Job 5:25
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
Original Language Analysis
וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ
Thou shalt know
H3045
וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ
Thou shalt know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
1 of 7
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
2 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
רַ֣ב
shall be great
H7227
רַ֣ב
shall be great
Strong's:
H7227
Word #:
3 of 7
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
זַרְעֶ֑ךָ
also that thy seed
H2233
זַרְעֶ֑ךָ
also that thy seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
4 of 7
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
Cross References
Psalms 112:2His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.Psalms 72:16There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.Genesis 15:5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.Deuteronomy 28:4Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.Leviticus 26:9For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
Historical Context
Numerous offspring was considered the primary sign of divine blessing in ancient Near Eastern culture. Eliphaz's promise of future children follows conventional blessing formulas but cruelly ignores Job's devastating loss.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you offer hope for future blessings without minimizing present losses?
- What does Eliphaz's promise teach us about the danger of formulaic comfort that ignores individual pain?
Analysis & Commentary
Eliphaz promises: 'Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.' Numerous descendants represented divine blessing (Genesis 15:5). For Job, who has lost all ten children, this promise of future children is particularly painful. Eliphaz implies Job can have a new family if he repents, treating Job's deceased children as replaceable and their deaths as deserved. This reveals profound pastoral insensitivity and theological error.