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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 14:2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/14-2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/9/18_Job_14_02.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 14:2 - Job Laments the Finality of Death" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/job/14-2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/job/14-2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/job/">Job</a> > <a href="/job/14.htm">Chapter 14</a> > Verse 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/14-1.htm" title="Job 14:1">◄</a> Job 14:2 <a href="/job/14-3.htm" title="Job 14:3">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/14.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/14.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/14.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/14.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/14.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/14.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/14.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/14.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Like a flower he comes out and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/14.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/14.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/14.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not stand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/14.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“Like a flower he comes forth and withers; He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/14.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/14.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/14.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/14.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />We are flowers that fade and shadows that vanish. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/14.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/14.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />He comes up like a flower; then he withers. He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn't stay long.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/14.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />We grow and wither as quickly as flowers; we disappear like shadows. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/14.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />He springs up like a flower and then withers. Like a shadow, he disappears and doesn't last.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/14.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/14.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/14.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn't continue.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/14.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/14.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/14.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />As a flower he has gone forth, and is cut off, "" And he flees as a shadow and does not stand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/14.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/14.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And as a flower he will come forth, and will be cut down: and he will flee as a shadow, and shall not stand.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/14.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/14.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/14.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/14.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />comes up like a flower and withers, flees like a shadow and does not last.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/14.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />He comes forth like a flower, and withers and fades away; he flees like a shadow, and continues not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/14.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And like a flower he comes forth and dries up and fades and flees as a shadow and does not remain<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/14.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />He cometh forth like a flower, and withereth; He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/14.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and cannot continue.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/14-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=2100" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/14.htm">Job Laments the Finality of Death</a></span><br><span class="reftext">1</span>“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. <span class="reftext">2</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/6731.htm" title="6731: kə·ṣîṣ (Prep-k:: N-ms) -- Or tsits; from tsuwts; properly, glistening, i.e. A burnished plate; also a flower; a wing.">Like a flower,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3318.htm" title="3318: yā·ṣā (V-Qal-Perf-3ms) -- A primitive root; to go out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.">he comes forth,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5243.htm" title="5243: way·yim·māl (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- Branch to be cut down off, circumcise. A primitive root; to become clipped or circumcised.">then withers away;</a> <a href="/hebrew/6738.htm" title="6738: kaṣ·ṣêl (Prep-k, Art:: N-ms) -- A shadow. From tsalal; shade, whether literal or figurative.">like a fleeting shadow,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1272.htm" title="1272: way·yiḇ·raḥ (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To go through, flee. A primitive root; to bolt, i.e. Figuratively, to flee suddenly."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">he does not</a> <a href="/hebrew/5975.htm" title="5975: ya·‘ă·mō·wḏ (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To take one's stand, stand. A primitive root; to stand, in various relations.">endure.</a> </span><span class="reftext">3</span>Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/103-15.htm">Psalm 103:15-16</a></span><br />As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/40-6.htm">Isaiah 40:6-8</a></span><br />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.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/4-14.htm">James 4:14</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a></span><br />For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/90-5.htm">Psalm 90:5-6</a></span><br />You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— / in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/6-12.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:12</a></span><br />For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11</a></span><br />My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/64-6.htm">Isaiah 64:6</a></span><br />Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">1 Chronicles 29:15</a></span><br />For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/144-4.htm">Psalm 144:4</a></span><br />Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/6-30.htm">Matthew 6:30</a></span><br />If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-31.htm">1 Corinthians 7:31</a></span><br />and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/4-18.htm">2 Corinthians 4:18</a></span><br />So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/39-5.htm">Psalm 39:5</a></span><br />You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-12.htm">Isaiah 51:12</a></span><br />“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.</p><p class="hdg">like</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/90-5.htm">Psalm 90:5-9</a></b></br> Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are <i>as</i> a sleep: in the morning <i>they are</i> like grass <i>which</i> groweth up… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/92-7.htm">Psalm 92:7,12</a></b></br> When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; <i>it is</i> that they shall be destroyed for ever: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/103-15.htm">Psalm 103:15,16</a></b></br> <i>As for</i> man, his days <i>are</i> as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth… </p><p class="hdg">fleeth</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/8-9.htm">Job 8:9</a></b></br> (For we <i>are but of</i> yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth <i>are</i> a shadow:)</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/9-25.htm">Job 9:25,26</a></b></br> Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">1 Chronicles 29:15</a></b></br> For we <i>are</i> strangers before thee, and sojourners, as <i>were</i> all our fathers: our days on the earth <i>are</i> as a shadow, and <i>there is</i> none abiding.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/esther/9-23.htm">Continue</a> <a href="/job/7-4.htm">Continues</a> <a href="/exodus/9-34.htm">Continueth</a> <a href="/job/11-10.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/job/8-15.htm">Endure</a> <a href="/joshua/20-4.htm">Flees</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/25-27.htm">Fleeth</a> <a href="/hebrews/11-25.htm">Fleeting</a> <a href="/job/13-25.htm">Flight</a> <a href="/job/8-12.htm">Flower</a> <a href="/job/12-15.htm">Forth</a> <a href="/job/11-10.htm">Goes</a> <a href="/job/12-22.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/job/12-22.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/32-4.htm">Springs</a> <a href="/job/8-15.htm">Standeth</a> <a href="/job/8-12.htm">Withereth</a> <a href="/job/8-19.htm">Withers</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/job/15-29.htm">Continue</a> <a href="/psalms/68-21.htm">Continues</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-20.htm">Continueth</a> <a href="/job/14-7.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/job/15-29.htm">Endure</a> <a href="/job/20-24.htm">Flees</a> <a href="/job/20-8.htm">Fleeth</a> <a href="/psalms/39-4.htm">Fleeting</a> <a href="/job/20-8.htm">Flight</a> <a href="/job/15-33.htm">Flower</a> <a href="/job/14-9.htm">Forth</a> <a href="/job/14-12.htm">Goes</a> <a href="/job/17-7.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/job/16-16.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/job/38-16.htm">Springs</a> <a href="/job/41-26.htm">Standeth</a> <a href="/psalms/90-6.htm">Withereth</a> <a href="/psalms/90-6.htm">Withers</a><div class="vheading2">Job 14</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/14-1.htm">Job entreats God for favor, by the shortness of life, and certainty of death</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/14-7.htm">He waits for his change</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/14-16.htm">By sin the creature is subject to corruption</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/job/14.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>He blossoms like a flower</b><br />The imagery of a flower is deeply rooted in the Hebrew understanding of life’s transience. The Hebrew word for "flower" (צִיץ, tzitz) conveys beauty and fragility. Flowers, in their brief bloom, represent the peak of life’s vitality and splendor. In the ancient Near Eastern context, flowers were often used to symbolize the fleeting nature of human existence. This phrase reminds us of the temporary nature of earthly life, echoing the Psalms and Isaiah, where human life is compared to grass and flowers that quickly fade. It serves as a humbling reminder of our mortality and the importance of living a life that honors God, knowing that our time on earth is limited.<p><b>then withers</b><br />The process of withering signifies decline and the inevitable end of life. The Hebrew root נָבֵל (nabel) means to fade or decay, emphasizing the natural progression from life to death. This reflects the biblical theme of the fall and the curse of mortality that came with sin. In a conservative Christian perspective, this withering is not just a physical decline but also a spiritual reminder of the need for redemption and the hope of eternal life through Christ. It calls believers to focus on spiritual growth and the eternal promises of God rather than the temporary pleasures of this world.<p><b>he flees like a shadow</b><br />A shadow is an ephemeral and insubstantial image, constantly shifting and disappearing with the movement of the sun. The Hebrew word צֵל (tsel) for "shadow" conveys the idea of something that is fleeting and lacks permanence. In the biblical context, shadows are often used to illustrate the brevity and insubstantial nature of life. This phrase underscores the swift passage of time and the elusive nature of human existence. It encourages believers to seek the substance and reality found in a relationship with God, who is eternal and unchanging, rather than the fleeting shadows of worldly pursuits.<p><b>and does not last</b><br />The finality of this phrase reinforces the transient nature of human life. The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) means to stand or endure, and its negation here highlights the inability of human life to sustain itself indefinitely. This serves as a sobering reminder of the certainty of death and the importance of preparing for eternity. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this acknowledgment of life’s impermanence points to the hope found in Jesus Christ, who offers eternal life to those who believe. It challenges believers to live with an eternal perspective, investing in what truly lasts—their relationship with God and the impact of their lives on others for His kingdom.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/14.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down</span>. Few similes are more frequently used in Scripture (comp. <a href="/psalms/103-15.htm">Psalm 103:15</a>; <a href="/isaiah/28-1.htm">Isaiah 28:1, 4</a>; <a href="/isaiah/40-6.htm">Isaiah 40:6, 7</a>; <a href="/james/1-10.htm">James 1:10, 11</a>; <a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a>), and certainly none could have more poetic beauty. Eastern flowers do not often last much more than a day. <span class="cmt_word">He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not</span> (comp. <a href="/job/7-2.htm">Job 7:2</a>; <a href="/job/8-9.htm">Job 8:9</a>; <a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">1 Chronicles 29:15</a>; <a href="/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11</a>; <a href="/psalms/109-23.htm">Psalm 109:23</a>; <a href="/ecclesiastes/6-12.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:12</a>, etc.). Shadows are always changing; but the shadows which flee away the fastest, and which Job has probably in his mind, are those of clouds, or other moving objects, which seem to chase each other over the earth, and never to continue for a single minute in one stay. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/14-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Like a flower,</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּצִ֣יץ</span> <span class="translit">(kə·ṣîṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6731.htm">Strong's 6731: </a> </span><span class="str2">Glistening, a burnished plate, a flower, a wing</span><br /><br /><span class="word">he comes forth,</span><br /><span class="heb">יָ֭צָא</span> <span class="translit">(yā·ṣā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3318.htm">Strong's 3318: </a> </span><span class="str2">To go, bring, out, direct and proxim</span><br /><br /><span class="word">then withers away;</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיִּמָּ֑ל</span> <span class="translit">(way·yim·māl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5243.htm">Strong's 5243: </a> </span><span class="str2">Branch to be cut down off, circumcise </span><br /><br /><span class="word">like a fleeting shadow,</span><br /><span class="heb">כַּ֝צֵּ֗ל</span> <span class="translit">(kaṣ·ṣêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6738.htm">Strong's 6738: </a> </span><span class="str2">A shadow</span><br /><br /><span class="word">he does not</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">endure.</span><br /><span class="heb">יַעֲמֽוֹד׃</span> <span class="translit">(ya·‘ă·mō·wḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5975.htm">Strong's 5975: </a> </span><span class="str2">To stand, in various relations</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/14-2.htm">OT Poetry: Job 14:2 He comes forth like a flower (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/14-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 14:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 14:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/14-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 14:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 14:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>