Job 10

1 It annoyeth my soul of my life; I shall leave my speech against me, I shall speak in the bitterness of my soul. (My life vexeth my soul; but I shall forgo any talk against myself, and I shall speak out of the bitterness of my soul.)

2 I shall say to God, Do not thou condemn me; show thou to me, why thou deemest me so (show thou me, why thou judgest me so).

3 Whether it seemeth good to thee, if thou challengest me as false, and oppressest me, the work of thine hands; and if thou helpest the counsel of wicked men?

4 Whether fleshly eyes be to thee, either, as a man seeth, also thou shalt see? (Hast thou fleshly eyes? or shalt thou see like a man seeth?)

5 Whether thy days be as the days of (a) man, and be thy years as man's times; (Be thy days like the days of a man? and be thy years like the times of a man?)

6 (so) that thou inquire (after) my wickedness, and ensearch (after) my sin?

7 And thou, Lord, know, that I have done no wicked thing; since there is no man, that may deliver from thine hand? (And Lord, thou knowest that I have done no wicked thing; and there is no one who can rescue me out of thy hand.)

8 Thine hands have made me, and have formed me all in compass; and thou hast cast me down suddenly (and then suddenly thou hast thrown me down).

9 Lord, I pray thee, have thou mind, that thou madest me as clay, and shalt bring me again into dust. (Lord, I pray thee, remember that thou madest me like the clay/remember that thou madest me from the clay, and now shalt thou return me to the dust?)

10 Whether thou hast not milked me as milk, and hast crudded me together as cheese? (Hast thou not poured me out like milk, and curdled me together like cheese?)

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh; and thou hast joined me together with bones and sinews.

12 Thou hast given life and mercy to me (Thou hast given life and love to me), and thy visiting hath kept my spirit (alive).

13 And though thou coverest these things in thine heart, nevertheless I know, that thou hast mind of all these things. (And though thou hidest these things in thy heart, nevertheless I know, that thou hast remembered all these things.)

14 And if when I did sin, thou sparedest me at an hour; why sufferest thou not me to be clean of my wickedness? (And when I did sin, thou sawest me; but thou wouldest not cleanse me of my wickedness.)

15 And if I was wicked, woe is to me; and if I was just, I shall not raise up mine head, that am full-filled with torment, and wretchedness. (And if I was wicked, woe is me; and if I was righteous, I shall still not raise up my head, I who am filled full of torment, and wretchedness.)

16 And if I raise up mine head for pride, thou shalt take me as a lioness; and thou turnest again, and tormentest me wonderfully. (And if I raise up my head in pride, then thou shalt take hold of me like a lioness; and thou shalt turn, and torment me with wonders, or miracles.)

17 Thou gatherest in store thy witnesses against me, and thou multipliest thine ire, that is, (thy) vengeance, against me; and pains hold knighthood in me. [Thou restorest thy witnesses against me, and thou multipliest thy wrath against me; and pains fight in me.]

18 Lord, why hast thou led me out of the womb? Why not had I erst been wasted, that an eye had not seen me (Why had I not erstwhile been destroyed, so that no eye had seen me).

19 (And so) That I had been, as if I were not, and were translated, either borne over, from the womb to the sepulchre (from the womb unto the tomb, or the grave).

20 Whether not the fewness of my days shall be ended in (a) short time? Therefore suffer thou me, that I bewail a little (more) my sorrow,

21 before that I go, and turn not again, to the dark land, and (be) covered with the darkness of death, (before that I go to the dark land, and am covered with the darkness of death, never to return,)

22 to the land of wretchedness, and of darknesses; where is shadow of death, and none order, but everlasting hideousness dwelleth. (yea, to the land of wretchedness, and of darkness; where there is only the shadow of death, and no order, and everlasting hideousness dwelleth there.)

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.