Job 10:7-17

7 You know good and well I'm not guilty. You also know no one can help me.
8 "You made me like a handcrafted piece of pottery - and now are you going to smash me to pieces?
9 Don't you remember how beautifully you worked my clay? Will you reduce me now to a mud pie?
10 Oh, that marvel of conception as you stirred together semen and ovum -
11 What a miracle of skin and bone, muscle and brain!
12 You gave me life itself, and incredible love. You watched and guarded every breath I took.
13 "But you never told me about this part. I should have known that there was more to it -
14 That if I so much as missed a step, you'd notice and pounce, wouldn't let me get by with a thing.
15 If I'm truly guilty, I'm doomed. But if I'm innocent, it's no better - I'm still doomed. My belly is full of bitterness. I'm up to my ears in a swamp of affliction.
16 I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out, but you're too much for me, relentless, like a lion on the prowl.
17 You line up fresh witnesses against me. You compound your anger and pile on the grief and pain!

Job 10:7-17 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.

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.