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Commentary on Job 14 verses 16–22
Job here returns to his complaints; and, though he is not without hope of future bliss, he finds it very hard to get over his present grievances.
I. He complains of the particular hardships he apprehended himself under from the strictness of God's justice, Job 14:16, Job 14:17. Therefore he longed to go hence to that world where God's wrath will be past, because now he was under the continual tokens of it, as a child, under the severe discipline of the rod, longs to be of age. "When shall my change come? For now thou seemest to me to number my steps, and watch over my sin, and seal it up in a bag, as bills of indictment are kept safely, to be produced against the prisoner." See Deu 32:34. "Thou takest all advantages against me; old scores are called over, every infirmity is animadverted upon, and no sooner is a false step taken than I am beaten for it." Now, 1. Job does right to the divine justice in owning that he smarted for his sins and transgressions, that he had done enough to deserve all that was laid upon him; for there was sin in all his steps, and he was guilty of transgression enough to bring all this ruin upon him, if it were strictly enquired into: he is far from saying that he perishes being innocent. But, 2. He does wrong to the divine goodness in suggesting that God was extreme to mark what he did amiss, and made the worst of every thing. He spoke to this purport, Job 13:27. It was unadvisedly said, and therefore we will not dwell too much upon it. God does indeed see all our sins; he sees sin in his own people; but he is not severe in reckoning with us, nor is the law ever stretched against us, but we are punished less than our iniquities deserve. God does indeed seal and sew up, against the day of wrath, the transgression of the impenitent, but the sins of his people he blots out as a cloud.
II. He complains of the wasting condition of mankind in general. We live in a dying world. Who knows the power of God's anger, by which we are consumed and troubled, and in which all our days are passed away? See Psa 90:7-9, Psa 90:11. And who can bear up against his rebukes? Psa 39:11.
1.We see the decays of the earth itself. (1.) Of the strongest parts of it, Job 14:18. Nothing will last always, for we see even mountains moulder and come to nought; they wither and fall as a leaf; rocks wax old and pass away by the continual beating of the sea against them. The waters wear the stones with constant dropping, non vi, sed saepe cadendo - not by the violence, but by the constancy with which they fall. On this earth every thing is the worse for the wearing. Tempus edax rerum - Time devours all things. It is not so with the heavenly bodies. (2.) Of the natural products of it. The things which grow out of the earth, and seem to be firmly rooted in it, are sometimes by an excess of rain washed away, Job 14:19. Some think he pleads this for relief: "Lord, my patience will not hold out always; even rocks and mountains will fail at last; therefore cease the controversy."
2.No marvel then if we see the decays of man upon the earth, for he is of the earth, earthy. Job begins to think his case is not singular, and therefore he ought to reconcile himself to the common lot. We perceive by many instances, (1.) How vain it is to expect much from the enjoyments of life: "Thou destroyest the hope of man," that is, "puttest an end to all the projects he had framed and all the prospects of satisfaction he had flattered himself with." Death will be the destruction of all those hopes which are built upon worldly confidences and confined to worldly comforts. Hope in Christ, and hope in heaven, death will consummate and not destroy. (2.) How vain it is to struggle against the assaults of death (Job 14:20): Thou prevailest for ever against him. Note, Man is an unequal match for God. Whom God contends with he will certainly prevail against, prevail for ever against so that they shall never be able to make head again. Note further, The stroke of death is irresistible; it is to no purpose to dispute its summons. God prevails against man and he passes away, and lo he is not. Look upon a dying man, and see, [1.] How his looks are altered: Thou changest his countenance, and this in two ways: - First, By the disease of his body. When a man has been a few days sick what a change is there in his countenance! How much more when he has been a few minutes dead! The countenance which was majestic and awful becomes mean and despicable - that was lovely and amiable becomes ghastly and frightful. Bury my dead out of my sight. Where then is the admired beauty? Death changes the countenance, and then sends us away out of this world, gives us one dismission hence, never to return. Secondly, By the discomposure of his mind. Note, The approach of death will make the strongest and stoutest to change countenance; it will make the most merry smiling countenance to look grave and serious, and the most bold daring countenance to look pale and timorous. [2.] How little he is concerned in the affairs of his family, which once lay so near his heart. When he is in the hands of the harbingers of death, suppose struck with a palsy or apoplexy, or delirious in a fever, or in conflict with death, tell him then the most agreeable news, or the most painful, concerning his children, it is all alike, he knows it not, he perceives it not, Job 14:21. He is going to that world where he will be a perfect stranger to all those things which here filled and affected him. The consideration of this should moderate our cares concerning our children and families. God will know what comes of them when we are gone. To him therefore let us commit them, with him let us leave them, and not burden ourselves with needless fruitless cares concerning them. [3.] How dreadful the agonies of death are (Job 14:22): While his flesh is upon him (so it may be read), that is, the body he is so loth to lay down,: it shall have pain; and while his soul is within him, that is, the spirit he is so loth to resign, it shall mourn. Note, Dying work is hard work; dying pangs are, commonly, sore pangs. It is folly therefore for men to defer their repentance to a death-bed, and to have that to do which is the one thing needful when they are really unfit to do any thing: but it is true wisdom by making our peace with God in Christ and keeping a good conscience, to treasure up comforts which will support and relieve us against the pains and sorrows of a dying hour.
“A person is punished,” Job says, “and, even if he has many descendents, he does not know them. In fact, after his death, he is often deprived of the pleasures that he was accustomed to enjoy while alive. What is the pleasure of leaving children after one who has departed?” You see, everywhere Job emphasizes the ephemeral character of life. It is impossible to come back and to return down here. Even if he leaves children after him, he does not know how they will prosper. He does not know at all whether his descendants will be numerous or scarce. What is more painful than to ignore one’s successes and to go away alone by only knowing one’s afflictions? Even if something good happens to him after his death, he does not know, nor will he ever know it [in this life]; but what he surely knows now is that “his flesh is in pain and his soul mourns.”
24. Man has been ‘strengthened here for a little space,’ in that he has received here powers of living for a while, that he should for ever pass away thither, where no end should bound and shut in his life, but in this moment’s space where he has been ‘strengthened,’ he extracts that wherefrom in the everlasting world he may either find how always to have joy, or not ever escape the punishments he has entered upon. And for this reason, that ‘he has been strengthened for a little space,’ to ‘pass away for everlasting,’ it is fitly added immediately;
Thou wilt change his countenance, and send him away.
25. ‘The face of man is changed,’ when his form is wasted by death; but ‘he is sent away,’ in that from those things which he kept willingly he is necessitated to pass away to the eternal world against his will, and while he is brought thereunto, these things which he held long and thought on, how it will be with them now left behind him he knows nothing.
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SUMMARY
Job 14:20 encapsulates Job's profound despair and his stark assessment of human fragility and mortality in the face of God's unassailable power. In this lament, Job articulates the transient nature of human existence, emphasizing that no individual can withstand the divine decree concerning life and death. He portrays God as the sovereign agent who eternally triumphs over humanity, orchestrating the inevitable physical decline and ultimate departure from earthly life, leaving no room for human resistance or reversal of fate.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 14:20 employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey its message of human frailty and divine sovereignty. The primary device is Anthropomorphism, where God is described with human-like actions: "Thou prevailest," "thou changest," and "sendest him away." This makes God's actions relatable and emphasizes His direct, active involvement in the human experience of mortality. There is also a strong element of Contrast, though implicit, between the enduring, eternal power of God ("for ever") and the fleeting, transient nature of humanity ("he passeth"). The phrase "changest his countenance" functions as a potent Metonymy or Synecdoche, where the face (countenance) stands in for the entire person or their vital essence, signifying the complete physical and existential transformation brought by death. The overall tone is one of Lament and Despair, characteristic of Job's speeches, using stark and direct language to underscore the harsh reality of human existence under divine decree.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 14:20 profoundly articulates humanity's ultimate vulnerability before the absolute sovereignty of God, particularly concerning life and death. Job's lament highlights the unyielding reality that human beings cannot escape their mortal end, nor can they resist the divine will that dictates it. This verse serves as a stark reminder of the vast chasm between the eternal, all-powerful Creator and the finite, frail creature. While deeply pessimistic from Job's perspective, it lays foundational theological groundwork for understanding God's dominion over all aspects of existence, including the very breath of life. It compels the reader to confront the brevity of life and the inevitability of death, prompting a deeper reflection on the source of true hope and meaning beyond earthly limitations.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 14:20, while born of deep despair, offers profound truths for the believer to contemplate. It calls us to a posture of profound humility before God, acknowledging His supreme and eternal authority over every aspect of our lives, including our very existence and destiny. Our days are numbered, and our lives are utterly dependent on His sovereign will. This understanding should not lead to fatalism, but rather to a renewed appreciation for the gift of life and a sober awareness of its brevity. It challenges us to live with intentionality, to "redeem the time" and make the most of every opportunity, as urged in Ephesians 5:16, and to prioritize what truly matters in light of eternity. While Job saw only finality, this verse implicitly points to the human need for a hope that transcends the grave, a longing for a God who can not only "send away" but also bring back, offering life beyond the inevitable decay.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 14:20 suggest that God is cruel for "sending away" humanity?
Answer: From Job's perspective, suffering intensely and without understanding, God's actions appear harsh and final. The language "sendest him away" conveys a sense of dismissal and irreversible departure, which contributes to Job's profound despair. However, the verse primarily emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty over life and death, a theological truth affirmed throughout scripture. It highlights that death is not an accident but part of God's ordained order for humanity in a fallen world. While Job's lament focuses on the pain of this reality, the Bible as a whole presents God's ultimate plan for humanity as one of redemption and eternal life, even through the experience of death. The ultimate answer to Job's lament is found in God's redemptive plan, which includes overcoming death through Christ, as seen in passages like Romans 6:23.
What does "thou changest his countenance" specifically refer to?
Answer: "Thou changest his countenance" (Hebrew: shinnêtā pânāw) literally means "you change his face." This phrase refers to the visible and profound physical alterations that occur as a person ages, becomes sick, and ultimately dies. It encompasses the loss of vitality, the onset of decay, and the irreversible transformation that marks the transition from life to death. The "countenance" or "face" is often seen as the seat of a person's identity and life force, so its change signifies a fundamental and undeniable shift in being, leading to the loss of earthly recognition and presence. It's a vivid, tangible image of mortality's impact, underscoring the finality of human life from Job's perspective, as also alluded to in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 14:20 articulates humanity's profound vulnerability and the seemingly irreversible dominion of death, a lament that finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Job's despair over God's eternal "prevailing" against humanity and the finality of being "sent away" highlights the very problem that the Gospel addresses. Humanity's inability to resist death, to change its own "countenance" from decay to life, underscores the desperate need for a divine intervention. This intervention comes in the person of Christ, who, unlike any mere human, truly "prevailed" over death itself, not by being subject to it, but by conquering it through His resurrection. The New Testament declares that through His death and resurrection, Jesus has "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" in 2 Timothy 1:10. Where Job saw God "sending him away" into oblivion, Christ's work transforms this departure; for believers, to be "absent from the body" is to be "present with the Lord," as affirmed in 2 Corinthians 5:8. Jesus Himself promises, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," a profound statement found in John 11:25. Thus, the ultimate "sending away" is not into eternal separation, but into eternal fellowship with God through the one who has overcome the grave, making Job's lament a poignant foreshadowing of the victory found in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the sting of death, as triumphantly declared in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.