The Meaning of Job 7:5 Explained

Job 7:5

KJV: My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

YLT: Clothed hath been my flesh with worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

Darby: My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

ASV: My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My flesh  is clothed  with worms  and clods  of dust;  my skin  is broken,  and become loathsome. 

What does Job 7:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 7:1-21 - Longing For The Evening
The servant eagerly longs for the lengthening shadow, which tells him that his day of labor is at an end, and we may allow ourselves to anticipate the hour of our reward and deliverance.
In plaintive words, which have so often been on the lips of heavy sufferers, Job tells the story of his sorrow and bitterness. The sufferer addresses God directly-almost suggesting at first that God was persecuting him without cause. Let those who have been disposed to think God unmindful and hard in His dealings, ponder these words. Even this saint of patience has trodden that path before them, and he came out right at last. But a softer tone follows; Job realizes that he has sinned, pleads to be forgiven, and asks that the word of forgiving love may not tarry, lest it be too late. The psalmist uses expressions similar to Job 7:17-18, but with a more wholesome application, Psalms 8:4; Psalms 144:3.
Notice that wonderful name for God-the watcher of men, Job 7:20, r.v. Not to discover their sins, but to learn their sorrows and needs with the intent of helping them with His saving strength. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 7

1  Job excuses his desire of death
12  He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God

What do the individual words in Job 7:5 mean?

Is caked My flesh with worms - and dust My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh
לָ֘בַ֤שׁ בְּשָׂרִ֣י רִ֭מָּה [וגיש] (וְג֣וּשׁ) עָפָ֑ר עוֹרִ֥י רָ֝גַ֗ע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס

לָ֘בַ֤שׁ  Is  caked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
בְּשָׂרִ֣י  My  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
רִ֭מָּה  with  worms 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִמָּה  
Sense: maggot, worm (as cause and sign of decay).
[וגיש]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
עָפָ֑ר  dust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
עוֹרִ֥י  My  skin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
רָ֝גַ֗ע  is  cracked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָגַע 
Sense: to act in an instant, stir up, disturb.
וַיִּמָּאֵֽס  and  breaks  out  afresh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.