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Commentary on Job 14 verses 7–15
We have seen what Job has to say concerning life; let us now see what he has to say concerning death, which his thoughts were very much conversant with, now that he was sick and sore. It is not unseasonable, when we are in health, to think of dying; but it is an inexcusable incogitancy if, when we are already taken into the custody of death's messengers, we look upon it as a thing at a distance. Job had already shown that death will come, and that its hour is already fixed. Now here he shows,
I. That death is a removal for ever out of this world. This he had spoken of before (Job 7:9, Job 7:10), and now he mentions it again; for, though it be a truth that needs not be proved, yet it needs to be much considered, that it may be duly improved.
1.A man cut down by death will not revive again, as a tree cut down will. What hope there is of a tree he shows very elegantly, Job 14:7-9. If the body of the tree be cut down, and only the stem or stump left in the ground, though it seem dead and dry, yet it will shoot out young boughs again, as if it were but newly planted. The moisture of the earth and the rain of heaven are, as it were, scented and perceived by the stump of a tree, and they have an influence upon it to revive it; but the dead body of a man would not perceive them, nor be in the least affected by them. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, when his being deprived of the use of his reason was signified by the cutting down of a tree, his return to it again was signified by the leaving of the stump in the earth with a band of iron and brass to be wet with the dew of heaven, Dan 4:15. But man has no such prospect of a return to life. The vegetable life is a cheap and easy thing: the scent of water will recover it. The animal life, in some insects and fowls, is so: the heat of the sun retrieves it. But the rational soul, when once retired, is too great, too noble, a thing to be recalled by any of the powers of nature; it is out of the reach of sun or rain, and cannot be restored but by the immediate operations of Omnipotence itself; for (Job 14:10) man dieth and wasteth, away, yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? Two words are here used for man: - Geber, a mighty man, though mighty, dies; Adam, a man of the earth, because earthy, gives up the ghost. Note, Man is a dying creature. He is here described by what occurs, (1.) Before death: he wastes away; he is continually wasting, dying daily, spending upon the quick stock of life. Sickness and old age are wasting things to the flesh, the strength, the beauty. (2.) In death: he gives up the ghost; the soul leaves the body, and returns to God who gave it, the Father of spirits. (3.) After death: Where is he? He is not where he was; his place knows him no more; but is he nowhere? So some read it. Yes, he is somewhere; and it is a very awful consideration to think where those are that have given up the ghost, and where we shall be when we give it up. It has gone to the world of spirits, gone into eternity, gone to return no more to this world.
2.A man laid down in the grave will not rise up again, Job 14:11, Job 14:12. Every night we lie down to sleep, and in the morning we awake and rise again; but at death we must lie down in the grave, not to awake or rise again to such a world, such a state, as we are now in, never to awake or arise until the heavens, the faithful measures of time, shall be no more, and consequently time itself shall come to an end and be swallowed up in eternity; so that the life of man may fitly be compared to the waters of a land-flood, which spread far and make a great show, but they are shallow, and when they are cut off from the sea or river, the swelling and overflowing of which was the cause of them, they soon decay and dry up, and their place knows them no more. The waters of life are soon exhaled and disappear. The body, like some of those waters, sinks and soaks into the earth, and is buried there; the soul, like others of them, is drawn upwards, to mingle with the waters above the firmament. The learned Sir Richard Blackmore makes this also to be a dissimilitude. If the waters decay and be dried up in the summer, yet they will return again in the winter; but it is not so with the life of man. Take part of his paraphrase in his own words: -
A flowing river, or a standing lake,
May their dry banks and naked shores forsake;
Their waters may exhale and upward move,
Their channel leave to roll in clouds above;
But the returning water will restore
What in the summer they had lost before:
But if, O man! thy vital streams desert
Their purple channels and defraud the heart,
With fresh recruits they ne'er will be supplied,
Nor feel their leaping life's returning tide.
II. That yet there will be a return of man to life again in another world, at the end of time, when the heavens are no more. Then they shall awake and be raised out of their sleep. The resurrection of the dead was doubtless an article of Job's creed, as appears, Job 19:26, and to that, it should seem, he has an eye here, where, in the belief of that, we have three things: -
1.A humble petition for a hiding-place in the grave, Job 14:13. It was not only a passionate weariness of this life that he wished to die, but in a pious assurance of a better life, to which at length he should arise. O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave! The grave is not only a resting-place, but a hiding-place, to the people of God. God has the key of the grave, to let in now and to let out at the resurrection. He hides men in the grave, as we hide our treasure in a place of secresy and safety; and he who hides will find, and nothing shall be lost. "O that thou wouldst hide me, not only from the storms and troubles of this life, but for the bliss and glory of a better life! Let me lie in the grave, reserved for immortality, in secret from all the world, but not from thee, not from those eyes which saw my substance when first curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth," Psa 139:15, Psa 139:16. There let me lie, (1.) Until thy wrath be past. As long as the bodies of the saints lie in the grave, so long there are some remains of that wrath which they were by nature children of, so long they are under some of the effects of sin; but, when the body is raised, it is wholly past - death, the last enemy, will then be totally destroyed. (2.) Until the set time comes for my being remembered, as Noah was remembered in the ark (Gen 8:1), where God not only hid him from the destruction of the old world, but reserved him for the reparation of a new world. The bodies of the saints shall not be forgotten in the grave. There is a time appointed, a time set, for their being enquired after. We cannot be sure that we shall look through the darkness of our present troubles and see good days after them in this world; but, if we can but get well to the grave, we may with an eye of faith look through the darkness of that, as Job here, and see better days on the other side of it, in a better world.
2.A holy resolution patiently to attend the will of God both in his death and his resurrection (Job 14:14): If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait until my change come. Job's friends proving miserable comforters, he set himself to be the more his own comforter. His case was now bad, but he pleases himself with the expectation of a change. I think it cannot be meant of his return to a prosperous condition in this world. His friends indeed flattered him with the hopes of that, but he himself all along despaired of it. Comforts founded upon uncertainties at best must needs be uncertain comforts; and therefore, no doubt, it is something more sure than that which he here bears up himself with the expectation of. The change he waits for must therefore be understood either, (1.) Of the change of the resurrection, when the vile body shall be changed (Phi 3:21), and a great and glorious change it will be; and then that question, If a man die, shall he live again? must be taken by way of admiration. "Strange! Shall these dry bones live! If so, all the time appointed for the continuance of the separation between soul and body my separate soul shall wait until that change comes, when it shall be united again to the body, and my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psa 16:9. Or, (2.) Of the change at death. "If a man die, shall he live again? No, not such a life as he now lives; and therefore I will patiently wait until that change comes which will put a period to my calamities, and not impatiently wish for the anticipation of it, as I have done." Observe here, [1.] That it is a serious thing to die; it is a work by itself. It is a change; there is a visible change in the body, its appearance altered, its actions brought to an end, but a greater change with the soul, which quits the body, and removes to the world of spirits, finishes its state of probation and enters upon that of retribution. This change will come, and it will be a final change, not like the transmutations of the elements, which return to their former state. No, we must die, not thus to live again. It is but once to die, and that had need be well done that is to be done but once. An error here is fatal, conclusive, and not again to be rectified. [2.] That therefore it is the duty of every one of us to wait for that change, and to continue waiting all the days of our appointed time. The time of life is an appointed time; that time is to be reckoned by days; and those days are to be spent in waiting for our change. That is, First, We must expect that it will come, and think much of it. Secondly, We must desire that it would come, as those that long to be with Christ. Thirdly, We must be willing to tarry until it does come, as those that believe God's time to be the best. Fourthly, We must give diligence to get ready against it comes, that it may be a blessed change to us.
3.A joyful expectation of bliss and satisfaction in this (Job 14:15): Then thou shalt call, and I will answer thee. Now, he was under such a cloud that he could not, he durst not, answer (Job 9:15, Job 9:35; Job 13:22); but he comforted himself with this, that there would come a time when God would call and he should answer. Then, that is, (1.) At the resurrection, "Thou shalt call me out of the grave, by the voice of the archangel, and I will answer and come at the call." The body is the work of God's hands, and he will have a desire to that, having prepared a glory for it. Or, (2.) At death: "Thou shalt call my body to the grave, and my soul to thyself, and I will answer, Ready, Lord, ready - Coming, coming; here I am." Gracious souls can cheerfully answer death's summons, and appear to his writ. Their spirits are not forcibly required from them (as Luk 12:20), but willingly resigned by them, and the earthly tabernacle not violently pulled down, but voluntarily laid down, with this assurance, "Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands. Thou hast mercy in store for me, not only as made by thy providence, but new-made by thy grace;" otherwise he that made them will not save them. Note, Grace in the soul is the work of God's own hands, and therefore he will not forsake it in this world (Psa 138:8), but will have a desire to it, to perfect it in the other, and to crown it with endless glory.
Here the blessed Job assumes the role of teacher and prophet, and through the symbol of the tree coming to life again, he predicts his return to his former state. At the same time, Job prophesies that human nature in its entirety will be renewed. Giving vigorous thanks to the perfume of the baptismal waters, the human race will sprout again. Endowed with a new growing foliage, human nature will regain the dignity of its former beauty. After, it will be planted again through the death of the Lord.
Now because Job’s words are clear according to the letter, we must refer the sense to the inward things and search how they are to be understood spiritually. Thus, in holy Scripture by the name of “tree” we have represented sometimes the cross, sometimes the righteous person or even the unrighteous person, and sometimes the Wisdom of God incarnate. Therefore, the cross is denoted by the “tree” when it is said, “Let us put the tree into his bread,” for to “put the tree into the bread” is to apply the cross to the body of our Lord. Again by the title of the “tree” we also have the just person, or even the unjust person, set forth, as the Lord says by the prophet, “I the Lord have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree.” According to the word of the self-same Truth, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Solomon also says, “If the tree falls towards the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree fell, there it shall be.” For in the day of their death the just person does “fall to the south,” and the unjust “to the north,” as both the just person favored by the Spirit is brought to joy, and the sinner, together with the apostate angel, who said, “I will sit also upon the mount of the testimony, in the sides of the north,” is cast away in his frozen heart. Again, the “tree” represents the Wisdom of God incarnate. As it is written, “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her.” And as she herself says, “If they do these things when the tree is green, what shall be done when it is dry?” And so in this text, whereas a tree is preferred above a man, what is man understood as but every carnal person? And what is denoted by the title of the tree but the life of the righteous? “There is the hope that a tree, if it is cut down, will be green again.” For when in a death of painful endurance the just person is hard pressed for the truth, in the greenness of everlasting life he is recovered again; and he who here proved green by faith, there becomes green in actual sight. “And his branches shoot,” in that it is most often the case that by the sufferings of the just person, all faithful persons are redoubled in the love of the heavenly country. They receive the greenness of the spiritual life, while they are glad for what he courageously did here in God’s behalf.
9. There is no man without sin, save Him Who came not into this world by sin; and whereas all we are tied fast in the bonds of guilt, we die by the mere loss of righteousness. Of the robe of innocence given us aforetime in Paradise, we are stripped naked, and we are yet further consumed by the subsequent dissolution of the flesh. Thus man being a sinner dies in guilt, is stripped bare of righteousness, is consumed in punishment. This nakedness of his erring son the Father vouchsafed to cover, who said, on his returning to him, Bring forth quickly the first robe. For ‘the first robe’ is the robe of innocence, which man being created aright received, but being persuaded wrongly by the serpent forfeited. Against this same nakedness it is said, Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked. For we ‘keep our garments,’ when we keep the precepts of innocency in our hearts, that whereas guilt strips us naked to the Judge, penance should cover us returning to the innocence we had forfeited. And it is well said, Where, I pray, is he? in that the sinner, man, refused to stand there where he was created; while here, where he fell, he is forbidden to stay for long. Willingly he forfeited his country, unwillingly he is driven forth from his exile, which he delights in. Where then is he, who is not in His love, where only it is truly to be?
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SUMMARY
Job 14:10 profoundly articulates humanity's universal and inescapable confrontation with mortality, as Job voices his deep despair over the irreversible nature of death. Through a poignant rhetorical question, he laments the swift decay of the human body and the mysterious vanishing of the spirit, starkly contrasting it with the cyclical renewal observed in the natural world. This verse serves as a powerful expression of the Old Testament's limited revelation concerning the afterlife, reflecting Job's intense anguish and his struggle to reconcile his suffering with divine justice and the ultimate, enigmatic fate of humankind.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 14:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of despair and profound uncertainty regarding human mortality. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, "and where [is] he?", which is not posed to elicit a direct answer but to emphasize the profound mystery and Job's personal bewilderment regarding the fate of the dead. This question powerfully underscores the limitations of human understanding concerning the afterlife in his era. Parallelism is also evident through the repetition and reinforcement of ideas in different phrases: "man dieth, and wasteth away" is paralleled by "yea, man giveth up the ghost." This Synonymous Parallelism intensifies the declaration of human mortality, reinforcing the finality and universality of death with a sense of inescapable doom. Furthermore, the verse utilizes Contrast implicitly, setting the irreversible nature of human death against the backdrop of nature's capacity for renewal, which Job discusses in the preceding verses (Job 14:7-9). This stark contrast amplifies Job's sense of hopelessness regarding his own earthly future and the fate of all humanity.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 14:10 stands as a poignant testament to humanity's universal encounter with mortality and the ancient world's struggle to comprehend the afterlife. The verse encapsulates the Old Testament's often somber and veiled perspective on death, where Sheol was commonly understood as a shadowy realm of no return to earthly life. Job's desperate question, "and where [is] he?", reflects a deep human longing for understanding beyond the grave, a yearning for clarity on the ultimate destiny of the soul. Theologically, it highlights the absolute sovereignty of God over life and death, even as it expresses human vulnerability and the limits of revelation in the pre-Christ era. It sets the stage for the progressive unfolding of God's redemptive plan, which would eventually provide a definitive and glorious answer to Job's question through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 14:10 confronts us with the stark reality of our own mortality, a profound truth often suppressed or ignored in modern society. Job's lament reminds us that life is fleeting, and physical decay is an undeniable part of the human experience. While Job's question "where [is] he?" was born out of despair and limited revelation, for believers today, it serves as a powerful impetus to reflect on the preciousness of life and the eternal hope we possess in Christ. This verse calls us to live with intentionality, acknowledging our finite time on earth, and to invest our lives in what truly lasts: our deepening relationship with God and our faithful impact on others for His glory. It encourages us to find comfort not in a denial of death, but in the certain promises of God that transcend the grave, transforming Job's ancient cry of uncertainty into a modern affirmation of faith and hope in the resurrected Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 14:10 suggest that Job had no belief in an afterlife?
Answer: Job 14:10 does not necessarily suggest that Job had no belief in an afterlife, but rather expresses his profound uncertainty, bewilderment, and despair regarding its nature and his own fate within it. The Old Testament's understanding of Sheol (the realm of the dead) was often vague, portraying it as a shadowy place from which there was no return to earthly life. Job's question, "and where [is] he?", reflects his anguish and limited revelation, not a definitive theological statement denying all post-mortem existence. Later in the book, Job expresses a glimmer of hope for a future vindication and seeing God (Job 19:25-27), indicating a longing for, if not a full understanding of, life beyond the grave. His lament in Job 14 is more about the finality of earthly life and the profound mystery of what lies beyond it, especially in his context of intense suffering and perceived abandonment by God.
How does the New Testament shed light on Job's question, "and where [is] he?"
Answer: The New Testament provides the definitive and glorious answer to Job's question through the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Job wrestled with the mystery of death and the afterlife, Jesus conquered death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). The New Testament reveals that for those who believe in Him, death is not an end but a transition to eternal life in God's presence (John 11:25-26). Believers who "give up the ghost" are said to be "absent from the body and present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8), awaiting the glorious bodily resurrection at Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Thus, the New Testament transforms Job's despairing question into a confident declaration of hope and eternal security in Christ, assuring believers of a future beyond the grave.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's poignant lament in Job 14:10—"But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he?"—articulates humanity's deepest fear and most profound question in the face of mortality. This ancient cry finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Job, from his limited Old Testament perspective, saw death as an irreversible end to earthly existence, the New Testament reveals Christ as the definitive answer to Job's desperate "where [is] he?" Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). Through His own sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). The "ghost" that man "gives up" does not vanish into oblivion for the believer, but rather the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), and the body awaits a glorious transformation. For those in Christ, death is not the final word, but a doorway to eternal communion with God, a transition from being "absent from the body" to being "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Thus, Job's despairing question is met with the resounding hope of the Gospel, where the ultimate "where is he?" is answered with the triumphant declaration: "he is with Christ."