Job 9:18

18 He won't let me catch my breath; he has filled my life with bitterness.

Job 9:18 Meaning and Commentary

Job 9:18

He will not suffer me to take my breath
Which some think refers to Job's disease, which was either an asthma, or a quinsy in his throat, which occasioned great difficulty in breathing: I should rather think the allusion is to the hot burning winds in those countries before mentioned, which sometimes blew so strongly as almost to take away a man's breath; so the above traveller ^F21 reports, that between Suez and Cairo (in Egypt) they had for a day's time and more so hot a wind, that they were forced to turn their backs to it, to take a little breath. The design of Job is to show, that his afflictions were continued, and were without any intervals; they were repeated so fast, and came so thick upon him, one after another, that he had no breathing time; the import of the phrase is the same with that in ( Job 7:19 ) ;

but filleth me with bitterness;
to the full, to satiety, to loathing, as a man may be with a bitter potion, with wormwood drink, and water of gall, with bitter afflictions comparable to such, whereby Job's life was embittered to him, see ( Jeremiah 9:15 ) ( Lamentations 3:15 Lamentations 3:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Travels. par. 1. B. 2. c. 34. p. 177.

Job 9:18 In-Context

16 Yet even then, if he lets me speak, I can't believe he would listen to me.

17 He sends storms to batter and bruise me without any reason at all.

18 He won't let me catch my breath; he has filled my life with bitterness.

19 Should I try force? Try force on God? Should I take him to court? Could anyone make him go?

20 I am innocent and faithful, but my words sound guilty, and everything I say seems to condemn me.