Job 18:13

“It shall devour the strength of his skin, etc.] Or “the bars of his skin” f700, the strength and support of his body, for which his skin may be put, as the bones; or “the branches of his skin” f701, the veins, which like so many branches run under, and may be seen through the skin: now these, it, famine, or want of food, devours, and destroys the strength and beauty of the skin, cause it to be black like an oven, (<250408>Lamentations 4:8 5:10); bring a man to a mere skeleton, to skin and bones, waste and consume the members of his body, his flesh, and blood, and bones; the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, by “his bars” or “branches” understand his children, which are his bars, the strength of…”

“UMBREIT has "he" for "it," that is, "in the rage of hunger he shall devour his own body"; or, "his own children" (Lam 4:10). Rather, "destruction" from Job 18:12 is nominative to "devour." strength--rather, "members" (literally, the "branches" of a tree). the first-born of death--a personification full of poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief place (Gen 49:3); so here the chiefest (most deadly) disease that death has ever engendered (Isa 14:30; "first-born of the poor"--the poorest). The Arabs call fever, "daughter of death."”

“It shall devour the strength of his skin - Margin, bars. The margin is a correct translation of the Hebrew. The word used (בדי badēy, construct with עורו ‛ôrô - his skin) means bars, staves, branches, and here denotes his limbs, members; or, more literally, the bones, as supports of the skin, or the human frame. The bones are regarded as the bars, or the framework, holding the other parts of the body in their place, and over which the skin is stretched. The word “it” here refers to the “first-born of death” in the other hemistich of the verse; and the meaning is, that the strength of his body shal be entirely exhausted. The first-born of death - The “first-born” is usually spoken of as…”

“First - born - A terrible kind of death. The first - born was the chief of his brethren, and therefore this title is given to things eminent in their kind. Job 18:14”

“18:13 death devours: Isaiah later reversed the figure and saw the Lord as swallowing up death (Isa 25:8; see 1 Cor 15:54).”

“strength: Heb. bars, Job 17:16; Jon 2:6 the firstborn: Gen 49:3; Isa 14:30; Rev 6:8 Job 18:14”