Job 27:14 is a particularly harsh and bleak verse within Job's discourse. It speaks of the ultimate futility of the wicked man's apparent success and prosperity. Let's break down the meaning:
"If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword." This doesn't mean the wicked man is literally raising children for the purpose of being killed by a sword. It means that even if he has many children (a sign of blessing in ancient times), they are destined for violence and premature death. Their large numbers won't guarantee their survival or success. They will be victims of violence or conflict.
"His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread." Bread is a symbol of basic sustenance and prosperity. This line implies that even if the wicked man's descendants manage to survive the sword, they will live in poverty and lack. They won't have enough food to satisfy their hunger. They will experience chronic scarcity and hardship.
Overall Meaning:
The verse paints a picture of the wicked man's "blessings" being utterly hollow and ultimately cursed. Even if he amasses wealth and children, these things will be taken away or turn into sources of misery. His descendants are doomed to lives of violence, hunger, and ultimately, ruin. It emphasizes the transient nature of earthly success achieved through wickedness.
In the context of the book of Job, it contributes to the debate about the relationship between righteousness and suffering. Job's friends argue that prosperity is a sign of God's favor, and suffering is a sign of God's disfavor. Job, however, challenges this simplistic view, and this verse is an example of the possible calamities that can befall the descendants of wicked men.
Job 27:14 is a particularly harsh and bleak verse within Job's discourse. It speaks of the ultimate futility of the wicked man's apparent success and prosperity. Let's break down the meaning:
"If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword." This doesn't mean the wicked man is literally raising children for the purpose of being killed by a sword. It means that even if he has many children (a sign of blessing in ancient times), they are destined for violence and premature death. Their large numbers won't guarantee their survival or success. They will be victims of violence or conflict.
"His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread." Bread is a symbol of basic sustenance and prosperity. This line implies that even if the wicked man's descendants manage to survive the sword, they will live in poverty and lack. They won't have enough food to satisfy their hunger. They will experience chronic scarcity and hardship.
Overall Meaning:
The verse paints a picture of the wicked man's "blessings" being utterly hollow and ultimately cursed. Even if he amasses wealth and children, these things will be taken away or turn into sources of misery. His descendants are doomed to lives of violence, hunger, and ultimately, ruin. It emphasizes the transient nature of earthly success achieved through wickedness.
In the context of the book of Job, it contributes to the debate about the relationship between righteousness and suffering. Job's friends argue that prosperity is a sign of God's favor, and suffering is a sign of God's disfavor. Job, however, challenges this simplistic view, and this verse is an example of the possible calamities that can befall the descendants of wicked men.