New King James Version
Job 33:20
20So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food.
Job 33:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
- New International Version (NIV)so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal.
- English Standard Version (ESV)so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food.
Context of Job 33:20
18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. 19“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones, So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food. 21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. 22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners.
Read all of Job 33Job 33:20 word by word
וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 33:20
- Psalms 107:17Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
- Genesis 3:6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
- Jeremiah 3:19“But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” And not turn away from Me.’
- Amos 5:11Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them.
Commentaries on Job 33:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20His life abhorreth bread - These expressions strongly and naturally point out that general nausea, or loathing which sick persons feel in almost every species of disorder.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20So that his life abhorreth bread - It is a common effect of sickness to take away the appetite. Elihu here regards it as a part of the wholesome discipline of the sufferer. He has no relish for the comforts of life. And his soul dainty meat - Margin, “meat of desire.” The Hebrew is, “food of desire.” The word rendered “meat” (מאכל ma'ăkâl ) does not denote animal food only, but any kind of food. So the Old English word meat was used. The idea is, that…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-28Verses 19-28 Job complained of his diseases, and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that God often afflicts the body for good to the soul. This thought will be of great use for our getting good from sickness, in and by which God speaks to men. Pain is the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of God, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul. When afflictions have done their work, they shall…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. life--that is, the appetite, which ordinarily sustains "life" (Job 38:39; Psa 107:18; Ec 12:5). The taking away of desire for food by sickness symbolizes the removal by affliction of lust, for things which foster the spiritual fever of pride. soul--desire.Read the comment
Topics related to Job 33:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries