Job 5:5 Meaning: When the Harvest Is Taken from the Thorns
whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.
Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns; And the snare gapeth for their substance.
Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.
Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh even out of the thorns; and the snare gapeth for his substance.
Meaning in one sentence
Job 5:5 shows the total loss that comes to the foolish, harvest taken even through thorns. Discover what the hungry and the snare represent.
Context
Eliphaz is arguing with Job that suffering always follows foolishness. He has just said he has seen the foolish take root, then suddenly curse their own home. Their children are crushed in the gate, with no one to rescue them. Verse 5 completes the picture: everything they have worked for is stripped away. The hungry devour the harvest, pulling it even from behind a protective thorn hedge. A trap waits open for their wealth. Eliphaz believes this is the pattern of God's justice: the wicked may flourish briefly, but they end up with nothing.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words give this verse its force. The hungry (ra'ev) describes someone desperate enough to claw through any barrier for food. This is not ordinary need, it is the kind of hunger that makes a person unstoppable. The thorns (tsen) likely refer to the thorn hedge that protected a harvested field. The hungry man does not go around the hedge; he pushes right through, taking the grain even from among the thorns. And the snare (tsammim) that gapes for their substance is a trap waiting to spring. Some translations read 'thirsty' instead, either way, the picture is the same: everything the foolish man counted on is seized, swallowed, or caught. The security he trusted in vanishes as if it were never there.
How Christians Read This Verse
Translators have long debated one word in this verse. The Hebrew tsammim can mean 'snare' (as in Job 18:9) or, with a different pronunciation, 'thirsty.' Many ancient versions, the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac, read 'thirsty' to match the 'hungry' in the first line. Barnes and other commentators prefer this for the parallel structure. The KJV reads 'robber' while the WEB keeps 'snare.' Both readings carry the same truth: the wealth the wicked man hoarded is consumed by others who are desperate for it. The Cambridge Bible adds that the snare image suggests the cunning of those who wait for his possessions to fall. Christians across traditions agree that the verse paints a scene of utter desolation, though they differ on the exact figure.
A common misunderstanding
Some think this verse teaches that God approves of stealing from the rich or that the poor are always justified in taking from the wealthy. In fact, Eliphaz is not making a moral point about theft. He is describing a consequence: when a person builds their life on foolishness and oppression, God removes the protection that normally guards a harvest. The hungry who take the grain are not praised; they are part of the picture of judgment.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to what you protect with your own 'thorns', the plans, savings, or reputation you have hedged around. Are you counting on those to keep you safe? Eliphaz saw that the most carefully guarded wealth can disappear overnight if it is not rooted in God. Instead of building higher hedges, you might ask whether your security rests on what lasts. The harvest that matters is the one no thief can reach.
Main takeaway: The security the foolish trust in can be stripped away in an instant; only what is held in God's hands will remain.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Imagine a farmer who put up a fence of thorny bushes to keep his wheat safe. But some hungry people were so hungry they pushed right through the thorns and took the wheat anyway. That is what happens when we trust our stuff too much instead of trusting God.
For ages 9, 12
Eliphaz describes a man who thought he was secure. He had a good harvest, and he probably fenced it in with thorn hedges. But desperate people broke through anyway, and a trap waited for whatever was left. The point is not that God wants poor people to steal. The point is that money and things cannot really protect us. If we build our life only on what we own, it can all disappear. God is the only safe place.
Questions People Ask
Who are the 'hungry' in Job 5:5?
The hungry are not specified, but they represent anyone desperate enough to take what the foolish man has gathered. In context, they could be raiders like the Sabeans who attacked Job (Job 1:15) or any predatory group. Eliphaz uses them to show that the wicked man's wealth is not safe.
What does 'taking it even out of the thorns' mean?
The thorns likely refer to a hedge of thorn bushes used to protect a harvested field. The hungry person clears the hedge or picks the grain from among the thorns, meaning they overcome every obstacle to take the harvest. Nothing stops them from stripping the field bare.
Is the snare in Job 5:5 a literal trap?
The word translated 'snare' (tsammim) can also mean 'thirsty' or 'robber.' If it is a snare, it is a trap set for the wicked man's wealth, perhaps by those who wait to seize it. Either way, the image shows that his possessions are completely vulnerable.
How does Job 5:5 fit into Eliphaz's argument?
Eliphaz is warning Job that resentment and envy lead to destruction. He uses the example of a foolish man who seems to flourish but then loses everything: his children, his harvest, his wealth. Verse 5 is the climax, his hard-earned harvest is taken by strangers despite his efforts to protect it.
Does this verse mean all poor people are right to take from the rich?
No. The verse is descriptive, not prescriptive. It describes a pattern Eliphaz sees in how the foolish are judged, not a command for the poor to steal. The Bible elsewhere condemns theft. The point is about the insecurity of trusting in wealth rather than in God.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study