Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;
Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
Job 7 is a powerful expression of human suffering, disillusionment, and a desperate longing for relief. In this chapter, Job continues his lament, grappling with the seemingly senseless pain that has engulfed his life. He wrestles with the brevity of life, the apparent absence of God's comfort, and the overwhelming sense of futility that has taken root in his soul. This chapter serves as a raw and honest portrayal of a man pushed to the very edge of despair, offering a poignant glimpse into the depths of human suffering and the complexities of faith in the face of unimaginable hardship. Job's words resonate even today with those who feel abandoned, forgotten, and overwhelmed by the trials of life.
The Hard Service of Mortal Existence (Job 7:1-6)
Job begins by comparing human life to hard service, a soldier's duty, or the labor of a hired hand. He declares, "Is there not a hard service for man on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired worker?" (Job 7:1). He paints a picture of weariness, of longing for the end of the day, and the relief that comes with rest. Just as a slave eagerly anticipates the evening shadow, and a hired worker looks forward to his wages, so too does Job yearn for the cessation of his suffering.
"So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are apportioned to me" (Job 7:3). This verse highlights the relentless nature of Job's suffering. Time stretches out before him, filled only with emptiness and anguish. He describes his nights as filled with tossing and turning, unable to find rest or solace. He cries out for relief, longing for the dawn, but even the new day brings no respite from his pain.
Job's physical suffering is vividly described: "My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin is cracked and running with pus" (Job 7:5). This graphic imagery underscores the severity of his condition and the depth of his despair. His body has become a source of torment, a constant reminder of his affliction. He laments the fleeting nature of life, comparing it to a weaver's shuttle that swiftly moves back and forth, bringing the fabric to its end. "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope" (Job 7:6). He sees his life as quickly passing, devoid of hope and destined for oblivion.
The Fleeting Nature of Life and God's Unrelenting Gaze (Job 7:7-10)
Job reflects on the brevity of life, acknowledging that his days are like a breath, never to return. "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good" (Job 7:7). He recognizes the finality of death, understanding that once he descends into the grave, he will be gone forever. "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be no more" (Job 7:8).
He uses powerful imagery to illustrate the ephemeral nature of existence, comparing himself to a cloud that vanishes and is never seen again. "As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up" (Job 7:9). He will not return to his house, nor will his place know him anymore. This sense of finality and loss intensifies Job's despair and fuels his questioning of God.
A Plea for Understanding and Relief (Job 7:11-21)
Unable to contain his anguish, Job cries out, "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul" (Job 7:11). He feels compelled to express the torment that consumes him. He questions God's relentless scrutiny, asking, "Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?" (Job 7:12). He feels as though God is constantly watching him, as if he were a dangerous creature that needs to be restrained.
Even in sleep, Job finds no relief. "When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’ then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions" (Job 7:13-14). His dreams become nightmares, adding to his torment and preventing him from finding rest. He longs for death, finding it preferable to the agony he is enduring. "Therefore I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones" (Job 7:15). He expresses his disgust with life itself, declaring, "I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath" (Job 7:16).
Job challenges God directly, questioning why He would bother to afflict someone so insignificant. "What is man, that you make so much of him, that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18). He feels overwhelmed by God's constant attention, seeing it as a source of torment rather than comfort.
Finally, Job pleads with God to turn away from him and grant him some respite. "How long will you not turn away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?" (Job 7:19). He acknowledges that he may have sinned, but asks, "If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you?" (Job 7:20). He questions why God is so focused on him, even if he has done wrong.
Job concludes with a desperate plea for forgiveness and a final request to be left alone. "Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be" (Job 7:21). He recognizes his mortality and the inevitability of death, longing for God to forgive him and grant him peace before he descends into the grave.
Job 7 is a testament to the human struggle with suffering and the complexities of faith. It is a raw and honest expression of pain, disillusionment, and a desperate longing for relief. While Job's words may seem harsh or even blasphemous, they reveal the depth of his anguish and his unwavering desire to understand God's purpose in his suffering. This chapter invites us to grapple with the difficult questions of life, to acknowledge the reality of pain and suffering, and to seek God's presence even in the midst of our darkest moments.
Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;
Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
Job 7 is a powerful expression of human suffering, disillusionment, and a desperate longing for relief. In this chapter, Job continues his lament, grappling with the seemingly senseless pain that has engulfed his life. He wrestles with the brevity of life, the apparent absence of God's comfort, and the overwhelming sense of futility that has taken root in his soul. This chapter serves as a raw and honest portrayal of a man pushed to the very edge of despair, offering a poignant glimpse into the depths of human suffering and the complexities of faith in the face of unimaginable hardship. Job's words resonate even today with those who feel abandoned, forgotten, and overwhelmed by the trials of life.
The Hard Service of Mortal Existence (Job 7:1-6)
Job begins by comparing human life to hard service, a soldier's duty, or the labor of a hired hand. He declares, "Is there not a hard service for man on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired worker?" (Job 7:1). He paints a picture of weariness, of longing for the end of the day, and the relief that comes with rest. Just as a slave eagerly anticipates the evening shadow, and a hired worker looks forward to his wages, so too does Job yearn for the cessation of his suffering.
"So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are apportioned to me" (Job 7:3). This verse highlights the relentless nature of Job's suffering. Time stretches out before him, filled only with emptiness and anguish. He describes his nights as filled with tossing and turning, unable to find rest or solace. He cries out for relief, longing for the dawn, but even the new day brings no respite from his pain.
Job's physical suffering is vividly described: "My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin is cracked and running with pus" (Job 7:5). This graphic imagery underscores the severity of his condition and the depth of his despair. His body has become a source of torment, a constant reminder of his affliction. He laments the fleeting nature of life, comparing it to a weaver's shuttle that swiftly moves back and forth, bringing the fabric to its end. "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope" (Job 7:6). He sees his life as quickly passing, devoid of hope and destined for oblivion.
The Fleeting Nature of Life and God's Unrelenting Gaze (Job 7:7-10)
Job reflects on the brevity of life, acknowledging that his days are like a breath, never to return. "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good" (Job 7:7). He recognizes the finality of death, understanding that once he descends into the grave, he will be gone forever. "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be no more" (Job 7:8).
He uses powerful imagery to illustrate the ephemeral nature of existence, comparing himself to a cloud that vanishes and is never seen again. "As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up" (Job 7:9). He will not return to his house, nor will his place know him anymore. This sense of finality and loss intensifies Job's despair and fuels his questioning of God.
A Plea for Understanding and Relief (Job 7:11-21)
Unable to contain his anguish, Job cries out, "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul" (Job 7:11). He feels compelled to express the torment that consumes him. He questions God's relentless scrutiny, asking, "Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?" (Job 7:12). He feels as though God is constantly watching him, as if he were a dangerous creature that needs to be restrained.
Even in sleep, Job finds no relief. "When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’ then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions" (Job 7:13-14). His dreams become nightmares, adding to his torment and preventing him from finding rest. He longs for death, finding it preferable to the agony he is enduring. "Therefore I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones" (Job 7:15). He expresses his disgust with life itself, declaring, "I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath" (Job 7:16).
Job challenges God directly, questioning why He would bother to afflict someone so insignificant. "What is man, that you make so much of him, that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18). He feels overwhelmed by God's constant attention, seeing it as a source of torment rather than comfort.
Finally, Job pleads with God to turn away from him and grant him some respite. "How long will you not turn away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?" (Job 7:19). He acknowledges that he may have sinned, but asks, "If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you?" (Job 7:20). He questions why God is so focused on him, even if he has done wrong.
Job concludes with a desperate plea for forgiveness and a final request to be left alone. "Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be" (Job 7:21). He recognizes his mortality and the inevitability of death, longing for God to forgive him and grant him peace before he descends into the grave.
Job 7 is a testament to the human struggle with suffering and the complexities of faith. It is a raw and honest expression of pain, disillusionment, and a desperate longing for relief. While Job's words may seem harsh or even blasphemous, they reveal the depth of his anguish and his unwavering desire to understand God's purpose in his suffering. This chapter invites us to grapple with the difficult questions of life, to acknowledge the reality of pain and suffering, and to seek God's presence even in the midst of our darkest moments.