Job 6:18
The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
Original Language Analysis
יִ֭לָּ֣פְתוּ
are turned aside
H3943
יִ֭לָּ֣פְתוּ
are turned aside
Strong's:
H3943
Word #:
1 of 6
properly, to bend, i.e., (by implication) to clasp; also (reflexively) to turn around or aside
אָרְח֣וֹת
The paths
H734
אָרְח֣וֹת
The paths
Strong's:
H734
Word #:
2 of 6
a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively); also a caravan
דַּרְכָּ֑ם
of their way
H1870
דַּרְכָּ֑ם
of their way
Strong's:
H1870
Word #:
3 of 6
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
יַֽעֲל֖וּ
they go
H5927
יַֽעֲל֖וּ
they go
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
4 of 6
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
Historical Context
Caravans that followed false guides or relied on dry wadis could indeed perish in the desert. Job's extension of the metaphor warns that his friends' counsel is not just unhelpful but actively dangerous.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you identify counsel that leads to 'nothing' versus counsel that leads to life?
- What responsibility do counselors have when their advice could lead others to spiritual death?
Analysis & Commentary
Job describes the consequences: 'The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.' Travelers who rely on deceptive wadis are led astray and die. The Hebrew 'arach' (paths/caravans) suggests groups led to destruction by following unreliable guides. Job's friends are such guides—their theological counsel leads to 'nothing' (Hebrew 'tohu'—waste/emptiness, the same word describing pre-creation chaos in Genesis 1:2). False theology produces spiritual death, not life.