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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 14:1–6. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We are here led to think,
I.Of the original of human life.
God is indeed its great original, for he breathed into man the breath of life and in him we live; but we date it from our birth, and thence we must date both its frailty and its pollution.
1.Its frailty: Man, that is born of a woman, is therefore of few days, Job 14:1. This may refer to the first woman, who was called Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Of her, who being deceived by the tempter was first in the transgression, we are all born, and consequently derive from her that sin and corruption which both shorten our days and sadden them. Or it may refer to every man's immediate mother. The woman is the weaker vessel, and we know that partus sequitur ventrem - the child takes after the mother. Let not the strong man therefore glory in his strength, or in the strength of his father, but remember that he is born of a woman, and that, when God pleases, the mighty men become as women, Jer 51:30.
2.Its pollution (Job 14:4): Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? If man be born of a woman that is a sinner, how can it be otherwise than that he should be a sinner? See Job 25:4. How can he be clean that is born of a woman? Clean children cannot come from unclean parents any more than pure streams from an impure spring or grapes from thorns. Our habitual corruption is derived with our nature from our parents, and is therefore bred in the bone. Our blood is not only attainted by a legal conviction, but tainted with an hereditary disease. Our Lord Jesus, being made sin for us, is said to be made of a woman, Gal 4:4.
II.Of the nature of human life:
it is a flower, it is a shadow, Job 14:2. The flower is fading, and all its beauty soon withers and is gone. The shadow is fleeting, and its very being will soon be lost and drowned in the shadows of the night. Of neither do we make any account; in neither do we put any confidence.
III.Of the shortness and uncertainty of human life:
Man is of few days. Life is here computed, not by months or years, but by days, for we cannot be sure of any day but that it may be our last. These days are few, fewer than we think of, few at the most, in comparison with the days of the first patriarchs, much more in comparison with the days of eternity, but much fewer to most, who come short of what we call the age of man. Man sometimes no sooner comes forth than he is cut down - comes forth out of the womb than he dies in the cradle - comes forth into the world and enters into the business of it than he is hurried away as soon as he has laid his hand to the plough. If not cut down immediately, yet he flees as a shadow, and never continues in one stay, in one shape, but the fashion of it passes away; so does this world, and our life in it, Co1 7:31.
IV.Of the calamitous state of human life.
Man, as he is short-lived, so he is sad-lived. Though he had but a few days to spend here, yet, if he might rejoice in those few, it were well (a short life and a merry one is the boast of some); but it is not so. During these few days he is full of trouble, not only troubled, but full of trouble, either toiling or fretting, grieving or fearing. No day passes without some vexation, some hurry, some disorder or other. Those that are fond of the world shall have enough of it. He is satur tremore - full of commotion. The fewness of his days creates him a continual trouble and uneasiness in expectation of the period of them, and he always hangs in doubt of his life. Yet, since man's days are so full of trouble, it is well that they are few, that the soul's imprisonment in the body, and banishment from the Lord, are not perpetual, are not long. When we come to heaven our days will be many, and perfectly free from trouble, and in the mean time faith, hope, and love, balance the present grievances.
V.Of the sinfulness of human life, arising from the sinfulness of the human nature.
So some understand that question (Job 14:4), Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? - a clean performance from an unclean principle? Note, Actual transgressions are the natural product of habitual corruption, which is therefore called original sin, because it is the original of all our sins. This holy Job here laments, as all that are sanctified do, running up the streams to the fountain (Psa 51:5); and some think he intends it as a plea with God for compassion: "Lord, be not extreme to mark my sins of human frailty and infirmity, for thou knowest my weakness. O remember that I am flesh!" The Chaldee paraphrase has an observable reading of this verse: Who can make a man clean that is polluted with sin? Cannot one? that is, God. Or who but God, who is one, and will spare him? God, by his almighty grace, can change the skin of the Ethiopian, the skin of Job, though clothed with worms.
VI.Of the settled period of human life, v. 5.
1.Three things we are here assured of: - (1.) That our life will come to an end; our days upon earth are not numberless, are not endless, no, they are numbered, and will soon be finished, Dan 5:26. (2.) That it is determined, in the counsel and decree of God, how long we shall live and when we shall die. The number of our months is with God, at the disposal of his power, which cannot be controlled, and under the view of his omniscience, which cannot be deceived. It is certain that God's providence has the ordering of the period of our lives; our times are in his hand. The powers of nature depend upon him, and act under him. In him we live and move. Diseases are his servants; he kills and makes alive. Nothing comes to pass by chance, no, not the execution done by a bow drawn at a venture. It is therefore certain that God's prescience has determined it before; for known unto God are all his works. Whatever he does he determined, yet with a regard partly to the settled course of nature (the end and the means are determined together) and to the settled rules of moral government, punishing evil and rewarding good in this life. We are no more governed by the Stoic's blind fate than by the Epicurean's blind fortune. (3.) That the bounds God has fixed we cannot pass; for his counsels are unalterable, his foresight being infallible.
2.These considerations Job here urges as reasons,
(1.)Why God should not be so strict in taking cognizance of him and of his slips and failings (Job 14:3): "Since I have such a corrupt nature within, and am liable to so much trouble, which is a constant temptation from without, dost thou open thy eyes and fasten them upon such a one, extremely to mark what I do amiss? Job 13:27. And dost thou bring me, such a worthless worm as I am, into judgment with thee who art so quick sighted to discover the least failing, so holy to hate it, so just to condemn it, and so mighty to punish it?" The consideration of our own inability to contend with God, of our own sinfulness and weakness, should engage us to pray, Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant.
(2.)Why he should not be so severe in his dealings with him: "Lord, I have but a little time to live. I must certainly and shortly go hence, and the few days I have to spend here are, at the best, full of trouble. O let me have a little respite! Job 14:6. Turn from afflicting a poor creature thus, and let him rest awhile; allow him some breathing time, until he shall accomplish as a hireling his day. It is appointed to me once to die; let that one day suffice me, and let me not thus be continually dying, dying a thousand deaths. Let it suffice that my life, at best, is as the day of a hireling, a day of toil and labour. I am content to accomplish that, and will make the best of the common hardships of human life, the burden and heat of the day; but let me not feel those uncommon tortures, let not my life be as the day of a malefactor, all execution-day." Thus may we find some relief under great troubles by recommending ourselves to the compassion of that God who knows our frame and will consider it, and our being out of frame too.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Man, who is born of a woman, “has a short life,” because he has been ordered to return to the earth. With regard to the expression “full of wrath,” Job thinks about that moment in which man received the order to observe the commandment but transgressed it. And therefore “like a flower that has finished blooming, he fell after being shaken”; he bloomed in paradise, so that he imposed a name on every animal. But “he fell after being shaken,” when Adam was enticed into the deception of the dragon. At that stage “he fled like a shadow,” because, being naked, he concealed himself away from God and hid under a tree of the paradise. When God called him, “Adam, where are you?” he did not show up.… Therefore our hope was destroyed. Since he had fallen from paradise, man was deprived of his goods and perished completely, because with a single blow he was condemned as someone who had fallen, without any possibility for us to hope of judgment. In fact, if there is hope for judgment, there is also hope for crowns.
67. For, ‘as a flower, he cometh forth,’ in that he shows fair in the flesh; but he is ‘crushed,’ in that he is reduced to corruption. For what are men, as born in the world, but a kind of flowers in a field? Let us stretch our interior eyes over the breadth of the present world, and, lo, it is filled as it were with as many flowers as there are human beings. So life in this flesh is the flower in grass. Hence it is well said by the Psalmist, As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. [Ps. 103, 15] Isaiah too saith, All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field. [Is. 40, 6] For man cometh forth like a flower from concealment, and of a sudden shows himself in open day, and in a moment is by death withdrawn from open view into concealment again. The greenness of the flesh exhibits us to view, but the dryness of dust withdraws us from men’s eyes. Like a flower we appeared, who were not; like a ‘flower’ we wither, who appeared only in time.
68. And whereas man is daily being driven into death moment by moment, it is rightly added, He fleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. But as the sun is unceasingly going through his course, and never stays himself in a state of stedfastness, why is the course of man’s life likened to ‘a shadow’ rather than to the ‘sun,’ excepting that, when he parted with the love of the Creator, he lost the heat of the heart, and remained in the coldness of his iniquity alone? Since according to the voice of Truth, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [Matt. 24, 2] He, then, who hath not warmth of the heart in the love of God, and yet keepeth not the life, which he loves, assuredly he ‘fleeth like a shadow.’ Hence it is well written concerning him, that he hath followed a shadow. [Ecclus. 34, 2] Now it is well said, and never continueth in the same state. For whereas infancy is going on to childhood, childhood to youth, youth to manhood, and manhood to old age, and old age to death, in the course of the present life he is forced by the very steps of his increase upon those of decrease, and is ever wasting from the very cause whence he thinks himself to be gaining ground in the space of his life. For we cannot have a fixed stay here, whither we are come only to pass on; and this very circumstance of our living is to be daily passing out of life. Which same flight the first man could not have known before the transgression, seeing that times passed, himself standing. But after he transgressed, he placed himself on a kind of slide of a temporal condition, and because he ate the forbidden fruit, he found at once the failure of his stay. Which liability to change man suffers, not only without, but also within him, when he strives to arise to better works. For by the weight of its changeableness the mind is always being driven forwards to some other thing than it is, and, except it be kept in its stay by stringent discipline in self-keeping, it is always sliding back into worse. For that mind which deserted Him, Who ever standeth, lost the stay in which she might have continued.
Henceforth now when he strives after better things, he has as it were to strain against the force of the stream. But when he relaxes in his bent to ascend, without effort he is carried back to the lowest point. Thus whereas in ascent there is effort, in descent rest from effort, the Lord warns us that we have to enter by a narrow gate, saying, Strive to enter in at the strait gate [Luke 13, 24]; for when about to mention ‘the entering in of the narrow gate,’ He premised, Strive, since unless there be an ardent striving [k] of the heart,’ the water of the world is not surmounted, whereby the soul is ever being borne down to the lowest place. And so whereas man ‘springeth up like a flower and is cut down, and fleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in his place,’ let us hear what he further subjoins in this train of reflection.
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Summary
Job 14:2, embedded within Job's profound and deeply personal lament, offers a stark and universally resonant reflection on the inherent brevity, exquisite fragility, and inescapable transience of human life. Through the vivid yet somber metaphors of a fleeting flower and a disappearing shadow, the verse encapsulates the universal human experience of a swift emergence into existence, followed by an inevitable and often abrupt departure, powerfully underscoring the insubstantial and impermanent nature of our earthly sojourn in the face of suffering and mortality.
Context
Literary Context
Job 14:2 forms a poignant part of Job's third and final discourse to his friends (chapters 12-14), specifically within a deeply melancholic soliloquy on the human condition found in Job 14. Following his opening declaration in Job 14:1 that "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble," this verse expands upon the theme of human frailty and mortality with striking poetic imagery. Job is grappling not only with his personal, inexplicable suffering but also with the universal reality of death and the apparent lack of lasting purpose or hope in human existence, especially when contrasted with the cyclical renewal observed in nature, such as a tree's hope for regrowth in Job 14:7-9. The verse's vivid metaphors amplify his despair and serve as a rhetorical foundation for his subsequent questions about the meaning of life and death, particularly the stark contrast between human mortality and nature's capacity for renewal.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is generally situated within the patriarchal period, though its precise authorship and dating remain subjects of scholarly debate. The cultural backdrop is distinctly ancient Near Eastern, where life was often precarious and short, frequently marked by disease, famine, and conflict. The metaphors of flowers and shadows would have been immediately and profoundly understood by an agrarian society intimately familiar with the rapid blooming and wilting of desert flora, and the fleeting, insubstantial nature of shadows cast by the intense sun. While ancient cultures often held beliefs about an afterlife (such as the shadowy realm of Sheol in the Hebrew Bible), the primary emphasis in Job's lament here is on the earthly brevity and vulnerability of human life. This recognition of humanity's limited lifespan compared to the enduring divine or natural order was a common and profound theme in ancient wisdom literature, reflecting a realistic appraisal of the human condition.
Key Themes
Job 14:2 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes evident throughout the book of Job and within broader biblical theology. Firstly, it starkly highlights the Brevity and Fragility of Life, emphasizing how quickly human existence begins and ends, likened to a blossom that flourishes only to be "cut down." This theme resonates deeply throughout Scripture, notably in Psalm 90:5-6 and Psalm 103:15-16. Secondly, the verse underscores the Transience and Insignificance of human presence, likening it to a "shadow" that lacks substance and quickly disappears, a concept also explored in Psalm 102:11 and Ecclesiastes 6:12. Finally, it reinforces the Universal Mortality of humanity, a truth that transcends social status, righteousness, or suffering, affecting all without exception. This stark reality serves as a foundational premise for Job's wrestling with divine justice and the ultimate meaning of life and suffering.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H3318) denotes the act of "going out" or "coming forth," encompassing a wide variety of applications from literal emergence to figurative appearance. In the context of "He cometh forth like a flower," it signifies the initiation of life, the act of being born and emerging into existence. It captures the initial burst of vitality and presence, setting the stage for the subsequent imagery of brevity.
The verb (H5243) means "to become clipped or circumcised," and by extension, "to be cut down or off." While the English "cut down" might suggest a violent or external force, the Hebrew primarily conveys the idea of being severed or brought to an end, often implying a natural process of decay or being removed. In relation to a flower, it speaks of wilting, fading, or being harvested, indicating an inherent, internal vulnerability to decay and death rather than solely external destruction. It highlights the natural, unavoidable end of the flower's (and thus, human) life cycle.
This noun (H6738) literally means "shade" or "shadow." As a metaphor for human life, it powerfully conveys insubstantiality, lack of permanence, and a fleeting presence. A shadow has no true substance, leaves no lasting trace, and quickly vanishes with the changing light or the disappearance of the object casting it. It underscores the ephemeral nature of human existence, suggesting that life passes by as quickly and unsubstantially as a passing shadow.
Verse Breakdown
"He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:"
This initial clause vividly portrays the beginning and swift end of human life. "He cometh forth" signifies birth and initial flourishing, a brief period of vitality and beauty, much like a flower bursting into bloom. The immediate conjunction "and is cut down" (or "and withers") underscores the swiftness and inevitability of life's end. It suggests that just as quickly as life appears, it succumbs to decay and death, highlighting its inherent fragility and the abruptness with which it can cease, often without warning or prolonged decline.
"he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not."
The second part of the verse introduces another powerful simile, reinforcing and intensifying the message of the first. "He fleeth also as a shadow" emphasizes the insubstantial and non-abiding nature of human existence. A shadow is transient, without substance, leaves no lasting impression, and quickly disappears with the shifting light or the absence of its source. The concluding phrase, "and continueth not," serves as a definitive statement of human impermanence. It leaves no room for doubt about the finality of earthly life, asserting that human presence is not lasting or enduring, but rather fleeting and ultimately without a permanent earthly legacy.
Literary Devices
Job 14:2 is rich in Imagery and employs striking Simile to convey its profound message. The primary literary device is Simile, where human life is explicitly compared to a "flower" and a "shadow" using the comparative "like" or "as." The "flower" simile evokes beauty, vitality, and rapid growth, immediately contrasted with its swift wilting or being "cut down," emphasizing fragility and brevity. The "shadow" simile further reinforces this by highlighting insubstantiality, transience, and the lack of lasting presence. The verse also utilizes Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where the second half of the verse ("he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not") reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first half ("He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down") through different but complementary imagery. This repetition with variation deepens the impact of Job's lament, driving home the universal truth of human mortality with poetic force. The overall tone is one of Lament, characteristic of Job's speeches, expressing deep sorrow and despair over the human condition and the apparent finality of death.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 14:2, while born of profound personal suffering and a limited understanding of the afterlife, articulates a fundamental theological truth about human finitude before an eternal God. It serves as a stark reminder of humanity's creaturely status, dependent and transient, in contrast to the Creator's enduring sovereignty and eternality. This verse implicitly challenges human pride and self-sufficiency, compelling a humble recognition of our vulnerability and the ultimate limits of our control over life and death. While Job's lament here is framed by despair, the broader biblical narrative consistently uses the brevity of life as a call to wisdom, to number our days, and to seek that which truly endures beyond the temporal. It sets the stage for a deeper longing for a lasting hope, a hope that Job himself would eventually glimpse, albeit imperfectly, in his declaration of a Redeemer who lives.
Reflection and Application
Job's poignant observation in Job 14:2, though steeped in suffering, offers profound and timeless insights for all humanity. The stark reality of our fleeting existence, likened to a flower that quickly withers or a shadow that vanishes, compels us to confront our mortality not with despair, but with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency. This verse calls us to a humble acknowledgment of our dependence on God, reminding us that our days are numbered and ultimately belong to Him. It challenges us to live intentionally, to prioritize what truly matters, and to invest our brief time in pursuits that have eternal significance rather than chasing after the ephemeral "shadows" of this world. Understanding the brevity of life should not paralyze us with fear, but rather liberate us to live more fully, more gratefully, and more faithfully, recognizing that every moment is a precious gift. It prompts us to consider our legacy not in terms of earthly accumulation, but in terms of our relationship with God and our impact on others for His glory, knowing that true lasting value is found only in Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How does Job's perspective here compare to other biblical views on life and death?
Job's lament in Job 14:2 articulates a common ancient Near Eastern and Old Testament understanding of human mortality: life is short, fragile, and ends in death, with little clear hope for a vibrant afterlife beyond the shadowy realm of Sheol. This perspective is echoed in many Psalms, such as Psalm 90, which emphasizes the brevity of human days, and Ecclesiastes, which repeatedly highlights the "vanity" and fleeting nature of all earthly endeavors. However, while Job expresses despair over this reality, the broader biblical narrative develops a more profound hope. Later Old Testament passages, like Psalm 16:10-11 and Daniel 12:2, begin to hint at resurrection and eternal life. The New Testament, ultimately, provides the full revelation of triumph over death through Jesus Christ, transforming the understanding of mortality from a despairing end to a gateway to eternal life for believers.
Does this verse promote a pessimistic view of life?
While Job 14:2 is undeniably part of a lament and expresses a somber, realistic assessment of human mortality, it is not inherently pessimistic in a nihilistic sense. Instead, it serves as a foundational truth upon which deeper theological reflection can build. For Job, it is a cry of despair in the face of inexplicable suffering and the apparent finality of death. However, for the reader, acknowledging this stark reality can serve as a catalyst for wisdom and a search for ultimate meaning beyond the temporal. It prompts us to consider what truly endures and to seek a hope that transcends the limitations of our earthly "flower" or "shadow" existence. In this way, it can lead not to pessimism, but to a more profound appreciation for life, a clearer sense of priorities, and a yearning for the eternal hope found in God, who alone offers true and lasting substance.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's lament in Job 14:2, with its poignant imagery of human life as a fleeting flower and a vanishing shadow, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Humanity's inherent fragility and inevitable demise, so keenly felt by Job, are precisely what Christ entered to redeem. The Son of God, who is eternal and without beginning or end, chose to "come forth like a flower" in human flesh, subject to the same brevity and vulnerability of life, even to the point of being "cut down" in death on the cross. Yet, unlike all others, His death was not the final word. He "fleeth also as a shadow" from the tomb, not into oblivion, but into glorious resurrection, conquering death and continuing forever. Through His resurrection, Jesus became the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20), transforming the despair of mortality into the promise of eternal life. He is the true "substance" (Colossians 2:17), not a shadow, and in Him, our fleeting lives gain eternal significance. For those who believe, the brevity of earthly existence is no longer a cause for ultimate despair, but a temporary sojourn leading to an everlasting dwelling with the One who is "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), ensuring that we "continueth" with Him forever, beyond the reach of the grave.