Job 14:5

5 if even his life should be one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed for a time, and he shall by no means exceed .

Job 14:5 Meaning and Commentary

Job 14:5

Seeing his days [are] determined
Or "cut out" ^F9, exactly and precisely, how many he shall live, and what shall befall him every day of his life; whose life, because of the shortness of it, is rather measured by days than vents:

the number of his months [are] with thee;
before him, in his sight, in his account, and fixed and settled by him:

thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
the boundaries of his life the period of his days, beyond which he cannot go; the term of man's life is so peremptorily fixed by God, that he cannot die sooner, nor live longer, than he has determined he should; as the time of a man's birth, so the time of his death is according to the purpose of God; and all intervening moments and articles of time, and all things that befall a man throughout the whole course of his life, all fall under the appointment of God, and are according to his determinate will; and when God requires of man his soul, no one has power over his spirit to retain it one moment; yet this hinders not the use of means for the preservation and comfort of life, since these are settled as well as the end, and are under the divine direction: the word for bounds signifies sometimes "statutes" ^F11: though not to be understood of laws appointed by God, either of a moral or ceremonial nature; but here it signifies set, stated, appointed times ^F12 Seneca ^F13 says the same thing;

``there is a boundary fixed for every man, which always remains where it is set, nor can any move it forward by any means whatsoever.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Myuwrx) "exacte praefiniti sunt", Tigurine version.
F11 (wqx) "statuta ejus", V. L. Mercerus, Schmidt.
F12 "Stata tempora", Beza.
F13 Consolat. ad Marciam, c. 20.

Job 14:5 In-Context

3 Hast thou not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgment before thee?

4 For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;

5 if even his life should be one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed for a time, and he shall by no means exceed .

6 Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, as a hireling.

7 For there is hope for a tree, even if it should be cut down, it shall blossom again, and its branch shall not fail.