Job 7:4-14

4 Me acuesto y pienso:“¿Cuánto falta para que amanezca?”La noche se me hace interminable;me doy vueltas en la cama hasta el amanecer.

5 Tengo el cuerpo cubierto de gusanos y de costras;¡la piel se me raja y me supura!

6 »Mis días se van más veloces que una lanzadera,y sin esperanza alguna llegan a su fin.

7 Recuerda, oh Dios, que mi vida es un suspiro;que ya no verán mis ojos la felicidad.

8 Los ojos que hoy me ven, no me verán mañana;pondrás en mí tus ojos, pero ya no existiré.

9 Como nubes que se diluyen y se pierden,los que bajan al sepulcro ya no vuelven a subir.

10 Nunca más regresan a su casa;desaparecen de su lugar.

11 »Por lo que a mí toca, no guardaré silencio;la angustia de mi alma me lleva a hablar,la amargura en que vivo me obliga a protestar.

12 ¿Soy acaso el mar, el monstruo del abismo,para que me pongas bajo vigilancia?

13 Cuando pienso que en mi lecho hallaré consueloo encontraré alivio a mi queja,

14 aun allí me infundes miedo en mis sueños;¡me aterras con visiones!

Job 7:4-14 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.