איוב, פרק ל״ד, פסוק ט״ו

The very existence of all living creatures depends entirely on the will of God, a reality that itself serves as proof of His perfectly just leadership. The possibility that God could instantly wipe out all life is raised specifically to reject any claim that He acts out of cruelty or arbitrary vengeance. If God merely wanted to find faults, act as an enemy, and destroy humanity, He would not subject people to gradual suffering. Because the entire world belongs to Him and absolutely no one can protest or stop Him, He could easily end all life in a single moment, turning everyone back into dust [מצודת דוד].

When contemplating this end of human life, a distinction is made between the physical flesh, which simply dies, and the visible form of a person, which ultimately returns to the earth [אבן עזרא]. While another approach suggests these concepts are primarily meant to direct a person's heart toward God, this view is considered highly stretched and far from the simple meaning of the text [אבן עזרא].

Taking a broader look at the existence of the universe, the concept of humanity returning to dust can be understood as a rhetorical question. If God were to allow strict justice to prosecute the sins of the people to the point of reverting the entire world back into total chaos, would humanity merely return to the earth? The underlying answer is that if the world were completely destroyed because of human wickedness, it would never be rebuilt again [אלשיך].