Job 9:18

18 Qui ne me laisse pas respirer, Qui me rassasie d'amertume.

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 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

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

Job 9:18 In-Context

16 Et quand il m'exaucerait, si je l'invoque, Je ne croirais pas qu'il eût écouté ma voix,
17 Lui qui m'assaille comme par une tempête, Qui multiplie sans raison mes blessures,
18 Qui ne me laisse pas respirer, Qui me rassasie d'amertume.
19 Recourir à la force? Il est tout-puissant. A la justice? Qui me fera comparaître?
20 Suis-je juste, ma bouche me condamnera; Suis-je innocent, il me déclarera coupable.
The Louis Segond 1910 is in the public domain.