20 I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?
He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.
Thy righteousness `is' as mountains of God, Thy judgments `are' a great deep. Man and beast Thou savest, O Jehovah.
Jehovah, God of Hosts, till when? Thou hast burned against the prayer of Thy people.
For Thou makest them a butt, When Thy strings Thou preparest against their faces.
He looketh on men, and saith, `I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me.
`Pure `am' I, without transgression, Innocent `am' I, and I have no iniquity.
Thou `art' He, O Jehovah, Thyself -- Thou hast made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all their host, the earth and all that `are' on it, the seas and all that `are' in them, and Thou art keeping all of them alive, and the host of the heavens to Thee are bowing themselves.
At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark. Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall. He breaketh me -- breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
I -- I am become wicked; why `is' this? `In' vain I labour. If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands, Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 7
Commentary on Job 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
Job, in this chapter, goes on to express the bitter sense he had of his calamities and to justify himself in his desire of death.
Job 7:1-6
Job is here excusing what he could not justify, even his inordinate desire of death. Why should he not wish for the termination of life, which would be the termination of his miseries? To enforce this reason he argues,
Job 7:7-16
Job, observing perhaps that his friends, though they would not interrupt him in his discourse, yet began to grow weary, and not to heed much what he said, here turns to God, and speaks to him. If men will not hear us, God will; if men cannot help us, he can; for his arm is not shortened, neither is his ear heavy. Yet we must not go to school to Job here to learn how to speak to God; for, it must be confessed, there is a great mixture of passion and corruption in what he here says. But, if God be not extreme to mark what his people say amiss, let us also make the best of it. Job is here begging of God either to ease him or to end him. He here represents himself to God,
Job 7:17-21
Job here reasons with God,