Job 10:4-14

4 Do you see things as we do?

5 Is your life as short as ours?

6 Then why do you track down all my sins and hunt down every fault I have?

7 You know that I am not guilty, ¹ that no one can save me from you.

8 Your hands formed and shaped me, and now those same hands destroy me.

9 Remember that you made me from clay; are you going to crush me back to dust?

10 You gave my father strength to beget me; ² you made me grow in my mother's womb.

11 You formed my body with bones and sinews and covered the bones with muscles and skin.

12 You have given me life and constant love, and your care has kept me alive.

13 But now I know that all that time you were secretly planning to harm me.

14 You were watching to see if I would sin, so that you could refuse to forgive me.

Job 10:4-14 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.

Cross References

• 1. +210.7Wisdom 16.15.
• 2. +210.10Wisdom 7.1, 2.

Footnotes

• [a]. [Some ancient translations] and now; [Hebrew] together.
• [b]. [One ancient translation] from clay; [Hebrew] like clay.