Job 7:6-16

6 dies mei velocius transierunt quam a texente tela succiditur et consumpti sunt absque ulla spe
7 memento quia ventus est vita mea et non revertetur oculus meus ut videat bona
8 nec aspiciet me visus hominis oculi tui in me et non subsistam
9 sicut consumitur nubes et pertransit sic qui descenderit ad inferos non ascendet
10 nec revertetur ultra in domum suam neque cognoscet eum amplius locus eius
11 quapropter et ego non parcam ori meo loquar in tribulatione spiritus mei confabulabor cum amaritudine animae meae
12 numquid mare sum ego aut cetus quia circumdedisti me carcere
13 si dixero consolabitur me lectulus meus et relevabor loquens mecum in strato meo
14 terrebis me per somnia et per visiones horrore concuties
15 quam ob rem elegit suspendium anima mea et mortem ossa mea
16 desperavi nequaquam ultra iam vivam parce mihi nihil enim sunt dies mei

Job 7:6-16 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.

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.