Job 14:10
New International Version
But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.

New Living Translation
“But when people die, their strength is gone. They breathe their last, and then where are they?

English Standard Version
But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?

Berean Standard Bible
But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

King James Bible
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

New King James Version
But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he?

New American Standard Bible
“But a man dies and lies prostrate. A person passes away, and where is he?

NASB 1995
“But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he?

NASB 1977
“But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he?

Legacy Standard Bible
But man dies and lies prostrate. Man breathes his last, and where is he?

Amplified Bible
“But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down; Man breathes his last, and where is he?

Christian Standard Bible
But a person dies and fades away; he breathes his last—where is he?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But a man dies and fades away; he breathes his last—where is he?

American Standard Version
But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Contemporary English Version
Humans are different--we die, and that's the end.

English Revised Version
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But a human dies and is powerless. A person breathes his last breath, and where is he?

Good News Translation
But we die, and that is the end of us; we die, and where are we then?

International Standard Version
"But when a person dies and wastes away, when a person breathes his last, where will he be?

Majority Standard Bible
But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

NET Bible
But man dies and is powerless; he expires--and where is he?

New Heart English Bible
But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

Webster's Bible Translation
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yes, man yieldeth his breath, and where is he?

World English Bible
But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And a man dies, and becomes weak, "" And man expires, and where [is] he?

Young's Literal Translation
And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where is he?

Smith's Literal Translation
And man will die and be weak: and man will expire, and where is he?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?

New American Bible
But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when a mortal expires, where then is he?

New Revised Standard Version
But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But man dies, and fades away; yea, man perishes, and he is no more.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a man dies and wastes away and a son of man is finished and he is not
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But man dieth, and lieth low; Yea, man perisheth, and where is he?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Laments the Finality of Death
9at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling. 10But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he? 11As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:19-20
For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. / All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

Psalm 146:4
When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.

Ecclesiastes 12:7
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Psalm 104:29
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. / For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Hebrews 9:27
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. / For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.

Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. / The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. / And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. / It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. / It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.


Treasury of Scripture

But man dies, and wastes away: yes, man gives up the ghost, and where is he?

wasteth away.

Job 3:11
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

Job 10:18
Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

Job 11:20
But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

where is he

Job 14:12
So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Job 7:7-10
O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good…

Job 19:26
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

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Breath Breathes Death Dies Dieth Expireth Ghost Gives Laid Lies Perisheth Prostrate Spirit Wasteth Weak Yieldeth
Job 14
1. Job entreats God for favor, by the shortness of life, and certainty of death
7. He waits for his change
16. By sin the creature is subject to corruption














But a man
The Hebrew word for "man" here is "gever," which often denotes a strong or mighty man. This term emphasizes the inherent strength and dignity of humanity, created in the image of God. Despite this strength, the verse highlights the universal truth of human mortality. In the broader biblical context, this serves as a humbling reminder of the limitations of human life compared to the eternal nature of God.

dies
The Hebrew verb "muwth" is used here, which simply means to die or perish. This word is a stark reminder of the consequence of sin entering the world through Adam, as described in Genesis. Death is the inevitable end for all humanity, a theme that runs throughout the book of Job, emphasizing the transient nature of earthly life and the need for a savior.

and is laid low
The phrase "is laid low" comes from the Hebrew "chalah," which can mean to be weak, sick, or to be brought down. This imagery suggests not just the physical act of dying but the humbling process of being reduced from life to death. It reflects the biblical theme of human frailty and the ultimate leveling of all people, regardless of status or strength, before God.

he breathes his last
The Hebrew word "gava" is used here, meaning to expire or to give up the ghost. This phrase captures the moment of death, the final breath that signifies the departure of life. In the biblical narrative, breath is often associated with the spirit or life force given by God (Genesis 2:7). The cessation of breath marks the return of the spirit to God, as Ecclesiastes 12:7 suggests.

and where is he?
This rhetorical question underscores the mystery and uncertainty surrounding death. In the context of Job, it reflects Job's struggle with understanding the afterlife and the fate of the soul. The question invites contemplation on the eternal destiny of humanity, pointing to the hope of resurrection and eternal life found in the New Testament through Jesus Christ. It challenges believers to consider their own mortality and the assurance of salvation through faith.

Verse 10. - But man dieth. "Man" is here גבר, "the brave, strong man," not אדם or אנושׁ, and the meaning is that man, however brave and' strong, perishes. And wasteth away; i.e. "comes to nought, remains no strength or vitality." Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? "Where is he?" Job could not answer this question. He might say, "In Sheol." But where was Sheol, and what was Sheol? There was no written revelation on this subject, and no traditional knowledge on which dependence could be placed. The Hebrew notions on the subject were very vague and indeterminate; Job's notions are likely to have been still vaguer. There is no reason to believe that he had any exact acquaintance with the tenets of the Egyptians. He may have known the Chaldean teaching, but it would not have carried him very far(see above, pp. 178, 179). Doubt and perplexity beset him whenever he turned his attention to the problem of man's condition after death, and, excepting when carried away by a burst of enthusiasm, he seems to have regarded it as the highest wisdom, in matters of this kind, "to knew that he knew nothing." The question, "Where is he?" is an acknowledgment of this profound ignorance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But a man
וְגֶ֣בֶר (wə·ḡe·ḇer)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1397: A valiant man, warrior, a person simply

dies
יָ֭מוּת (yā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

and is laid low;
וַֽיֶּחֱלָ֑שׁ (way·ye·ḥĕ·lāš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2522: To prostrate, to overthrow, decay

he
אָדָ֣ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

breathes his last,
וַיִּגְוַ֖ע (way·yiḡ·wa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1478: To breathe out, expire

and where [is] he?
וְאַיּֽוֹ׃ (wə·’ay·yōw)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative | third person masculine singular
Strong's 346: Where?


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OT Poetry: Job 14:10 But man dies and is laid low (Jb)
Job 14:9
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