August 13, 2026 - In the second clause, he uses the ... the teeth are set (Latin: os maxilla and os mandibula)". Therefore, Blumenthal argues, the correct reading is: "My skin and flesh cling to my bones, and I am left with (only) my skull", giving a stark description of the advanced stage of Job's disease. In modern times, "by the skin of ...

BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S TEETH definition: Just barely, very narrowly, as in Doug passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. A related term appears in the Bible (Job 19:20), where Job says, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” presumably meaning he got away with nothing at all.

By this point, Job has suffered through an illness that has left him very thin (skin and bones) but he expresses thanks that he has “escaped with the skin of my teeth”. So the phrase has come to mean barely avoiding something (usually something bad) or barely succeeding at something.

1 month ago - He escaped from the secret police by the skin of his teeth.

September 11, 2016 - We use the expression “by the skin of my teeth” as a synonym for “barely” or “narrowly.” It is most commonly used to describe a closely-fought but narrow victory or a close but ultimately harmless encounter with danger.

March 15, 2023 - The idiom“by the skin of your teeth” is used to describe a situation from which someone has barely manged to escape or achieve something…

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Answer (1 of 11): It doesn't mean anything. You've confused two separate expressions, and run them together into one. 'By the skin of your teeth' means 'only just' or 'by an extremely thin margin'. It's usually used in the context of escaping: "I got away by the skin of my teeth" means "I just ...

(By an amount equal to the thickness of the (imaginary) skin on one's teeth.) I got through calculus class by the skin of my teeth. I got to the airport a few minutes late and missed the plane by the skin of my teeth.

Synonyms for by the skin of one's teeth include barely, narrowly, just, only just, by a whisker, by a nose, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, slightly and marginally. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!

January 17, 2026 - Prominent American preacher Thomas ... in Brooklyn Tabernacle, where he analogized Job's suffering to modern believers' narrow escapes from sin and adversity, emphasizing moral resilience....

October 17, 2025 - Some theorize that the “skin” in question refers to gums, while others say it refers to the enamel coating on teeth. There are also Greek translations of the original Hebrew that imply it refers to the lips. But metaphorically, the biblical phrase is usually interpreted to suggest that Job barely escaped his trials and tribulations, which is similar to how we use the phrase today. ... Because the Geneva Bible was used by ...

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I managed to pass the exam by the skin if my teeth. He slipped at the edge of the cliff but managed to hold on to a rock, and was saved by the skin of his teeth.

From Job 19.20. "My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth."

August 10, 2025 - 🧠 Meaning: To narrowly succeed or barely manage to do something · ✍️ Example: He caught the train by the skin of his teeth, just before the doors closed

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The English idiom ‘escaped by the skin of one’s teeth’ is derived from this graphic expression in the book of Job. One of the main themes of the book is the problem of suffering. At the beginning of the book we find Job well blessed, with a large family, considerable wealth and great prospects. In the first and second chapters of the book, however, Job faces desperate grief as all his children die and he loses everything, including his health.