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Commentary on Job 7 verses 7–16
Job, observing perhaps that his friends, though they would not interrupt him in his discourse, yet began to grow weary, and not to heed much what he said, here turns to God, and speaks to him. If men will not hear us, God will; if men cannot help us, he can; for his arm is not shortened, neither is his ear heavy. Yet we must not go to school to Job here to learn how to speak to God; for, it must be confessed, there is a great mixture of passion and corruption in what he here says. But, if God be not extreme to mark what his people say amiss, let us also make the best of it. Job is here begging of God either to ease him or to end him. He here represents himself to God,
I. As a dying man, surely and speedily dying. It is good for us, when we are sick, to think and speak of death, for sickness is sent on purpose to put us in mind of it; and, if we be duly mindful of it ourselves, we may in faith put God in mind of it, as Job does here (v. 7): O remember that my life is wind. He recommends himself to God as an object of his pity and compassion, with this consideration, that he was a very weak frail creature, his abode in this world short and uncertain, his removal out of it sure and speedy, and his return to it again impossible and never to be expected - that his life was wind, as the lives of all men are, noisy perhaps and blustering, like the wind, but vain and empty, soon gone, and, when gone, past recall. God had compassion on Israel, remembering that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away and cometh not again, Psa 78:38, Psa 78:39. Observe,
1.The pious reflections Job makes upon his own life and death. Such plain truths as these concerning the shortness and vanity of life, the unavoidableness and irrecoverableness of death, then do us good when we think and speak of them with application to ourselves. Let us consider then, (1.) That we must shortly take our leave of all the things that are seen, that are temporal. The eye of the body must be closed, and shall no more see good, the good which most men set their hearts upon; for their cry is, Who will make us to see good? Psa 4:6. If we be such fools as to place our happiness in visible good things, what will become of us when they shall be for ever hidden from our eyes, and we shall no more see good? Let us therefore live by that faith which is the substance and evidence of things not seen. (2.) That we must then remove to an invisible world: The eye of him that hath here seen me shall see me no more there. It is hadēs - an unseen state, Job 7:8. Death removes our lovers and friends into darkness (Psa 88:18), and will shortly remove us out of their sight; when we go hence we shall be seen no more (Psa 39:13), but go to converse with the things that are not seen, that are eternal. (3.) That God can easily, and in a moment, put an end to our lives, and send us to another world (Job 7:8): "Thy eyes are upon me and I am not; thou canst look me into eternity, frown me into the grave, when thou pleasest."
Shouldst thou, displeased, give me a frowning look,
I sink, I die, as if with lightning struck.
- Sir R. Blackmore
He takes away our breath, and we die; nay, he but looks on the earth and it trembles, Psa 104:29, Psa 104:30. (4.) That, when we are once removed to another world, we must never return to this. There is constant passing from this world to the other, but vestigia nulla retrorsum - there is no repassing. "Therefore, Lord, kindly ease me by death, for that will be a perpetual ease. I shall return no more to the calamities of this life." When we are dead we are gone, to return no more, [1.] From our house under ground (Job 7:9): He that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more until the general resurrection, shall come up no more to his place in this world. Dying is work that is to be done but once, and therefore it had need be well done: an error there is past retrieve. This is illustrated by the blotting out and scattering of a cloud. It is consumed and vanisheth away, is resolved into air and never knits again. Other clouds arise, but the same cloud never returns: so a new generation of the children of men is raised up, but the former generation is quite consumed and vanishes away. When we see a cloud which looks great, as if it would eclipse the sun and drawn the earth, of a sudden dispersed and disappearing, let us say, "Just such a thing is the life of man; it is a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." [2.] To return no more to our house above ground (Job 7:10): He shall return no more to his house, to the possession and enjoyment of it, to the business and delights of it. Others will take possession, and keep it till they also resign to another generation. The rich man in hell desired that Lazarus might be sent to his house, knowing it was to no purpose to ask that he might have leave to go himself. Glorified saints shall return no more to the cares, and burdens, and sorrows of their house; nor damned sinners to the gaieties and pleasures of their house. Their place shall no more know them, no more own them, have no more acquaintance with them, nor be any more under their influence. It concerns us to secure a better place when we die, for this will no more own us.
2.The passionate inference he draws from it. From these premises he might have drawn a better conclusion that this (Job 7:11): Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak; I will complain. Holy David, when he had been meditating on the frailty of human life, made a contrary use of it (Psa 39:9, I was dumb, and opened not my mouth); but Job, finding himself near expiring, hastens as much to make his complaint as if he had been to make his last will and testament or as if he could not die in peace until he had given vent to his passion. When we have but a few breaths to draw we should spend them in the holy gracious breathings of faith and prayer, not in the noisome noxious breathings of sin and corruption. Better die praying and praising than die complaining and quarrelling.
II. As a distempered man, sorely and grievously distempered both in body and mind. In this part of his representation is he is very peevish, as if God dealt hardly with him and laid upon him more than was meet: "Am I a sea, or a whale (Job 7:12), a raging sea, that must be kept within bounds, to check its proud waves, or an unruly whale, that must be restrained by force from devouring all the fishes of the sea? Am I so strong that there needs so much ado to hold me? so boisterous that no less than all these mighty bonds of affliction will serve to tame me and keep me within compass?" We are very apt, when we are in affliction, to complain of God and his providence, as if he laid more restraints upon us that there is occasion for; whereas we are never in heaviness but when there is need, nor more than the necessity demands. 1. He complains that he could not rest in his bed, Job 7:13, Job 7:14. There we promise ourselves some repose, when we are fatigued with labour, pain, or traveling: "My bed shall comfort me, and my couch shall ease my complaint. Sleep will for a time give me some relief;" it usually does so; it is appointed for that end; many a time it has eased us, and we have awaked refreshed, and with new vigour. When it is so we have great reason to be thankful; but it was not so with poor Job: his bed, instead of comforting him, terrified him; and his couch, instead of easing his complaint, added to it; for if he dropped asleep, he was disturbed with frightful dreams, and when those awaked him still he was haunted with dreadful apparitions. This was it that made the night so unwelcome and wearisome to him as it was (Job 7:4): When shall I arise? Note, God can, when he pleases, meet us with terror even where we promise ourselves ease and repose; nay, he can make us a terror to ourselves, and, as we have often contracted guilt by the rovings of an unsanctified fancy, he can likewise, by the power of our own imagination, create us much grief, and so make that our punishment which has often been our sin. In Job's dreams, though they might partly arise from his distemper (in fevers, or small pox, when the body is all over sore, it is common for the sleep to be unquiet), yet we have reason to think Satan had a hand, for he delights to terrify those whom it is out of his reach to destroy; but Job looked up to God, who permitted Satan to do this (thou scarest me), and mistook Satan's representations for the terror of God setting themselves in array against him. We have reason to pray to God that our dreams may neither defile nor disquiet us, neither tempt us to sin nor torment us with fear, that he who keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, may keep us when we slumber and sleep, that the devil may not then do us a mischief, either as an insinuating serpent or as a roaring lion, and to bless God if we lie down and our sleep is sweet and we are not thus scared. 2. He covets to rest in his grave, that bed where there are no tossings to and fro, nor any frightful dreams, Job 7:15, Job 7:16. (1.) He was sick of life, and hated the thoughts of it: "I loathe it; I have had enough of it. I would not live always, not only not live always in this condition, in pain and misery, but not live always in the most easy and prosperous condition, to be continually in danger of being thus reduced. My days are vanity at the best, empty of solid comfort, exposed to real griefs; and I would not be for ever tied to such uncertainty." Note, A good man would not (if he might) life always in this world, no, not though it smile upon him, because it is a world of sin and temptation and he has a better world in prospect. (2.) He was fond of death, and pleased himself with the thoughts of it: his soul (his judgment, he thought, but really it was his passion) chose strangling and death rather than life; any death rather than such a life as this. Doubtless this was Job's infirmity; for though a good man would not wish to live always in this world, and would choose strangling and death rather than sin, as the martyrs did, yet he will be content to live as long as pleases God, not choose death rather than life, because life is our opportunity of glorifying God and getting ready for heaven.
34. As the house of the body is a bodily habitation, so that becomes to each separate mind ‘its own house,’ whatsoever thing it is used to inhabit in desire. And so ‘there is no more returning to his own house,’ because, when once a man is given over to eternal punishments, he is henceforth no more recalled thither, where he had attached himself in love. Moreover by the designation of hell the despair of the sinner may also be set forth, of which it is said by the Psalmist, In hell, who shall confess to Thee? [Ps. 6, 5] Whence again it is written, When the ungodly man cometh into the pit of sinners, he contemneth. [Prov. 18, 3] Now whosoever yields himself to ungodliness, doth assuredly quit the life of righteousness by a proper death. But when a man after sin is furthermore overwhelmed by a mountain of despair, what else is this but that after death he is buried in the torments of hell? Therefore it is rightly said, As the cloud is consumed, and vanisheth alway, so he that goeth down to hell shall come up no more; in that it very often happens, that with the commission of wickedness despair also is united, and the way of returning is henceforth cut off. But the hearts of the despairing are rightly compared to clouds, in that they are at once darkened with the mists of error, and thick with the number of sins; but being consumed, they vanish away, in that being lighted up by the blaze of the final Judgment, they are scattered to the winds. ‘The house’ too is often understood for the dwelling-place of the heart. Hence it is said to one that was healed, Go to thine house [Mark 5, 19]; in that it is most meet that the sinner after pardon should turn back into his own mind, so as not to do aught a second time which may justly subject him to the scourge. But he that has ‘gone down to hell,’ shall no more ‘ascend into his own house,’ in that him, that despair overwhelms, it puts forth without from the habitation of the heart. And he cannot return back within, because when he has been ejected without, day by day he falls urged on into worse extremes. For man was made to contemplate his Creator, that he might ever be seeking after His likeness, and dwell in the festival [solemnitate] of His love. But being cast without himself by disobedience, he lost the seat of his mind, in that being left all abroad in dark ways, he wandered far from the habitation of the true light. Whence it is further added with propriety,
Neither shall his place know him any more.
35. For ‘the place’ of man, but not a local place, the Creator Himself became, Who created him to have his being in Himself, which same place man did then forsake, when on hearing the words of the deceiver, he forsook the love of the Creator. But when Almighty God in the work of redemption showed Himself even by a bodily appearing, He Himself, so to say, following the footsteps of His runagate, came as a place where to keep man whom He had lost. For if the Creator could not in any sense be styled ‘a place,’ the Psalmist, in praising God, would never have said, The children of thy servants shall dwell there [‘there’ is not in V. or LXX.]. [Ps. 102, 29] For we never say there, except when we mark out a place in a particular manner. But there are very many, who even after they have received the succour of the Redeemer, are precipitated into the darkness of despair, and they perish the more desperately, in proportion as they despise the very offered remedies of mercy. And so it is rightly said concerning him that is damned, Neither shall his place know him any more. For he is not known by his Creator in His sorer severity at the Judgment, in the same degree that he is not recalled even by His gifts to the grace of restoration. And hence it is particularly to be observed, that he does not say, ‘Nor shall he know his own place any more;’ but, Neither shall his place know him any more. For whereas that ‘knowing’ is ascribed not to the person, but to the place, the Creator Himself is manifestly set forth, by the name of ‘a place,’ Who, when He cometh in strictness for the final account, shall say to all that abide in iniquity, I know you not whence ye are. [Luke 13, 25] But the Elect severally, in proportion as they consider that lost sinners are unsparingly cut off, day by day purify themselves with greater diligence from the stains of the iniquity they have done; and when they see others on the brink of ruin grow cold in the love of life, they earnestly inflame themselves to tears of penitence.
As the body’s house is a bodily habitation, so it becomes to each separate mind “its own house to whatever the mind desires to have enter.” And so “there is no more returning to his own house,” because once a person is given over to eternal punishment, he is henceforth no more recalled from the place he had attached himself in love.
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SUMMARY
Job 7:10 encapsulates the patriarch's profound despair and conviction regarding the irreversible finality of his earthly life. Amidst his agonizing suffering and perceived abandonment by God, Job articulates a deep sense of hopelessness, believing that death will bring an absolute end to his physical presence, memory, and connection to his former life and home. This verse powerfully conveys his limited understanding of the afterlife, viewing death as an ultimate and permanent separation from the realm of the living, with no prospect of return or restoration to his previous state of being or the life he once knew.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 7:10 employs several powerful literary devices to convey Job's deep despair and the finality of his perceived demise. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where the second clause ("neither shall his place know him any more") reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first clause ("He shall return no more to his house"). Both express the same core idea of irreversible departure and complete absence, but the second clause adds a layer of oblivion, suggesting that even the memory of his presence will vanish. Additionally, the verse utilizes Personification by attributing the human quality of "knowing" to an inanimate object, "his place." This vivid imagery emphasizes the absolute detachment that death brings, portraying the very ground and surroundings as having lost all intimate connection with the deceased. This personification deepens the sense of isolation and the profound finality of Job's perceived end, highlighting the complete erasure from the earthly sphere.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 7:10 powerfully articulates the ancient Israelite understanding of death as a definitive and irreversible separation from the land of the living, a concept deeply rooted in the Old Testament's limited revelation concerning the afterlife. For Job, death means a complete cessation of earthly existence and the fading of all memory and connection to his former life. This lament reflects a common human experience of mortality and the stark reality of physical impermanence. It highlights the profound despair that can arise when one's hope is confined solely to the earthly realm, where suffering seems endless and death is the ultimate barrier. The verse serves as a poignant reminder of the brevity of life and the transient nature of human presence in the world, setting the stage for the later, more robust theological developments regarding resurrection and eternal life that would be revealed through Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 7:10, steeped in the anguish of a man facing what he perceives as his final earthly moments, invites us to confront the universal reality of human mortality. For Job, this verse was a cry of utter despair, reflecting a worldview where death was the ultimate, unyielding end to suffering and existence. His longing for death was not for a glorious afterlife, but for oblivion, a cessation of pain. For us today, while the physical reality of death remains, our understanding is profoundly transformed by the fuller revelation of God's plan for redemption and resurrection. This verse can serve as a sober reminder of the preciousness and brevity of our earthly lives, urging us to live with intentionality, stewarding our time and relationships wisely, recognizing that our earthly "place" and memory are indeed fleeting. It also highlights the stark contrast between Job's limited hope and the glorious hope offered in Christ, where death is not the final word but a transition. It compels us to consider where our ultimate hope lies: in transient earthly comforts or in the eternal promises of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did Job have any hope of an afterlife when he spoke these words?
Answer: When Job uttered the words of Job 7:10, his perspective on the afterlife appears to be one of profound despair and finality, largely consistent with the prevailing understanding of death in the ancient Near East and much of the Old Testament. He saw death as an irreversible departure to Sheol, a shadowy realm from which there was no return to the land of the living or to his "house." While later in the book (e.g., Job 19:25-27), Job expresses a glimmer of hope in a Redeemer and a future vindication, at this point in chapter 7, his immediate experience of suffering has led him to view death as a complete and permanent end to his earthly existence, with no prospect of a joyful resurrection or restoration. His hope, if any, was for cessation of pain, not for a glorious future or reunion.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 7:10, with its lament of irreversible death and the fading of earthly memory, stands in stark contrast to the triumphant reality of Christ's resurrection and the eternal hope it offers. Job's despair, rooted in a limited understanding of the afterlife, speaks to the universal human condition under the curse of sin, where death reigns supreme and brings ultimate separation. However, Jesus Christ definitively conquered death, transforming its meaning from a permanent end into a doorway to eternal life. He is the Resurrection and the Life, promising that "whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and victorious resurrection, Christ has secured for believers a future where our "place" with God is not one of oblivion but of eternal fellowship and intimate knowledge. Unlike Job's lament that his place would "know him no more," believers are assured that in Christ, we are eternally known by God, and our true "house" is not a transient earthly dwelling but an eternal inheritance in the new heavens and new earth, where death and sorrow are no more. The finality Job feared is swallowed up in Christ's victory, offering a glorious expectation of resurrection and unending life with our Redeemer, where we will truly "return" to our eternal home, never to be forgotten or unknown by our Creator.