Job 10:4-22

4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?
5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man,
6 that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin—
7 though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?
8 “Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me?
9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished.
15 If I am guilty—woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in[a] my affliction.
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.
19 If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!
20 Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy
21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness,
22 to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

Job 10:4-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 10

Job here declares the greatness of his afflictions, which made him weary of his life, and could not help complaining; entreats the Lord not to condemn him but show him the reason of his thus dealing with him, Job 10:1,2; and expostulates with him about it, and suggests as if it was severe, and not easily reconciled to his perfections, when he knew he was not a wicked man, Job 10:3-7; he puts him in mind of his formation and preservation of him, and after all destroyed him, Job 10:8-12; and represents his case as very distressed; whether he was wicked or righteous it mattered not, his afflictions were increasing upon him, Job 10:13-17; and all this he observes, in order to justify his eager desire after death, which he renews, Job 10:18,19; and entreats, since his days he had to live were but few, that God would give him some respite before he went into another state, which he describes, Job 10:20-22.

Cross References 37

  • 1. 1 Samuel 16:7; Job 11:11; Job 14:16; Job 24:23; Job 28:24; Job 31:4; Job 34:21; Job 41:11; Psalms 11:4; Psalms 33:15; Psalms 119:168; Psalms 139:12; Proverbs 5:21; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 11:20-23; Jeremiah 16:17
  • 2. Job 36:26; Psalms 39:5; Psalms 90:2,4; Psalms 102:24; 2 Peter 3:8
  • 3. Job 14:16
  • 4. ver 15; S Job 6:29; Job 11:4; Job 16:17; Job 27:5,6; Job 31:6; Job 32:1
  • 5. S Deuteronomy 32:39
  • 6. Genesis 2:7; Psalms 119:73
  • 7. S ver 3; S 2 Samuel 14:14; S Job 30:15
  • 8. S Job 4:19; Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 64:8
  • 9. S Genesis 2:7; S Job 7:21
  • 10. Psalms 139:13,15
  • 11. S Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4
  • 12. S Genesis 24:12
  • 13. S Genesis 45:5
  • 14. 1 Peter 2:25
  • 15. Job 23:13; Psalms 115:3
  • 16. Job 13:27
  • 17. S Exodus 34:7; S Job 7:21
  • 18. S ver 7
  • 19. S Job 9:13; Isaiah 3:11
  • 20. S Job 9:15
  • 21. Psalms 25:16
  • 22. S 1 Samuel 17:34; Psalms 7:2; Isaiah 38:13; Jeremiah 5:6; Jeremiah 25:38; Lamentations 3:10; Hosea 5:14; Hosea 13:7
  • 23. Job 5:9; Isaiah 28:21; Isaiah 29:14; Isaiah 65:7
  • 24. 1 Kings 21:10; Job 16:8
  • 25. Ruth 1:21
  • 26. S Job 5:7
  • 27. S Job 3:8; S Psalms 22:9; Job 3:11
  • 28. Job 3:26; Ecclesiastes 4:2; Ecclesiastes 7:1
  • 29. S Job 3:3; Jeremiah 15:10
  • 30. Job 14:1; Ecclesiastes 6:12
  • 31. S Job 7:7; Job 7:19
  • 32. S Job 7:16
  • 33. S Job 9:25
  • 34. S 2 Samuel 12:23; S Job 3:13; Job 16:22; Psalms 39:13; Ecclesiastes 12:5
  • 35. S Job 3:5; Psalms 23:4; Psalms 88:12
  • 36. S Job 3:5
  • 37. S 1 Samuel 2:9; S Job 3:13

Footnotes 1

Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.