1 Is there not an appointed time H6635 to man H582 upon earth? H776 are not his days H3117 also like the days H3117 of an hireling? H7916
Seeing H518 his days H3117 are determined, H2782 the number H4557 of his months H2320 are with thee, thou hast appointed H6213 his bounds H2706 that he cannot pass; H5674 Turn H8159 from him, that he may rest, H2308 till he shall accomplish, H7521 as an hireling, H7916 his day. H3117
O that H5414 thou wouldest hide H6845 me in the grave, H7585 that thou wouldest keep me secret, H5641 until thy wrath H639 be past, H7725 that thou wouldest appoint H7896 me a set time, H2706 and remember H2142 me! If a man H1397 die, H4191 shall he live H2421 again? all the days H3117 of my appointed time H6635 will I wait, H3176 till my change H2487 come. H935
For G1063 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 is G2076 like G3664 unto a man G444 that is an householder, G3617 which G3748 went out G1831 early in the morning G260 G4404 to hire G3409 labourers G2040 into G1519 his G846 vineyard. G290 And G1161 when he had agreed G4856 with G3326 the labourers G2040 for G1537 a penny G1220 a day, G2250 he sent G649 them G846 into G1519 his G846 vineyard. G290 And G2532 he went out G1831 about G4012 the third G5154 hour, G5610 and saw G1492 others G243 standing G2476 idle G692 in G1722 the marketplace, G58 And said G2036 unto them; G2548 Go G5217 ye G5210 also G2532 into G1519 the vineyard, G290 and G2532 whatsoever G3739 G1437 is G5600 right G1342 I will give G1325 you. G5213 And G1161 they went their way. G565 Again G3825 he went out G1831 about G4012 the sixth G1623 and G2532 ninth G1766 hour, G5610 and did G4160 likewise. G5615 And G1161 about G4012 the eleventh G1734 hour G5610 he went out, G1831 and found G2147 others G243 standing G2476 idle, G692 and G2532 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Why G5101 stand ye G2476 here G5602 all G3650 the day G2250 idle? G692 They say G3004 unto him, G846 Because G3754 no man G3762 hath hired G3409 us. G2248 He saith G3004 unto them, G846 Go G5217 ye G5210 also G2532 into G1519 the vineyard; G290 and G2532 whatsoever G3739 G1437 is G5600 right, G1342 that shall ye receive. G2983 So G1161 when even G3798 was come, G1096 the lord G2962 of the vineyard G290 saith G3004 unto his G846 steward, G2012 Call G2564 the labourers, G2040 and G2532 give G591 them G846 their hire, G3408 beginning G756 from G575 the last G2078 unto G2193 the first. G4413 And G2532 when they came G2064 that were hired about G4012 the eleventh G1734 hour, G5610 they received G2983 every man G303 a penny. G1220 But G1161 when the first G4413 came, G2064 they supposed G3543 that G3754 they should have received G2983 more; G4119 and G2532 they likewise G2532 received G2983 every man G846 G303 a penny. G1220 And G1161 when they had received G2983 it, they murmured G1111 against G2596 the goodman of the house, G3617 G3754 Saying, G3004 These G3778 last G2078 have wrought G4160 but one G3391 hour, G5610 and G2532 thou hast made G4160 them G846 equal G2470 unto us, G2254 which G3588 have borne G941 the burden G922 and G2532 heat G2742 of the day. G2250 But G1161 he answered G611 one G1520 of them, G846 and said, G2036 Friend, G2083 I do G91 thee G4571 no G3756 wrong: G91 didst G4856 not G3780 thou agree G4856 with me G3427 for a penny? G1220 Take G142 that thine G4674 is, and G2532 go thy way: G5217 G1161 I will G2309 give G1325 unto this G5129 last, G2078 even G2532 as G5613 unto thee. G4671 G2228 Is it not G3756 lawful G1832 for me G3427 to do G4160 what G3739 I will G2309 with G1722 mine own? G1699 G1487 Is G2076 thine G4675 eye G3788 evil, G4190 because G3754 I G1473 am G1510 good? G18
Jesus G2424 answered, G611 Are there G1526 not G3780 twelve G1427 hours G5610 in the day? G2250 If G1437 any man G5100 walk G4043 in G1722 the day, G2250 he stumbleth G4350 not, G3756 because G3754 he seeth G991 the light G5457 of this G5127 world. G2889 But G1161 if G1437 a man G5100 walk G4043 in G1722 the night, G3571 he stumbleth, G4350 because G3754 there is G2076 no G3756 light G5457 in G1722 him. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 7
Commentary on Job 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Job 7:1-21. Job Excuses His Desire for Death.
1. appointed time—better, "a warfare," hard conflict with evil (so in Isa 40:2; Da 10:1). Translate it "appointed time" (Job 14:14). Job reverts to the sad picture of man, however great, which he had drawn (Job 3:14), and details in this chapter the miseries which his friends will see, if, according to his request (Job 6:28), they will look on him. Even the Christian soldier, "warring a good warfare," rejoices when it is completed (1Ti 1:18; 2Ti 2:3; 4:7, 8).
2. earnestly desireth—Hebrew, "pants for the [evening] shadow." Easterners measure time by the length of their shadow. If the servant longs for the evening when his wages are paid, why may not Job long for the close of his hard service, when he shall enter on his "reward?" This proves that Job did not, as many maintain, regard the grave as a mere sleep.
3.—Months of comfortless misfortune.
I am made to possess—literally, "to be heir to." Irony. "To be heir to," is usually a matter of joy; but here it is the entail of an involuntary and dismal inheritance.
Months—for days, to express its long duration.
Appointed—literally, "they have numbered to me"; marking well the unavoidable doom assigned to him.
4. Literally, "When shall be the flight of the night?" [Gesenius]. Umbreit, not so well, "The night is long extended"; literally, "measured out" (so Margin).
5. In elephantiasis maggots are bred in the sores (Ac 12:23; Isa 14:11).
clods of dust—rather, a crust of dried filth and accumulated corruption (Job 2:7, 8).
my skin is broken and … loathsome—rather, comes together so as to heal up, and again breaks out with running matter [Gesenius]. More simply the Hebrew is, "My skin rests (for a time) and (again) melts away" (Ps 58:7).
6. (Isa 38:12). Every day like the weaver's shuttle leaves a thread behind; and each shall wear, as he weaves. But Job's thought is that his days must swiftly be cut off as a web;
without hope—namely, of a recovery and renewal of life (Job 14:19; 1Ch 29:15).
7. Address to God.
Wind—a picture of evanescence (Ps 78:39).
shall no more see—rather, "shall no more return to see good." This change from the different wish in Job 3:17, &c., is most true to nature. He is now in a softer mood; a beam from former days of prosperity falling upon memory and the thought of the unseen world, where one is seen no more (Job 7:8), drew from him an expression of regret at leaving this world of light (Ec 11:7); so Hezekiah (Isa 38:11). Grace rises above nature (2Co 5:8).
8. The eye of him who beholds me (present, not past), that is, in the very act of beholding me, seeth me no more.
Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not—He disappears, even while God is looking upon him. Job cannot survive the gaze of Jehovah (Ps 104:32; Re 20:11). Not, "Thine eyes seek me and I am not to be found"; for God's eye penetrates even to the unseen world (Ps 139:8). Umbreit unnaturally takes "thine" to refer to one of the three friends.
9. (2Sa 12:23).
the grave—the Sheol, or place of departed spirits, not disproving Job's belief in the resurrection. It merely means, "He shall come up no more" in the present order of things.
10. (Ps 103:16). The Oriental keenly loves his dwelling. In Arabian elegies the desertion of abodes by their occupants is often a theme of sorrow. Grace overcomes this also (Lu 18:29; Ac 4:34).
11. Therefore, as such is my hard lot, I will at least have the melancholy satisfaction of venting my sorrow in words. The Hebrew opening words, "Therefore I, at all events," express self-elevation [Umbreit].
12. Why dost thou deny me the comfort of care-assuaging sleep? Why scarest thou me with frightful dreams?
Am I a sea—regarded in Old Testament poetry as a violent rebel against God, the Lord of nature, who therefore curbs his violence (Jer 5:22).
or a whale—or some other sea monster (Isa 27:1), that Thou needest thus to watch and curb me? The Egyptians watched the crocodile most carefully to prevent its doing mischief.
14. The frightful dreams resulting from elephantiasis he attributes to God; the common belief assigned all night visions to God.
15. Umbreit translates, "So that I could wish to strangle myself—dead by my own hands." He softens this idea of Job's harboring the thought of suicide, by representing it as entertained only in agonizing dreams, and immediately repudiated with horror in Job 7:16, "Yet that (self-strangling) I loathe." This is forcible and graphic. Perhaps the meaning is simply, "My soul chooses (even) strangling (or any violent death) rather than my life," literally, "my bones" (Ps 35:10); that is, rather than the wasted and diseased skeleton, left to him. In this view, "I loathe it" (Job 7:16) refers to his life.
16. Let me alone—that is, cease to afflict me for the few and vain days still left to me.
17. (Ps 8:4; 144:3). Job means, "What is man that thou shouldst make him [of so much importance], and that thou shouldst expend such attention [or, heart-thought] upon him" as to make him the subject of so severe trials? Job ought rather to have reasoned from God's condescending so far to notice man as to try him, that there must be a wise and loving purpose in trial. David uses the same words, in their right application, to express wonder that God should do so much as He does for insignificant man. Christians who know God manifest in the man Christ Jesus may use them still more.
18. With each new day (Ps 73:14). It is rather God's mercies, not our trials, that are new every morning (La 3:23). The idea is that of a shepherd taking count of his flock every morning, to see if all are there [Cocceius].
19. How long (like a jealous keeper) wilt thou never take thine eyes off (so the Hebrew for "depart from") me? Nor let me alone for a brief respite (literally, "so long as I take to swallow my spittle"), an Arabic proverb, like our, "till I draw my breath."
20. I have sinned—Yet what sin can I do against ("to," Job 35:6) thee (of such a nature that thou shouldst jealously watch and deprive me of all strength, as if thou didst fear me)? Yet thou art one who hast men ever in view, ever watchest them—O thou Watcher (Job 7:12; Da 9:14) of men. Job had borne with patience his trials, as sent by God (Job 1:21; 2:10); only his reason cannot reconcile the ceaseless continuance of his mental and bodily pains with his ideas of the divine nature.
set me as a mark—Wherefore dost thou make me thy point of attack? that is, ever assail me with new pains? [Umbreit] (La 3:12).
21. for now—very soon.
in the morning—not the resurrection; for then Job will be found. It is a figure, from one seeking a sick man in the morning, and finding he has died in the night. So Job implies that, if God does not help him at once, it will be too late, for he will be gone. The reason why God does not give an immediate sense of pardon to awakened sinners is that they think they have a claim on God for it.