Job chapter 7

Job lost his interest in life. He suffers from severe insomnia and chronic illness and pain. Of course, he has a gloomy outlook.

 


 

JOB COMPLAINS THAT HIS LIFE HAS NO HOPE

 

VERSE 1. “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

forced to labor on earth. Job is suffering from a loss of interest in life.

 

VERSE 2. As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

 

VERSE 3. so am I made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

wearisome nights. Job is suffering from insomnia. Anyone who suffers from insomnia knows it is devastating.

 

VERSE 4. When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

I toss and turn until the dawning of the day. The level of Job’s insomnia is severe. His life is absolute misery.

 

VERSE 5. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

breaks out afresh. Job has illnesses that are not healing. He is in a chronic state of physical suffering.

 

VERSE 6. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

 

VERSE 7. Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.

my life is a breath. Job has a gloomy outlook.

 

VERSE 8. The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.

John 7:34. You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come.

 

VERSE 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more.

Sheol. This was thought of as the place of the dead.

 

VERSE 10. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

 

VERSE 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.

I will complain. Job is complaining.

We see this as grief. When people suffer the loss of their health, they grieve. They need to express that grief through their words. And their actions.

A separate thing is ordinary complaining. Some people are always complaining. Or arguing. Those are destructive habits. They harm the individual. And the community. They need to STOP. Read more »

 

VERSE 12. Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

 

VERSE 13. When I say, ‘My bed shall comfort me. My couch shall ease my complaint;’

 

VERSE 14. then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:

 

VERSE 15. so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

my soul chooses strangling. Job has ideas of suicide.

 

VERSE 16. I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Leave me alone. Job wants his three friends to leave him alone. That is no surprise. They are not a comfort at all. And comfort is what he needs.

 

VERSE 17. What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

 

VERSE 18. that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

 

VERSE 19. How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

 

VERSE 20. If 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?

 

VERSE 21. Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be.”

 


next chapter »

« previous chapter


JOB

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 0708, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 1819, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, MemorizeJob’s Dark Night

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.