Mot, First-Born of Death (בכור מות)
Job 18:13 preserves a rare expression—bĕkôr māwet, “First-Born of Death”—within Bildad’s dark description of the fate of the wicked. The phrase sits at the intersection of Hebrew idiom, Israel’s wisdom tradition, and ancient Near Eastern mythic backdrops. Whether read as a vivid superlative for deadly disease, as a figurative offspring of Death, or as a title for Mot himself, “First-Born of Death” intensifies the reality of human finitude under God’s sovereign rule. Scripture speaks frankly about death (Gen 3:19; Ps 90:3–12; Eccl 3:19–20), yet places it inside the larger story of the Lord who kills and makes alive (Deut 32:39; 1 Sam 2:6).
1. The phrase in Job 18:13
In context, Bildad strings images of decay, terror, and exile to portray the end of the wicked (Job 18:5–21). “It consumes the parts of his skin; the first-born of death consumes his limbs” (Job 18:13). The parallelism pairs consuming disease with the climactic force of “First-Born of Death,” the strongest, most eminent emissary of mortal ruin. Elsewhere in Job, Death appears with a court of attendants—“the King of Terrors” (Job 18:14), “the cords of Sheol” (Job 17:16), and “Resheph’s sons” (Job 5:7)—a poetic way of personifying calamities without demanding a literal pantheon within Israel’s confession (cf. Ps 91:3, 6; Hab 3:5).
2. Firstborn language across Semitic usage
The Hebrew bĕkôr (first-born) normally marks rank and inheritance (Exod 4:22; Deut 21:17; Ps 89:27). Cognate terms across Northwest Semitic typically identify the firstborn among humans or animals, while in Akkadian some related forms name “offspring” more broadly. Biblically, “firstborn” can operate as a superlative or dignity title (e.g., “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth,” Ps 89:27; cf. Col 1:15 in a distinct but analogous New Testament usage). In Isaiah 14:30, “firstborn of the poor” likely means the poorest of the poor, showing how “firstborn” can intensify a class. This helps explain why “First-Born of Death” may function as a superlative for the deadliest affliction.
3. Ancient Near Eastern background: Mot, Resheph, Namtar
Mot (Death) in the Ugaritic texts is the fearsome devourer, called “son of El” and “Beloved of El,” yet with no securely attested children. He defeats and consumes, but we lack specific lines naming his “firstborn.” Still, Israel knew the Canaanite setting in which Mot personified the grave’s appetite (cf. Hos 13:14; Isa 28:15, 18).
Resheph appears across Syria-Palestine and beyond, associated with plague and arrows (Deut 32:24; Hab 3:5). “Sons of Resheph” (Job 5:7) likely personify sparks or sudden calamities, showing how biblical poetry can recast regional mythic language into Yahweh-centered theology (Ps 78:48).
Namtar in Mesopotamian lore serves as underworld vizier and messenger of pestilence. While often connected to fate and disease, no explicit epithet names him “First-Born of Death.” The conceptual overlap—death’s chief emissary bringing wasting sickness—remains instructive for how ancient readers might have heard Job’s idiom.
4. Three main interpretations of bĕkôr māwet
View 1: Idiom for deadly disease. On this reading, “First-Born of Death” functions as a superlative, parallel to “son of death” (1 Sam 20:31; 26:16; 2 Sam 12:5) as “one doomed to die.” Here, Job 18:13 personifies the most virulent malady that eats away flesh (cf. Deut 28:22; Ps 38:3–8).
View 2: Offspring of a death/pestilence deity. Drawing on Resheph/Namtar parallels, the phrase denotes a chief plague-spirit sent by Death. The poetry harnesses common mythic motifs to dramatize judgment, yet the theology remains firmly biblical: Yahweh alone kills and heals (Deut 32:39).
View 3: Title for Mot as “Firstborn Death.” Taking the genitive attributively, some hear “First-Born Death” as Mot’s epithet—Death in his primacy. The weakness is the lack of direct evidence that Mot is ever called El’s firstborn; yet the title’s rhetorical punch is undeniable within Job’s imagery.
These readings are not mutually exclusive in their literary force. Job’s poetry often compresses layers—idiom, personification, and cultural allusion—into a single, frightening line (cf. Job 3:5; 10:20–22).
5. Job’s wisdom frame: death under God’s sovereignty
Even when the language borrows the “court” of Death, Job’s theology does not enthrone a rival. The Lord commands Leviathan’s leash (Job 41), appoints the boundaries of light and darkness (Job 38:19–21), and knows Sheol’s gates (Job 38:17). Bildad’s catalogue serves a moral lesson (Job 18:21), but Job himself will insist that the righteous sufferer can appeal beyond the grave to a living Redeemer (Job 19:25–27). “First-Born of Death” is terrifying, yet not ultimate. The Creator speaks, and the sea stills (Ps 89:9–10; Job 38:8–11).
6. Theological stakes: sin, curse, disease, and judgment
Scripture links death to sin and curse (Gen 2:17; Rom 5:12). Diseases sometimes function as covenant sanctions (Lev 26:16; Deut 28:21–22), though the wisdom books warn against neat calculations (Job 1–2; John 9:1–3). The idiom in Job 18:13 fits this tension: death’s agents are real, but they are not sovereign; calamity is dreadful, yet God’s justice and purposes stand (Ps 97:2–3; Isa 45:7). The “King of Terrors” (Job 18:14) cannot dethrone the King of Glory (Ps 24:7–10).
7. Gospel horizon: the death of Death
Within the broader canon, the Gospel reframes the power of death. Christ partook of flesh and blood “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death” (Heb 2:14–15). He tasted death for everyone (Heb 2:9), swallowed up death forever (Isa 25:7–8; 1 Cor 15:54–57), and holds “the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:18). If Job 18:13 paints “First-Born of Death” as disease consuming the body, the resurrection proclaims a stronger “Firstborn”—Jesus Christ, “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5). Where Bildad saw limbs consumed, the Gospel promises bodies raised imperishable (1 Cor 15:42–49; Phil 3:20–21). Judgment remains (2 Cor 5:10; Heb 9:27), but for those in Christ, death’s sting is drawn (1 Thess 4:13–18).
8. Pastoral implications: speaking wisely about death
Speak truthfully: Death is an enemy (1 Cor 15:26), not an illusion. Euphemism cannot heal grief (John 11:33–36).
Avoid simplistic blame: Job’s comforters weaponized theology; Scripture urges patient compassion (Job 2:11–13; Rom 12:15).
Hold both fear and hope: “Teach us to number our days” (Ps 90:12), while we set our hope fully on grace (1 Pet 1:13).
Practice embodied hope: Honor the dying, care for the sick (Matt 25:36), and confess the resurrection of the body (John 5:28–29).
Live as those delivered: Freed from slavery to the fear of death (Heb 2:15), believers abound in good works (Titus 2:14).
Conclusion
“Mot, First-Born of Death” compresses the felt power of mortality into a single striking line. Job’s poetry borrows the idioms of his world to declare that the worst agent of Death still serves within God’s universe. The wicked may be consumed, yet the Lord remains Judge and Redeemer. In the fullness of time, the Son—true Firstborn—answers the riddle of Job 18:13 not by naming death’s emissary, but by conquering Death itself. The grave has attendants; God has the last word (Rev 21:4–5).
Bible verses related to the topic
“It consumes the parts of his skin; the firstborn of death consumes his limbs.” (Job 18:13)
“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive.” (Deuteronomy 32:39)
“Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
“O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol.” (Psalm 30:3)
“I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.” (Hosea 13:14)
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26)
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things… to deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14–15)
“Fear not… I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17–18)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.” (Revelation 21:4)
