Job 19:20 (LSB)

Passage

My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

Nearby Context

Job 19:18 Even young children reject me; I rise up, and they speak against me.

Job 19:19 All the men of my counsel abhor me, And those I love have turned against me.

Job 19:20 My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

Job 19:21 Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has smitten me.

Job 19:22 Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bone", "clings", "skin", "flesh", "escaped", "only", and "teeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bone" and "clings", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "All the men of my counsel abhor..." into verse 21's "Pity me pity me O you my...", so "bone" and "clings" belong inside that flow. In Job context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bone" and "clings" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.