Questions for Reflection
- How does premature death serve as both natural consequence and divine judgment for persistent sin?
- In what ways does modern culture normalize spiritual 'prostitution'—giving ourselves to false gods for material or sensual benefits?
- How should the warning of dying in disgrace motivate us to embrace God's discipline when it comes?
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Analysis & Commentary
They die in youth (יָמֻתוּ בַנֹּעַר, yamuthu ba-no'ar)—Elihu describes the fate of the wicked who reject God's discipline. The Hebrew no'ar means 'youth' or 'prime of life,' indicating premature death before natural old age. This echoes the covenant curse in Deuteronomy 28:20-22 where rebellion brings untimely death.
Their life is among the unclean (וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִׁים, v'chayyatam baq'deshim)—The shocking phrase qedeshim literally means 'holy ones' but refers ironically to male cult prostitutes at pagan shrines. The same word appears in Deuteronomy 23:17 and 1 Kings 14:24. Elihu warns that those who persist in sin end their lives in the most degrading circumstances, dying among temple prostitutes rather than in honored old age. This represents complete moral and social degradation—the opposite of Job's righteous life. The parallel construction suggests divine judgment removes the impenitent before their time, and their death occurs in shame rather than dignity.