Job 7:9
Job 7:9 in Multiple Translations
As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.
A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.
When a cloud disappears, it's gone, just as anyone who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.
As the cloude vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth downe to the graue, shall come vp no more.
Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.
As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more .
As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up.
Like [SIM] clouds ◄disperse/break up► and then disappear, people die and descend to the place where dead people are, and they do not return;
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 7:9
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 7:9 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כָּלָ֣ה
עָ֭נָן
וַ/יֵּלַ֑ךְ
כֵּ֥ן
יוֹרֵ֥ד
שְׁ֝א֗וֹל
לֹ֣א
יַעֲלֶֽה
כָּלָ֣ה
kâlâh
H3615
to end
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
עָ֭נָן
ʻânân
H6051
cloud
N-ms
וַ/יֵּלַ֑ךְ
yâlak
H3212
to walk
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
כֵּ֥ן
kên
H3651
right
Part
יוֹרֵ֥ד
yârad
H3381
to go down
V-Qal
שְׁ֝א֗וֹל
shᵉʼôwl
H7585
hell
N-proper
לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
יַעֲלֶֽה
ʻâlâh
H5927
to ascend
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Job 7:9
כָּלָ֣ה
kâlâh
H3615
"to end"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to finish or end something, like completing a task or using up a resource, as seen in Genesis 2:2 where God finished creating the heavens and earth.
Definition: : finish 1) to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be complete, be at an end 1a2) to be completed, be finished 1a3) to be accomplished, be fulfilled 1a4) to be determined, be plotted (bad sense) 1a5) to be spent, be used up 1a6) to waste away, be exhausted, fail 1a7) to come to an end, vanish, perish, be destroyed 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to complete, bring to an end, finish 1b2) to complete (a period of time) 1b3) to finish (doing a thing) 1b4) to make an end, end 1b5) to accomplish, fulfil, bring to pass 1b6) to accomplish, determine (in thought) 1b7) to put an end to, cause to cease 1b8) to cause to fail, exhaust, use up, spend 1b9) to destroy, exterminate 1c) (Pual) to be finished, be ended, be completed
Usage: Occurs in 199 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance, spend, quite take away, waste. See also: Genesis 2:1; 2 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 18:38.
עָ֭נָן
ʻânân
H6051
"cloud"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means a cloud or cloudy, and is used to describe the cloud that God uses to appear to his people. It appears in the Bible to describe God's presence, and is translated as cloud in the KJV.
Definition: 1) cloud, cloudy, cloud-mass 1a) cloud-mass (of theophanic cloud) 1b) cloud Aramaic equivalent: a.nan (עֲנָן "cloud" H6050)
Usage: Occurs in 80 OT verses. KJV: cloud(-y). See also: Genesis 9:13; Deuteronomy 1:33; Psalms 78:14.
וַ/יֵּלַ֑ךְ
yâlak
H3212
"to walk"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
To walk or go, this verb means to move from one place to another, used literally or figuratively, as in to live or die, or to lead someone.
Definition: 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Hiphil) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
Usage: Occurs in 936 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. See also: Genesis 3:14; Exodus 5:8; Deuteronomy 28:14.
כֵּ֥ן
kên
H3651
"right"
Part
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable
Usage: Occurs in 737 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:7; Exodus 37:19; Judges 7:17.
יוֹרֵ֥ד
yârad
H3381
"to go down"
V-Qal
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Definition: 1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down
Usage: Occurs in 345 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down. See also: Genesis 11:5; Judges 3:28; 2 Kings 1:15.
שְׁ֝א֗וֹל
shᵉʼôwl
H7585
"hell"
N-proper
Sheol refers to the underworld or grave, a place of no return where the dead reside, as seen in the Old Testament. It is often translated as hell or pit in the KJV. This concept is mentioned in various books, including Psalms and Isaiah.
Definition: Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5) of the place of exile (fig) 1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: grave, hell, pit. See also: Genesis 37:35; Psalms 139:8; Psalms 6:6.
לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יַעֲלֶֽה
ʻâlâh
H5927
"to ascend"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
To ascend means to go up or rise, like the smoke from an altar going up to God, as described in many Bible passages, including Leviticus and Psalms.
Definition: : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away 1c3) to bring up, draw up, train 1c4) to cause to ascend 1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally) 1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts) 1c7) to exalt 1c8) to cause to ascend, offer 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be carried away, be led up 1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in 1d3) to be offered 1e) (Hithpael) to lift oneself
Usage: Occurs in 817 OT verses. KJV: arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work. See also: Genesis 2:6; Exodus 34:4; Joshua 7:6.
Study Notes — Job 7:9
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 7:9 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 7:9
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 7:9
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 7:9
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 7:9
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 7:9
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 7:9
- Cambridge Bible on Job 7:9
- Barnes' Notes on Job 7:9
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 7:9
- Sermons on Job 7:9
Context — Job Continues: Life Seems Futile
7Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.
8The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.
9As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.
10He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more. 11Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 30:15 | Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud. |
| 2 | Job 10:21 | before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom, |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 14:14 | For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him. |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 12:23 | But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” |
| 5 | Job 16:22 | For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return. |
| 6 | Psalms 39:13 | Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.” |
| 7 | Job 14:10–14 | But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he? As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep. If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me! When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes. |
| 8 | Isaiah 38:11 | I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world. |
| 9 | Job 37:11 | He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. |
| 10 | Job 11:8 | They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? |
Job 7:9 Summary
This verse is saying that when someone dies, they don't come back to life on earth again, just like a cloud disappears and is gone. It's a reminder that our time on earth is limited, and we should make the most of it, as seen in Psalm 90:12. It's also important to remember that even though our physical bodies will die, our souls will live on, and we will be resurrected to eternal life with God, as promised in John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sheol refer to in this verse?
Sheol is a term used in the Bible to describe the place of the dead, often translated as 'the grave' or 'the underworld', as seen in Psalm 9:17 and Ecclesiastes 3:19.
Is this verse suggesting that there is no afterlife?
No, this verse is not denying the existence of an afterlife, but rather highlighting the finality of physical death, as also seen in Job 14:14 and 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.
How does this verse relate to the concept of resurrection?
While this verse emphasizes the finality of physical death, it does not rule out the possibility of resurrection, which is a central theme in the Bible, as seen in John 11:25-26 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.
What is the significance of the cloud vanishing in this verse?
The cloud vanishing is a metaphor used to illustrate the transient nature of human life, emphasizing that just as a cloud disappears, so too does human life come to an end, as also seen in James 4:14.
Reflection Questions
- What are your thoughts on the finality of physical death, and how does it impact your daily life?
- How does this verse encourage you to prioritize your relationship with God and others?
- In what ways can you apply the metaphor of the vanishing cloud to your own life and goals?
- What comfort or hope can you find in the Bible's teachings on the afterlife, despite the finality of physical death?
Gill's Exposition on Job 7:9
[As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away,.... Which being dispersed by the wind, or broke up by the sun, is never seen, or returns more; for though the wise man speaks of clouds returning after
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 7:9
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. (2 Samuel 12:23). David as to his child, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 7:9
The cloud is consumed; being dried up or dissolved by the heat of the sun. Vanisheth away; never returneth again. Shall come up no more, to live a natural, mortal life amongst men. For that he doth not deny a future life is manifest from , &c.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 7:9
Job 7:9 [As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no [more].Ver. 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away] A cloud is nothing else but a vapour thickened in the middle region of the air by the cold encompassing and driving it together, Psalms 18:11-12, vessels they are as thin as the liquor that is in them; but some are waterless: the former are soon emptied and dissolved; the latter as soon scattered by the wind, and vanish away. So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more] sc. To live and converse here with men, as Job 7:10. Or, he shall come up no more, sc. without a miracle (as Lazarus and some others long since dead rose again) he cannot return to me, said David to his deceased child, 2 Samuel 12:23. God could send some from the dead to warn the living; but that is not now to be expected, as Abraham told the rich man, Luke 16:27-31 Those spirits of dead men that so oft appeared in times of Popery (requiring their friends to sing masses and dirges for them; and that drew this verse from Theodorus Gaza, Sunt aliquid manes, lethum non omnia finit) were either delusions, or else devils in the shape of men. That Job doubted the resurrection, or denied it (as Rabbi Solomon, and some other, both Hebrew and Greek writers, conclude from this text) is a manifest injury done to this good man, and a force offered to the text, as appeareth by that which next followeth.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 7:9
(9) As the cloud is consumed.—It is a fine simile that man is as evanescent as a cloud; and very apt is the figure, because, whether it vanishes on the surface of the sky or is distributed in rain, nothing more completely passes away than the summer cloud. It is an appearance only, which comes to nought.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 7:9
Verse 9. As the cloud is consumed] As the cloud is dissipated, so is the breath of those that go down to the grave. As that cloud shall never return, so shall it be with the dead; they return no more to sojourn with the living. See on the following verses.
Cambridge Bible on Job 7:9
9. goeth down to the grave] Heb., down to She’ôl, the place of departed persons. This is never in the Old Testament confounded with the grave, although, being an ideal place and state, the imagination often paints it in colours borrowed from the grave and the condition of the body in death; cf. ch. Job 3:13 seq., Job 10:21 seq.
Barnes' Notes on Job 7:9
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away - This image is taken from the light and fleecy clouds, which become smaller and smaller until they wholly vanish.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 7:9
9. The grave — ùׁ ?àåì, sheol. See Excursus III, at close of chapter.
Sermons on Job 7:9
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Our Daily Homily - Job by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on the life of Job, emphasizing the importance of vigilance against temptation during times of festivity and the necessity of prayer and intercession for loved |
|
|
The Land of Darkness and the Shadow of Death. by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on the contrast between the ancient understanding of death as a land of darkness and the Christian hope of eternal life and light through Jesus Christ. He empha |
|
Life or Death (Daniel Kauffman’s Funeral Message by Roman Kauffman | Roman Kauffman preaches about the sobering reality of death and the importance of being prepared for our appointed time to face God's judgment. He emphasizes that just as Daniel ha |
|
|
Yet Doth He Devise Means That His by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer emphasizes the importance of true repentance and accountability in his sermon, using King David's inadequate response to Absalom's return as a cautionary tale. David's f |
|
The Restoration of the Banished. by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes the inevitability of death and the human condition of being banished from God's presence due to sin. He illustrates that while we are like water spilled o |
|
|
The Restoration of the Banished by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes God's desire for the restoration of His banished people, drawing parallels between King David's estrangement from Absalom and humanity's separation from G |
|
Matthew 2:16-18. the Slaughter of the Babies. by Favell Lee Mortimer | Favell Lee Mortimer reflects on the dreadful cruelty of Herod, who ordered the slaughter of innocent babies in Bethlehem, causing unimaginable anguish to their mothers. Despite the |