Job 19:20 - My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
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What does "Job 19:20" mean?
Job 19:20 is a powerful and evocative verse that speaks to the extreme suffering and isolation Job is experiencing. Let's break down its meaning:
"My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh." This paints a vivid picture of extreme emaciation. Job has become so thin that his bones are visible beneath his skin and appear to be clinging to his flesh. It suggests severe weight loss due to illness, disease, or starvation, emphasizing the physical devastation he's enduring.
"I have escaped by the skin of my teeth." This is an idiom meaning that Job has barely escaped with his life. "Skin of my teeth" refers to a very narrow margin of safety. The exact origin of the phrase is debated, but it implies that he has survived by the smallest possible degree. It suggests that he is close to death and that his situation is precarious. Some commentators believe the "skin of my teeth" to be something very thin and insubstantial, like the gum line.
Overall Meaning:
The verse conveys a sense of desperation and near-total destruction. Job is physically ravaged, reduced to a skeletal figure. He feels that he has barely survived his ordeal, clinging to life by a thread. The verse emphasizes:
Physical suffering: The emaciation described highlights the intense physical pain and debilitation Job is experiencing.
Near-death experience: The "skin of my teeth" idiom emphasizes how close Job feels to death and the narrowness of his survival.
Vulnerability: The verse shows Job's vulnerability and helplessness in the face of his suffering.
In the context of the Book of Job, this verse contributes to the overall portrayal of Job's extreme suffering and his questioning of God's justice. He is at his lowest point, physically and emotionally, and he is desperately trying to understand why such misfortune has befallen him.
Job 19:20 - My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
What does "Job 19:20" mean?
Job 19:20 is a powerful and evocative verse that speaks to the extreme suffering and isolation Job is experiencing. Let's break down its meaning:
"My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh." This paints a vivid picture of extreme emaciation. Job has become so thin that his bones are visible beneath his skin and appear to be clinging to his flesh. It suggests severe weight loss due to illness, disease, or starvation, emphasizing the physical devastation he's enduring.
"I have escaped by the skin of my teeth." This is an idiom meaning that Job has barely escaped with his life. "Skin of my teeth" refers to a very narrow margin of safety. The exact origin of the phrase is debated, but it implies that he has survived by the smallest possible degree. It suggests that he is close to death and that his situation is precarious. Some commentators believe the "skin of my teeth" to be something very thin and insubstantial, like the gum line.
Overall Meaning:
The verse conveys a sense of desperation and near-total destruction. Job is physically ravaged, reduced to a skeletal figure. He feels that he has barely survived his ordeal, clinging to life by a thread. The verse emphasizes:
Physical suffering: The emaciation described highlights the intense physical pain and debilitation Job is experiencing.
Near-death experience: The "skin of my teeth" idiom emphasizes how close Job feels to death and the narrowness of his survival.
Vulnerability: The verse shows Job's vulnerability and helplessness in the face of his suffering.
In the context of the Book of Job, this verse contributes to the overall portrayal of Job's extreme suffering and his questioning of God's justice. He is at his lowest point, physically and emotionally, and he is desperately trying to understand why such misfortune has befallen him.