Job 7: Job speaks of his days and nights
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job goes on speaking. He asks whether a man's days on earth are not like a hired worker's, says he is given months of misery and nights of trouble, and that his days run out without hope. He says he will not keep silent, asks why he is watched and tested, says his soul chooses strangling and death, and asks why his transgression is not pardoned, since for now he will lie in the dust and not be.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Job speaks in all 21 verses, going on with the speech he began at [[JOB 6:1|Job 6:1]]. Inside his words he quotes himself in verse 4 ("When will I arise?") and in verse 13 ("My bed will comfort me"). From verse 7 he speaks to a "you" who has eyes on him; verse 20 calls that "you" a watcher of men. The narrator speaks no words in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
In plain English: Is a man not made to do hard labor on the earth? Are his days not like the days of a hired worker?
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2As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
In plain English: He is like a servant who longs for the shade, and like a hired worker who looks for his wages,
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3so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
In plain English: so I have been given months of misery (or: emptiness), and nights of wearisome trouble have been counted out (or: assigned) to me.
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4When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
In plain English: When I lie down, I say, "When will I get up?" But the night goes on, and I have my fill of tossing and turning until the dawn (or: twilight).
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5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
In plain English: My flesh is dressed in worms and clods of dust. My skin hardens, and then it runs (or: breaks out again).
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6My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
In plain English: My days are faster than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end with no hope.
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7Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
In plain English: Remember that my life is a breath (or: a wind). My eye will not come back to see good.
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8The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
In plain English: The eye that sees me will not look on me any more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
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9As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
In plain English: As a cloud ends and goes away, so the one who goes down to Sheol will not come up.
The Hebrew word: "Sheol" is sheol, which the dictionary gives as "Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates". It is in 8 verses of Job, and the WEB says "Sheol" in all 8.
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10He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
In plain English: He will not return to his house again, and his place will not know him any more.
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11“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
In plain English: Therefore I will not hold back my mouth. I will speak in the distress of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
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12Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
In plain English: Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?
The Hebrew words: "Sea monster" is tannin, which the dictionary gives as "a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal". It is in 26 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "monster" in 5 of them. In Job it is in 2 verses: here, and , where the WEB says "jackals". The text does not say what creature is meant here.
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13When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
In plain English: When I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease (or: carry) my complaint,"
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14then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
In plain English: then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,
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15so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
In plain English: so that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my bones.
The Hebrew word: "Strangling" is machanaq, which the dictionary gives as "choking". This word is found in this verse only in the whole Bible, and the WEB says "strangling".
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16I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
In plain English: I loathe my life (the Hebrew says only: I reject). I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath (or: a puff of vapor).
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17What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
In plain English: What is man, that you should make him great, and that you should set your mind (or: heart) on him,
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18that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
In plain English: that you should visit him every morning and test him every moment?
The Hebrew word: "Visit" is paqad, which the dictionary gives as "to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.". It is in 269 verses of the Bible, and the WEB uses a form of "visit" in 42 of them.
Good to know: asks a question like the one in verses 17 and 18: "what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?" Both verses use the Hebrew verb paqad, which the WEB prints as "visit" here and "care for" in the Psalm. In Job the question goes on to being visited every morning and tested every moment. The Psalm does not say that. Neither verse is given as the answer to the other.
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19How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
In plain English: How long will you not look away from me, and not leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
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20If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
In plain English: If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark (or: target) for you, so that I am a burden to myself (some copies: to you)?
The Hebrew words: "Watcher" is natsar, which the dictionary gives as "to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)". It is in 60 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "watcher" in 1 of them, this verse. "Burden" is massa, which the dictionary gives as "a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly adoom, especially singing; mental, desire". It is in 59 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "burden" in 35 of them.
What changes: The Hebrew text reads "a burden on myself", which the WEB prints as "a burden to myself". Some copies read "a burden to you". With that reading the burden lies on the one Job speaks to, not on Job. The text does not say which is meant. "Watcher" can be a guard who protects or one who keeps watch on someone, and the verse does not say which.
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21Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
In plain English: Why do you not forgive my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust. You will look for me (or: seek me diligently), but I will not be.
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