Job 17:14If I have said to corruption, 'You are my father;' to the worm, 'My mother,' and 'my sister;'
The setting
Job's flesh is literally rotting while he's alive. In his culture, family was everything — but he's calling decay and worms his only relatives now...
The emotion here: watching his body decay while clinging to his identity before God
The original word
rimmah (רִמָּה) — maggot or worm that feeds on decaying flesh, symbol of ultimate disgrace
Why it matters
In ancient times, being eaten by worms while alive was considered the ultimate curse and shame
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 17:14
This isn't metaphorical — Job's body is literally decomposing while he's still breathing
Common misconceptionPeople think Job is being overly dramatic. Medical scholars believe he had a flesh-eating disease — this is literal description of his condition.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 17:14
Bible Genome reading
Job 17:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 17:14 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Job. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include death, despair, mortality. Notable phrases: corruption my father; worm my mother.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Job 17:14 mean to you, today?
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