Job 25:6
New International Version
how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm!”

New Living Translation
In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms.”

English Standard Version
how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Berean Standard Bible
how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!”

King James Bible
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

New King James Version
How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?”

New American Standard Bible
How much less man, that maggot, And a son of man, that worm!”

NASB 1995
How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!”

NASB 1977
How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!”

Legacy Standard Bible
How much less mortal man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!”

Amplified Bible
How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!”

Christian Standard Bible
how much less a human, who is a maggot, a son of man, who is a worm!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!

American Standard Version
How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm!

Contemporary English Version
So how can we humans, when we are merely worms?

English Revised Version
How much less man, that is a worm! and the son of man, which is a worm!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How much less pure is a mortal-who is only a maggot- a descendant of Adam-who is only a worm!"

Good News Translation
Then what about a human being, that worm, that insect? What is a human life worth in God's eyes?

International Standard Version
How much less is man, who is only a maggot, or a man's children, who are only worms!"

Majority Standard Bible
how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!?

NET Bible
how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot--a son of man, who is only a worm!"

New Heart English Bible
How much less man, who is a worm, the son of man, who is a worm."

Webster's Bible Translation
How much less man, that is a worm; and the son of man, who is a worm?

World English Bible
How much less man, who is a worm, and the son of man, who is a worm!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
How much less man—a grub, "" And the son of man—a worm!”

Young's Literal Translation
How much less man -- a grub, And the son of man -- a worm!

Smith's Literal Translation
How much less man, a worm; and the son of man, a worm.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How much less man that is rottenness and the son of man who is a worm?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Is man much more than rottenness and the son of man much more than worms?

New American Bible
How much less a human being, who is but a worm, a mortal, who is only a maggot?

New Revised Standard Version
how much less a mortal, who is a maggot, and a human being, who is a worm!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How much less man, who is dust, and the son of man, who is a worm!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But truly man is a worm and a son of man is a maggot”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a maggot!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But alas! man is corruption, and the son of man a worm.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Bildad: Man Cannot Be Righteous
5If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, 6how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!”

Cross References
Psalm 8:4
what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 144:3
O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?

Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 41:14
Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 2:22
Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

Psalm 103:14-16
For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. / 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.

Psalm 39:5
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

Psalm 62:9
Lowborn men are but a vapor; the exalted are but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor.

Ecclesiastes 3:20
All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

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

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 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

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.

1 Corinthians 15:47-49
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. / As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. / And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.


Treasury of Scripture

How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

How much less, etc.

Job 4:19
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

Genesis 18:27
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

Jump to Previous
Grub Insect Less Maggot Worm
Jump to Next
Grub Insect Less Maggot Worm
Job 25
1. Bildad shows that man cannot be justified before God














how much less
This phrase serves as a rhetorical device used by Bildad to emphasize the insignificance of man in comparison to the majesty and purity of God. The Hebrew root here suggests a diminutive comparison, underscoring the vast chasm between divine perfection and human frailty. In the broader context of Job, this phrase is part of Bildad's argument that if celestial beings are not pure before God, then humans are even less so. This reflects a common biblical theme of humility before God, reminding believers of their need for divine grace.

man
The Hebrew word for "man" here is "enosh," which often connotes mortality and frailty. This term is used to highlight the transient and fragile nature of human life. In the context of Job, it serves to remind readers of the human condition post-Fall, marked by sin and suffering. Theologically, it points to the need for redemption and the hope found in Christ, who took on human form to bridge the gap between God and man.

who is but a maggot
The imagery of a "maggot" is stark and vivid, intended to evoke a sense of decay and worthlessness. In ancient times, maggots were associated with death and decomposition, symbolizing the ultimate end of all flesh. This metaphor serves to humble the reader, reminding them of their mortality and the futility of pride. It also points to the transformative power of God, who can bring life and purity out of corruption through His redemptive work.

and the son of man
This phrase, "son of man," is a Hebrew idiom for humanity, emphasizing the generational aspect of human existence. It is used throughout the Old Testament to denote human beings in their weakness and need for God. In the New Testament, Jesus adopts this title, transforming it into a messianic identity that speaks to His role as the representative and redeemer of humanity. This dual usage highlights the continuity of God's plan for salvation from the Old to the New Testament.

who is but a worm!
The term "worm" further emphasizes human lowliness and vulnerability. In the Hebrew context, a worm is a creature of the earth, often associated with insignificance and helplessness. This imagery is meant to contrast with the glory and power of God, who is sovereign over all creation. For believers, it serves as a call to humility and reliance on God's strength rather than their own. It also foreshadows the suffering servant in Isaiah, who is despised and rejected, yet through whom salvation comes, pointing ultimately to Christ's redemptive work on the cross.

(6) How much less man . . .--Comp. Psalm 8:4; Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 41:14, &c.

Verse 6. - How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm? (comp. Psalm 22:6). How much less can man be pure in God's sight? An undoubted truth, or rather, perhaps, a truism, but not to the point, for Job has never really maintained that he is without sin (see ch. 7:20, 21; 9:2, 20, etc.). He has only maintained that his sins have not been of such a character as to account for his sufferings.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
how much less
אַ֭ף (’ap̄)
Conjunction
Strong's 637: Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though

man,
אֱנ֣וֹשׁ (’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

who is but a maggot,
רִמָּ֑ה (rim·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7415: A maggot

and the son
וּבֶן־ (ū·ḇen-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

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

who is but a worm!”
תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃ (tō·w·lê·‘āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8438: The crimson-grub, of the color, from it, cloths dyed therewith


Links
Job 25:6 NIV
Job 25:6 NLT
Job 25:6 ESV
Job 25:6 NASB
Job 25:6 KJV

Job 25:6 BibleApps.com
Job 25:6 Biblia Paralela
Job 25:6 Chinese Bible
Job 25:6 French Bible
Job 25:6 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Job 25:6 How much less man who (Jb)
Job 25:5
Top of Page
Top of Page