Let his roots be dried up beneath, and his harvest destroyed above.
מִ֭תַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל יִמַּ֥ל קְצִירֽוֹ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
These phrases indicate that the judgment of the unrighteous will resemble the annihilation of the inhabitants of Sodom. Their roots shall decay from below, and their branches shall wither from above, leaving nothing of value for the wicked to find, neither on the earth nor in the heavens.
Let the roots wither and the crops go to ruin, as stated in Job 18:16, 24. What do we mean by "roots," which are concealed from our view yet give rise to that which is visible, if not thoughts that, while not seen in themselves, yield observable actions? Therefore, the "harvest" refers to the manifestation of deeds stemming from an unseen source. A wicked individual initially withers in the realm of temptation, leading to the demise of his virtuous deeds. Thus, it is aptly said: Let his roots wither and let his harvest decay, for while the unrighteous man grounds his thoughts in temporal matters and neglects to pursue the eternal joys of heavenly abundance, is this not indicative of allowing his "roots to wither"?
His "harvest is lost" above the roots, for all his actions, despite appearing commendable in human eyes, are deemed worthless in the sight of the Divine Judge. Hence, the "roots" lie beneath, while the "harvest" is above. If we cultivate righteous thoughts here, we have the hope of reaping the rewards of our good actions in eternity; conversely, when a wicked person forsakes virtuous thoughts and pursues worldly distractions, his roots wither below, and his harvest is rendered fruitless above, knowing that one who engages in spiritual barrenness in this life shall similarly forfeit his reward in the life to come.
Job expresses his frustration towards his friends for their unreasonable remarks, which provokes a strong reaction from Baldad. In his bitterness, Baldad counters Job, using Job’s own acknowledgment of impending death to illustrate his wrongdoing. He asserts that the very nature of the world is such that the unrighteous, when faced with adversity, cannot escape its grasp but ultimately meets their demise as a conclusion to their troubles.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS