Job 19:18 Meaning: When Even Children Despise You
Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.
Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.
Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and they speak against me.
Even young children despise me; I rise up, and they speak against me.
Meaning in one sentence
Job 19:18 shows Job's total rejection: even young children mock him. The Hebrew term can mean 'boys' or 'the wicked,' but the agony of abandonment is clear.
Context
Job's world has shrunk to a single room of pain. In chapter 19 he lists everyone who has abandoned him: relatives, close friends, household servants, even his own wife. The circle of rejection closes tighter with each verse. Now he adds the unthinkable. The very children, who once would have looked up to him in respect, now mock him. In the ancient Near East, age was honored. For a child to insult an elder was a social catastrophe. Job's complaint here is not petty. It is the sound of a man whose place in the human community has disintegrated entirely. This is the lowest point before his famous cry, 'I know that my Redeemer lives.'
Key Words
The Hebrew word for 'young children' is 'avilim, a word with a double edge. It can mean little boys, the kind who play in the streets. But it can also mean the wicked, people who have no regard for God or others. The ambiguity matters. Job may be saying that even the smallest and most innocent now look down on him. Or he may mean that the worthless people of the town, who once depended on him, now join the attack.
The verb translated 'despise' is ma'asu, to reject utterly, to push away with disgust. This is not mild disregard. It is a rejection you feel in your bones.
And 'they speak against me' uses dabar, the ordinary word for speaking, but with the preposition 'against' it becomes accusation and mockery. Their words are weapons.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in different ways. Some, following the Septuagint and Jerome, see 'fools' or 'the wicked' as the subject, Job is mocked by those without moral compass. The Geneva Bible and some Reformed commentators take this view, understanding 'young children' as a metaphor for ungodly people. Others, including Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, and Matthew Henry, take the verse literally: actual children, who have learned contempt from their parents, now mock the suffering man. Both readings capture the depth of Job's isolation. What all traditions agree on is that Job has lost the most basic human respect. He is an object of scorn to everyone, from the grand to the small.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers see this as an overreaction. Children tease, after all. But in Job's culture, the respect of even the youngest was tied to a person's honor before God. When children mocked him, it meant his standing with God appeared ruined. In fact, Job's lament is not about hurt feelings. It is about the collapse of every human relationship and the sense of being marked as cursed.
Living This Out
This verse may feel distant if you have never been mocked. But most of us know what it is to be dismissed. Maybe a younger coworker talks over you. A neighbor makes a cutting remark. A family member ignores you at a gathering. The pain is small but real. Job shows us that such rejection can be brought to God. He does not hide his anger or sadness. He names it. This week, if you feel the sting of being looked down on, you can name it too. You can tell God exactly how it feels. He already knows. And he has not turned away from you.
Main takeaway: When respect from everyone around you vanishes, God still sees your true worth and holds you close.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes other kids say mean things or laugh at you. Job felt that way too. Even when people are unkind, God never laughs at you. He always loves you. You can tell God how you feel, just like Job did. He listens.
For ages 9, 12
Job had lost everything, and now even little kids made fun of him. Imagine that: people you think would look up to you instead treat you badly. Job was honest with God about how much it hurt. He didn't pretend to be fine. When people treat you unfairly or laugh at you, you can be honest with God too. He understands, and he never rejects you.
Questions People Ask
In Job 19:18, does 'young children' mean literal children or 'the wicked'?
The Hebrew word can mean both. Some translations (KJV, WEB) take it as young children. Others (the margin of some Bibles, the Geneva Notes) read it as 'the wicked.' Both are possible. The point is that Job is scorned by those from whom he would least expect it.
Why is Job so upset about being mocked by children?
In Job's society, respect for elders was a core value. Children mocking an adult was a sign of complete social breakdown. It meant Job had lost all honor and was seen as cursed by God.
How does this verse fit into the larger passage of Job 19?
Job 19 lists the people who have abandoned Job: relatives, friends, servants, his wife. Verse 18 is the climax of that list. Even children reject him. Then in verse 21 he cries for pity, and verses 25-27 contain his famous declaration of faith in a living Redeemer.
Is Job being overly sensitive here?
Many readers might think so at first. But in the context of Job's total loss of health, wealth, and family, this mockery is another layer of suffering. It shows he is not just physically afflicted but socially dead. His honesty about the pain is not weakness; it is the raw material of his faith.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study