Job 7:11-21

11 “I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain.
12 Am I a sea monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard?
13 I think, ‘My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,’
14 but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions.
15 I would rather be strangled— rather die than suffer like this.
16 I hate my life and don’t want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days.
17 “What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often?
18 For you examine us every morning and test us every moment.
19 Why won’t you leave me alone, at least long enough for me to swallow!
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of all humanity? Why make me your target? Am I a burden to you?
21 Why not just forgive my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone.”

Job 7:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7

In this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions, and wish for death; by observing the common case of mankind, which he illustrates by that of an hireling, Job 7:1; and justifies his eager desire of death by the servant and hireling; the one earnestly desiring the shadow, and the other the reward of his work, Job 7:2; by representing his present state as exceeding deplorable, even worse than that of the servant and hireling, since they had rest at night, when he had none, and were free from pain, whereas he was not, Job 7:3-5; by taking notice of the swiftness and shortness of his days, in which he had no hope of enjoying any good, Job 7:6,7; and so thought his case hard; and the rather, since after death he could enjoy no temporal good: and therefore to be deprived of it while living gave him just reason of complaint, Job 7:8-11; and then he expostulates with God for setting such a strict watch upon him; giving him no ease night nor day, but terrifying him with dreams and visions, which made life disagreeable to him, and death more eligible than that, Job 7:12-16; and represents man as unworthy of the divine regard, and below his notice to bestow favours on him, or to chastise him for doing amiss, Job 7:17,18; and admitting that he himself had sinned, yet he should forgive his iniquity, and not bear so hard upon him, and follow him with one affliction after another without intermission, and make him the butt of his arrows; but should spare him and let him alone, or however take him out of the world, Job 7:19-21.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. As in Greek version; Hebrew reads target, so that I am a burden to myself?
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