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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 14:7–15. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
3 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.
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.
6. It shows its greenness in the executing of practice, such as it had before in the foreknowledge of the Creator.
7. The ‘root of the righteous’ may also be taken for the very nature itself of a human being, by virtue whereof he subsists, which same root waxes old in the earth, when the natural frame of flesh comes to nought being reduced to dust, whose ‘stock dies in the dust,’ in that the body dismantled of its own form and fashion crumbles to nought; but at the ‘scent of water it buds,’ in that through the coming of the Holy Spirit it rises again; and it will bring forth boughs as when it was first planted, in that it returns to that form, which it was created to receive, if, when he was set in Paradise, he had refused to sin.
8. Which perhaps may also be taken of the Lord Himself, Who is the Head of all the good; for according to that which we have said before, whereas He saith of Himself, For if they have done these things in a green tree, what shall be done in a dry? [Luke 23, 31] He said that Himself was the green tree, and we the dry tree, forasmuch as He contained in His own Person the power of the Divine Nature, but we that are mere men are called a dry tree. And so ‘there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,’ in that even if He was able to be put to death by His Passion, yet by the glory of His Resurrection, He came to the greenness of life again; ‘His branches shoot,’ in that the faithful being multiplied by His Resurrection grew out far and wide; His root as it were waxed old in the earth, in that the preaching of Him was to the unbelief of the Jews a despicable thing; ‘and His stock dried in the dust,’ in that in the heart of those that persecuted Him, which was uplifted by the wind of their unbelief, He was held as an object of scorn and contempt, in that He was capable of being put to death in the flesh; but ‘at the scent of water He budded,’ in that through the power of God His Flesh after demise returned to life, according to that which is written, Whom God hath raised from the dead. [Acts 3, 15] For in that God is a Trinity, the Holy Trinity, i.e. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, raised up to life the extinct Flesh of the Only-Begotten Son. And ‘It brought forth foliage as when It was first planted,’ in that the feebleness of the Apostles, which in the season of His death was afraid and denied, and by denying turned dry, by the glory of His Resurrection was again quickened in faith. In comparison with which Tree what is every man but dust?
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Summary
Job 14:9 captures Job's profound observation of nature's remarkable resilience, specifically how a seemingly dead tree stump can revive and flourish with the mere presence of moisture, sprouting new growth as if freshly planted. This vivid natural image serves as a poignant contrast to Job's despairing view of human mortality, which he believes lacks any such earthly prospect of renewal after death, thereby underscoring his deep lament over the brevity and apparent finality of human existence in the midst of his overwhelming suffering.
Context
Literary Context
Job 14:9 is situated within Job's extended lament on the brevity and fragility of human life, a soliloquy that spans Job 14:1-22. The verses immediately preceding, Job 14:7-8, introduce the analogy of the tree, illustrating how even a decaying root or a seemingly lifeless stump retains the inherent potential for new growth upon encountering water. Job 14:9 then serves as the climatic articulation of this regenerative power, vividly portraying the tree's surprising capacity for renewal. This powerful natural image is deliberately set in stark rhetorical contrast to Job's subsequent despairing pronouncements on human mortality in Job 14:10-12, where he laments that "man lieth down, and riseth not." Thus, this verse functions as the high point of the tree analogy, intensifying the impact of the following comparison with the seemingly irreversible fate of humanity.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the arid and semi-arid landscapes of the Ancient Near East, water was not merely a commodity but a profound symbol of life, sustenance, and divine blessing. The natural phenomenon of certain tree species, such as the olive or willow, regenerating from a cut stump or even a deep root system after periods of drought or felling was a commonly observed and understood reality. This cyclical pattern of apparent death followed by surprising rebirth in the natural world would have been a familiar sight to Job and his contemporaries. Job's utilization of this imagery reflects a deep, experiential understanding of his natural environment, where the presence of water literally determined the difference between life and death for vegetation. His lament also resonates with the prevalent ancient understanding of death as a permanent departure from the earthly realm, a perspective that largely predates the fuller, more explicit revelation of resurrection hope found in later biblical texts and especially in the New Testament.
Key Themes
This verse significantly contributes to several profound themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. It powerfully illustrates the resilience of creation and the inherent life force that God has intricately woven into the natural world, even in conditions of apparent dormancy or demise. It also highlights the theme of hope in small beginnings, as the "scent of water" symbolizes that even a minimal, almost imperceptible stimulus can trigger profound and surprising renewal. Most critically, within the immediate context of Job's argument, it functions as a stark contrast to human mortality, underscoring Job's deep despair and his belief that humans, unlike trees, possess no earthly prospect of revival after death, a theme he reiterates with poignant emphasis in Job 14:10-12. This powerful contrast implicitly raises fundamental questions about divine justice, the nature of suffering, and the ultimate destiny of humanity, all of which are central to Job's agonizing struggle throughout the entire book.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the root meaning "to blow," this word refers to an "odor" or "smell." In this context, "scent of water" signifies the merest hint or subtle presence of moisture, rather than a strong aroma. It emphasizes that an almost imperceptible amount of water is sufficient to awaken the dormant life within the tree, highlighting the profound, intrinsic vitality and regenerative capacity of the plant that requires only a minimal trigger.
This primitive root means "to break forth as a bud," "to bloom," or "to sprout." It signifies the initial emergence of new life from a state of dormancy or apparent death. The verb implies the tender, nascent signs of growth, indicating that the life force within the stump is reactivated and beginning to manifest outwardly, moving from inertness to vibrant potential.
While primarily meaning "harvest" or "reaping," in this specific context, qâtsîyr refers to new branches, shoots, or vigorous foliage. The phrase "bring forth boughs like a plant" indicates a complete and robust renewal, suggesting that the regenerated tree will not merely produce a few weak shoots but will return to a state of vibrant, healthy, and abundant growth, as if it were a newly planted, thriving sapling.
Verse Breakdown
"[Yet] through the scent of water"
This opening clause establishes the surprising condition for renewal. The implied "yet" (often added for clarity in translation) emphasizes the unexpected nature of this resilience. The "scent of water" vividly portrays the minimal requirement for life to re-emerge, suggesting not an abundance, but a mere suggestion or subtle presence of moisture that triggers the dormant life force. This highlights the profound, intrinsic vitality within the tree, requiring only a slight external impetus.
"it will bud"
This signifies the immediate and certain outcome once the minimal condition is met. The seemingly dead or cut-down stump will unequivocally show signs of life. New shoots, leaves, or blossoms will begin to appear, demonstrating that the life within was not truly extinguished but merely dormant, patiently awaiting the precise stimulus to reactivate.
"and bring forth boughs like a plant"
This concluding phrase describes the extent and quality of the renewal. The new growth will not be meager or weak but will be robust, comprehensive, and vigorous, resembling a healthy, young, and thriving plant. It implies a full restoration to vitality and fruitfulness, completing the powerful picture of remarkable regeneration from a state of apparent demise, underscoring nature's inherent capacity for renewal.
Literary Devices
Job 14:9 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and sensory picture of a tree stump responding to the slightest hint of water. The phrase "scent of water" is a particularly powerful sensory image, suggesting a subtle, almost imperceptible stimulus that nonetheless triggers profound and visible change. The verse employs a profound Analogy or Simile, where the remarkable resilience and regenerative capacity of a tree are compared to the perceived lack of such a capacity in human life. This comparison is central to Job's lament, highlighting the stark Contrast he draws between the cyclical nature of life and death in the natural world and what he believes to be the irreversible finality of human mortality. The entire passage, within Job's broader discourse, is an example of Rhetorical Questioning (though not explicitly in this verse, it underpins Job's argument in the chapter), as Job uses the undeniable truth of nature's renewal to underscore his own desperate situation and question divine providence regarding human destiny.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse, while framed within Job's limited perspective and profound suffering, inadvertently points to profound theological truths about God's sustaining power in creation and the miraculous nature of life itself. The tree's astonishing capacity for renewal, even from a "scent of water," speaks to the inherent vitality and resilience woven into the very fabric of creation by the Creator. It subtly foreshadows the broader biblical theme of God's sovereign ability to bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and renewal from seemingly impossible situations. While Job laments the absence of such a cycle for humanity in his immediate context, the very imagery he employs hints at a divine power that transcends earthly limitations—a power ultimately capable of resurrection and new life. This natural phenomenon, therefore, serves as a powerful testament to the Creator's intricate design and ongoing providential care, even as Job struggles to reconcile it with his personal suffering and his understanding of human destiny.
Reflection and Application
Job 14:9, despite its original context of Job's profound despair, offers a deeply resonant spiritual metaphor for believers today. Just as a seemingly dead tree stump can burst forth with new life and robust growth from a mere "scent of water," so too can spiritual life be rekindled, renewed, and flourish even in the most desolate, dormant, or seemingly hopeless seasons of our lives. This "scent of water" can be profoundly likened to the life-giving power of God's Word, the refreshing and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, or even a small, courageous act of faith or obedience that opens us to divine grace. It serves as a powerful reminder that God is eternally capable of bringing forth life and renewal from situations we deem utterly hopeless, demonstrating His sovereign power to resurrect dead dreams, restore broken relationships, and revive weary, parched souls. Our hope, unlike Job's limited earthly view, is firmly rooted in the ultimate promise of resurrection and new life in Christ, enabling us to trust that even in our "stump" moments, God can bring forth abundant "boughs like a plant."
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the primary message Job is trying to convey with the analogy of the tree in Job 14:9?
Job's primary message in Job 14:9 is one of profound despair regarding human mortality, which he contrasts sharply with the regenerative power he observes in nature. He uses the tree's astonishing ability to revive from a mere "scent of water" to highlight what he perceives as humanity's irreversible and final fate after death. For Job, the tree's hope for earthly renewal only serves to underscore his own lack of such hope, emphasizing the perceived finality of human life in his suffering and his limited understanding of the afterlife. He is lamenting that while nature possesses a visible cycle of death and rebirth, humanity does not, at least not in the same tangible, earthly sense that he can observe.
Why does Job emphasize "the scent of water" rather than a flood or abundance?
The emphasis on "the scent of water" is crucial because it highlights the incredible, inherent life force within the tree that requires only the slightest, most subtle stimulus to reactivate. It's not about overwhelming resources or a deluge, but about a minimal, almost imperceptible trigger that unleashes powerful regeneration. This specific detail makes the tree's resilience even more remarkable and, by stark contrast, makes Job's perceived human fragility and lack of earthly renewal even more poignant. It suggests that nature's capacity for renewal is deeply embedded and easily awakened, a quality Job desperately wishes humanity possessed in its earthly existence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job, in his profound suffering and limited revelation, could only lament the stark contrast between nature's resilience and human mortality, this verse finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "scent of water" that brings life to a seemingly dead stump powerfully foreshadows Christ as the true and ultimate source of living water, who offers eternal life and spiritual renewal to all who believe. Just as the tree's life is miraculously rekindled by water, our spiritual life, which was dead in sin, is made alive by the Spirit of God through Christ's transformative power. Jesus Himself declared, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!" and promised that those who believe in Him would have "rivers of living water flow from within them". The tree's miraculous ability to "bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant" from a seemingly dead state points directly to the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, which conquered death and provides the ultimate, unwavering hope for humanity. Through Christ's resurrection, what Job believed was an irreversible human fate—"man lieth down, and riseth not"—is gloriously overturned and forever redefined. Believers are not merely given a second chance at earthly life, but are promised a newness of life now and a future bodily resurrection, triumphing definitively over the grave, as articulated with profound theological depth in 1 Corinthians 15. Thus, the hope that Job observed in nature, but despaired of for humanity, is fully and eternally realized in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and offers abundant, everlasting life to all who come to Him.