Bible Strands
Job 21:25
Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Job speaks to his three friends, contrasting the prosperous man of verse 24 with another who dies without experiencing good. He uses this example to challenge their rigid retribution theology.
The words — מָרָה (ma.Rah) = bitter, paired with בְּנֶפֶשׁ (be./ne.fesh) = with a soul, denotes a state of profound inner distress. אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָה ('a.Khal ba./to.Vah) = he has eaten in the good, literally marks the absence of any experienced prosperity.
The thread — The phrase mirrors Job 7:11, where the speaker vows to complain in the bitterness of his spirit. The theme of deprivation echoes Ezekiel 4:16, which describes God cutting off the supply of food, while 2 Samuel 17:8 illustrates how fierce opposition can strip away comfort.
Why it lands — The text forces a reader to acknowledge that human experience does not consistently match moral accounting. It demands acceptance of life’s unpredictability before any theological resolution is offered.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 4:16 Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.
- Job 7:11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
- 2 Samuel 17:8 He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.
- 1 Kings 17:12 But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
- Job 3:20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
- Job 9:18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
- Job 10:1 “I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
- Job 20:23 When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
- Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.