Job 10:11-21

11 You clothed me with skin and flesh you knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 You granted me life and grace; your careful attention preserved my spirit.

13 "'Yet you hid these things in your heart; I know what your secret purpose was -

14 to watch until I would sin and then not absolve me of my guilt.

15 If I am wicked, woe to me! -but if righteous, I still don't dare raise my head, because I am so filled with shame, so soaked in my misery.

16 You rise up to hunt me like a lion, and you keep treating me in such peculiar ways.

17 You keep producing fresh witnesses against me, your anger against me keeps growing, your troops assail me, wave after wave.

18 "'Why did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died there where no eye could see me.

19 I would have been as if I had never existed, I would have been carried from womb to grave.

20 Aren't my days few? So stop! Leave me alone, so I can cheer up a little

21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of darkness and death-dark gloom,

Job 10:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

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.