Job 10

1 taedet animam meam vitae meae dimittam adversum me eloquium meum loquar in amaritudine animae meae
2 dicam Deo noli me condemnare indica mihi cur me ita iudices
3 numquid bonum tibi videtur si calumnieris et opprimas me opus manuum tuarum et consilium impiorum adiuves
4 numquid oculi carnei tibi sunt aut sicut videt homo et tu videbis
5 numquid sicut dies hominis dies tui et anni tui sicut humana sunt tempora
6 ut quaeras iniquitatem meam et peccatum meum scruteris
7 et scias quia nihil impium fecerim cum sit nemo qui de manu tua possit eruere
8 manus tuae plasmaverunt me et fecerunt me totum in circuitu et sic repente praecipitas me
9 memento quaeso quod sicut lutum feceris me et in pulverem reduces me
10 nonne sicut lac mulsisti me et sicut caseum me coagulasti
11 pelle et carnibus vestisti me et ossibus et nervis conpegisti me
12 vitam et misericordiam tribuisti mihi et visitatio tua custodivit spiritum meum
13 licet haec celes in corde tuo tamen scio quia universorum memineris
14 si peccavi et ad horam pepercisti mihi cur ab iniquitate mea mundum me esse non pateris
15 et si impius fuero vae mihi est et si iustus non levabo caput saturatus adflictione et miseria
16 et propter superbiam quasi leaenam capies me reversusque mirabiliter me crucias
17 instauras testes tuos contra me et multiplicas iram tuam adversum me et poenae militant in me
18 quare de vulva eduxisti me qui utinam consumptus essem ne oculus me videret
19 fuissem quasi qui non essem de utero translatus ad tumulum
20 numquid non paucitas dierum meorum finietur brevi dimitte ergo me ut plangam paululum dolorem meum
21 antequam vadam et non revertar ad terram tenebrosam et opertam mortis caligine
22 terram miseriae et tenebrarum ubi umbra mortis et nullus ordo et sempiternus horror inhabitans

Job 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

Job complains of his hardships. (1-7) He pleads with God as his Maker. (8-13) He complains of God's severity. (14-22)

Verses 1-7 Job, being weary of his life, resolves to complain, but he will not charge God with unrighteousness. Here is a prayer that he might be delivered from the sting of his afflictions, which is sin. When God afflicts us, he contends with us; when he contends with us, there is always a reason; and it is desirable to know the reason, that we may repent of and forsake the sin for which God has a controversy with us. But when, like Job, we speak in the bitterness of our souls, we increase guilt and vexation. Let us harbour no hard thoughts of God; we shall hereafter see there was no cause for them. Job is sure that God does not discover things, nor judge of them, as men do; therefore he thinks it strange that God continues him under affliction, as if he must take time to inquire into his sin.

Verses 8-13 Job seems to argue with God, as if he only formed and preserved him for misery. God made us, not we ourselves. How sad that those bodies should be instruments of unrighteousness, which are capable of being temples of the Holy Ghost! But the soul is the life, the soul is the man, and this is the gift of God. If we plead with ourselves as an inducement to duty, God made me and maintains me, we may plead as an argument for mercy, Thou hast made me, do thou new-make me; I am thine, save me.

Verses 14-22 Job did not deny that as a sinner he deserved his sufferings; but he thought that justice was executed upon him with peculiar rigour. His gloom, unbelief, and hard thoughts of God, were as much to be ascribed to Satan's inward temptations, and his anguish of soul, under the sense of God's displeasure, as to his outward trials, and remaining depravity. Our Creator, become in Christ our Redeemer also, will not destroy the work of his hands in any humble believer; but will renew him unto holiness, that he may enjoy eternal life. If anguish on earth renders the grave a desirable refuge, what will be their condition who are condemned to the blackness of darkness for ever? Let every sinner seek deliverance from that dreadful state, and every believer be thankful to Jesus, who delivereth from the wrath to come.

Chapter Summary

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.

Job 10 Commentaries

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.