Job 7:13-21

13 Cuando pienso que en mi lecho hallaré consueloo encontraré alivio a mi queja,
14 aun allí me infundes miedo en mis sueños;¡me aterras con visiones!
15 ¡Preferiría que me estrangularana seguir viviendo en este cuerpo!
16 Tengo en poco mi vida; no quiero vivir para siempre.¡Déjame en paz, que mi vida no tiene sentido!
17 »¿Qué es el hombre, que le das tanta importancia,que tanta atención le concedes,
18 que cada mañana lo examinasy a toda hora lo pones a prueba?
19 Aparta de mí la mirada;¡déjame al menos tragar saliva!
20 Si he pecado, ¿en qué te afecta,vigilante de los mortales?¿Por qué te ensañas conmigo?¿Acaso te soy una carga?[a]
21 ¿Por qué no me perdonas mis pecados?¿Por qué no pasas por alto mi maldad?Un poco más, y yaceré en el polvo;me buscarás, pero habré dejado de existir».

Job 7:13-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7

In this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions, and wish for death; by observing the common case of mankind, which he illustrates by that of an hireling, Job 7:1; and justifies his eager desire of death by the servant and hireling; the one earnestly desiring the shadow, and the other the reward of his work, Job 7:2; by representing his present state as exceeding deplorable, even worse than that of the servant and hireling, since they had rest at night, when he had none, and were free from pain, whereas he was not, Job 7:3-5; by taking notice of the swiftness and shortness of his days, in which he had no hope of enjoying any good, Job 7:6,7; and so thought his case hard; and the rather, since after death he could enjoy no temporal good: and therefore to be deprived of it while living gave him just reason of complaint, Job 7:8-11; and then he expostulates with God for setting such a strict watch upon him; giving him no ease night nor day, but terrifying him with dreams and visions, which made life disagreeable to him, and death more eligible than that, Job 7:12-16; and represents man as unworthy of the divine regard, and below his notice to bestow favours on him, or to chastise him for doing amiss, Job 7:17,18; and admitting that he himself had sinned, yet he should forgive his iniquity, and not bear so hard upon him, and follow him with one affliction after another without intermission, and make him the butt of his arrows; but should spare him and let him alone, or however take him out of the world, Job 7:19-21.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. "¿Acaso te soy una carga? " (LXX, mss. hebreos y una tradición rabínica); "Me he vuelto una carga para mí mismo " (TM).
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