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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 7:7–16. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
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28. For those men love the life of the flesh as enduring, who do not consider how infinite is the eternity of the life to come; and whereas they take no thought of the sure stedfastness of the everlasting state, they take their exile for their home, darkness for light, going for standing. Since they that know nothing of greater things can never judge rightly of the least. For the order of judging requires that we should be above that which we are striving to try. Since if the mind is not able to rise above all things, it has no certain sight at all in relation to those, by which it is surpassed. And so it is for this reason that the lost soul is inadequate to estimate the course of the present 1ife, because from love of the same it is bowed down to the admiration thereof. But holy men, in proportion as they lift their hearts towards the eternal world, bethink themselves how short-lived that is which is closed by an ending. And all that is passing is rendered worthless to their senses, forasmuch as that pours in its light through the rays of intelligence, which once received never departs. And as soon as they contemplate the infinite extent of eternity, they cease any longer to desire as great whatsoever has an end to limit it. But the mind when lifted up is carried beyond the limits of time, even when by the flesh it is held fast in time, and it looks down from a greater height on all that is to have an end, the more truly it knows the things without end. Now this very consideration of the short span of man’s estate is itself an offering of singular efficacy [virtutis] to our Maker. Whence a sacrifice of this merit is here rightly offered together with prayer, when it is said, O remember that my life is wind. As if it were said in plain words, ‘Regard with loving-kindness one that is quickly gone, in that I claim to be looked upon by Thee with greater pity, even in proportion as I myself do not turn away mine eyes from the contemplation of my short span.’ But seeing that when the season of our present life is cut short, there is no more return to the work of earning our forgiveness, it is rightly added,
Mine eye shall no more return to see good.
29. The eye of the dead ‘no more returneth to see good,’ in that for the setting forth of good works, the soul once snipped of the flesh knows no return. It is hence that the rich man, whom the fire of hell was devouring, knew that he could never restore himself by doing works; for he never turned himself to do good to himself, but to his brethren that were left; I pray thee, father Abraham, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. [Luke 16, 27. 28.] For hope even though unfounded is used to cheer the stricken soul; but the lost, that they may feel their woe the keener, lose even hope as to pardon. And hence when he was given over to avenging flames, he was not anxious to help himself, as we said, but his brethren, in that he knew that he would never be without the torments of those fires, the punishment of despair being superadded. Hence Solomon saith, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. [Eccles. 9, 10] So ‘the eye shall no more return to see good,’ in that the soul, on meeting with its recompense, is never again recalled to tell to the account of practice. Therefore forasmuch as all that is seen is fleeting, and the things that follow are to endure, blessed Job rightly combined the two in one verse, saying, O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. For looking at the transitoriness of things present, he says, O remember that my life is wind. But contemplating the eternity of those that come after, he added, Mine eye shall no more return to see good. And here, furthermore, he justly proceeds to take upon him the voice of the whole race of man destitute of the benefit of redemption.
“My eye will begin to see good again.” Here the author refers to the hope that is reserved for people in the new world.
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Summary
Job 7:7 captures Job's profound despair and the perceived transience of his suffering life. In a direct plea to God, Job likens his existence to a fleeting gust of wind, emphasizing its brevity and insubstantiality. He then declares his conviction that he will never again experience well-being, joy, or relief, cementing his sense of utter hopelessness in the face of relentless affliction and the perceived absence of divine intervention.
Context
Literary Context
Job 7:7 is situated within Job's second passionate lament (chapters 6-7), which immediately follows the initial, rather unhelpful, counsel from his friend Eliphaz (Job 4-5). Having absorbed the shock of his catastrophic losses and debilitating physical torment, Job pours out his soul to God, not in accusation, but in raw, unvarnished anguish and profound questioning. This lament is characterized by a deep longing for death as an escape from his unbearable suffering, as seen in his plea for God to crush him (Job 6:8), a sense of being relentlessly pursued and afflicted by God (Job 7:12), and a desperate plea for God to acknowledge his plight and grant him respite before his inevitable end. The immediate verses leading up to Job 7:7 vividly describe Job's weariness, his sleepless nights, and the repulsive decay of his body (Job 7:3), setting the stage for his despairing declaration about the brevity of life and the absence of future good.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, suffering, especially of the magnitude Job experienced, was almost universally interpreted as a direct consequence of divine judgment for sin. Prosperity and health were seen as clear indicators of divine favor, while affliction suggested divine displeasure or punishment. Job's friends operate firmly within this "retribution theology," attempting to convince him to confess his supposed hidden sins as the cause of his calamities. Job's lament, therefore, is not just a personal cry but a profound challenge to this prevailing theological framework, as he insists on his innocence. His physical ailments, such as boils and worms (Job 7:5), would have rendered him ritually unclean and socially ostracized, amplifying his isolation and despair. The concept of life as fleeting and ephemeral was common in ancient wisdom literature, but Job's application of it here is particularly poignant, reflecting a profound existential crisis rather than a detached philosophical observation.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Job and broader biblical literature. Firstly, it underscores the transience and fragility of human life, a theme echoed throughout the wisdom literature (e.g., Psalm 90:10). Job's comparison of his life to "wind" emphasizes its insubstantial, uncontrollable, and quickly vanishing nature, highlighting human mortality in the face of overwhelming suffering. Secondly, it expresses profound despair and hopelessness, as Job's declaration "mine eye shall no more see good" signifies his conviction that his suffering is terminal and that any prospect of joy, relief, or positive outcome in his earthly existence is gone. This theme of utter desolation is central to Job's laments (e.g., Job 3:11). Finally, it highlights human vulnerability to forces beyond one's control, whether physical ailment, the vagaries of life, or perceived divine judgment, challenging simplistic notions of justice and control over one's destiny.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew word חַי (chay) signifies "life" in its broadest sense, encompassing existence, vitality, and the state of being alive. In Job's desperate plea, it refers to his very being, his existence, which he perceives as frail and ephemeral. The choice to describe his "life" as "wind" underscores his feeling that his existence is not only brief but also insubstantial, easily dissipated, and lacking any enduring quality or purpose in his current state of suffering.
The Hebrew word רוּחַ (rûwach) is rich in meaning, encompassing "wind," "breath," and "spirit." In this context, its primary sense is "wind" or "a gust of wind," powerfully conveying the idea of something ephemeral, insubstantial, and quickly gone. Like a fleeting breeze, Job perceives his life as having no lasting substance or direction, easily dispersed and forgotten. This choice of word emphasizes the brevity and impermanence of human life, a common biblical motif (e.g., Psalm 103:14).
The phrase לִרְאוֹת טוֹב (lir'ot tov), literally "to see good," extends beyond mere physical sight. In Hebrew idiom, "to see good" means to experience well-being, prosperity, happiness, peace, or any form of positive outcome or relief from suffering. The root râʼâh (H7200) means "to see" or "to perceive," while ṭôwb (H2896) means "good" in the widest sense, encompassing pleasantness, welfare, and prosperity. Job is not merely stating that his physical vision is failing (though it might be); rather, he is declaring a profound conviction that he will never again encounter or enjoy any form of blessing, comfort, or joy in his remaining days. It is a declaration of complete and utter despair regarding his future earthly experience.
Verse Breakdown
"O remember that my life [is] wind"
Job addresses God directly, pleading with Him to acknowledge the fragile and fleeting nature of his life. The "O remember" (זְכָר־נָא, zəḵār-nāʾ) is a desperate plea for divine consideration and compassion, an appeal to God's memory and mercy. By likening his life to "wind" (ruach), Job conveys a sense of utter insignificance, vulnerability, and transience. He feels his life is slipping away, insubstantial and without control, and he implores God to consider this brevity as a reason for mercy or a swift end to his suffering.
"mine eye shall no more see good"
This is a stark declaration of Job's profound hopelessness. His "eye" here represents his entire being and his capacity to experience. The phrase "no more see good" signifies his conviction that he will never again experience well-being, happiness, prosperity, or any relief from his current affliction. It is a statement of absolute despair, indicating that he perceives his suffering as terminal and irreversible within his earthly existence. He sees no future prospect of joy or restoration.
Literary Devices
Job 7:7 is rich with literary techniques that amplify its emotional impact and theological weight. The most prominent is Metaphor, where Job directly compares his life to "wind." This comparison is not merely descriptive but deeply symbolic, conveying the ideas of transience, insubstantiality, and uncontrollable movement, effectively encapsulating Job's feeling of his life slipping away without purpose or control. Furthermore, the declaration "mine eye shall no more see good" functions as Hyperbole, an exaggeration used for emphasis. While Job is in deep despair, this statement expresses an absolute and total lack of future hope, an extreme sentiment that underscores the depth of his suffering and his conviction that his earthly experience will yield no further positive outcomes. The entire verse is also a quintessential example of Lament, a common genre in biblical literature where an individual expresses profound sorrow, suffering, and complaint to God, often accompanied by a plea for divine intervention or understanding, demonstrating the raw honesty permitted in prayer.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 7:7 powerfully articulates the human experience of profound suffering and the existential dread that accompanies the perception of life's brevity and fragility. It confronts the theological problem of innocent suffering, as Job, despite his piety, endures unimaginable pain. His lament challenges simplistic retribution theology, forcing a deeper consideration of God's sovereignty and justice beyond human comprehension. The verse also highlights the pervasive biblical theme of human mortality and the fleeting nature of earthly existence, reminding us that our lives are ultimately in God's hands and that our time on earth is limited. While Job expresses profound despair, his very act of lamenting to God, rather than abandoning Him, underscores a persistent, albeit strained, relationship with the divine, setting the stage for the book's ultimate resolution where God's wisdom and sovereignty are affirmed beyond human understanding.
Reflection and Application
Job's raw honesty in Job 7:7 offers profound insights for believers navigating their own seasons of suffering and despair. His lament validates the human experience of profound pain and the feeling of hopelessness, reminding us that it is permissible to express such deep anguish directly to God, even when we do not understand His ways or feel His presence. This verse encourages us to bring our authentic, unvarnished emotions before our Creator, rather than masking them with false piety or pretending to have answers we do not possess. Furthermore, Job's comparison of life to "wind" serves as a stark reminder of our mortality and the brevity of our time on earth. This perspective, while initially bleak, can paradoxically encourage us to live with greater purpose, to cherish the moments we have, and to invest in what is eternally significant, rather than being consumed by fleeting earthly concerns. While Job's despair is palpable, the broader narrative of the book ultimately points to God's ultimate goodness and sovereignty, even when human understanding fails, challenging us to hold onto faith in the unseen hand of God, even in our darkest moments.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job's lament in Job 7:7 mean he had lost all faith in God?
While Job's words in Job 7:7 express profound despair and a conviction that he will experience no more good in his earthly life, it does not signify a complete loss of faith in God. Rather, it represents an honest, agonizing struggle within his faith. Job continues to address God directly, even if his words are complaints or pleas for understanding. He is wrestling with God, not abandoning Him. His laments are a form of prayer, albeit one filled with anguish and questioning. Throughout the book, despite his suffering, Job maintains his integrity and eventually declares his enduring trust in God, even if God were to slay him (Job 13:15). This verse is a testament to the permission to be utterly honest with God in our pain, even when our understanding is limited and our hope seems to vanish.
How does Job's view of life as "wind" compare to other biblical descriptions of life's brevity?
Job's comparison of his life to "wind" (ruach) in Job 7:7 is a powerful and poignant metaphor for life's transience. This imagery aligns with numerous other biblical passages that emphasize the brevity and fragility of human existence. For instance, Psalm 90:10 states that our years are quickly gone "like a sigh," and Psalm 103:14 reminds us that God "knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." The New Testament similarly describes life as "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). The consistent message across Scripture is that human life is finite and fleeting, subject to decay and death. This perspective is not meant to induce despair, but to encourage wisdom, a focus on eternal matters, and a recognition of God's enduring nature in contrast to our own temporary existence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 7:7 expresses a deep, personal despair over a life perceived as fleeting and devoid of future good, the broader narrative of Scripture, culminating in Christ, offers a profound re-framing of this human experience. Jesus, the ultimate suffering servant, fully entered into the fragility and brevity of human life, experiencing rejection, betrayal, and immense physical and emotional pain, culminating in His death on the cross (e.g., Isaiah 53:3-5). His cry of dereliction, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoes Job's own anguish and sense of abandonment, revealing the depths of human suffering that even the Son of God embraced. However, unlike Job's despairing declaration that his "eye shall no more see good," Christ's suffering was not the end. His resurrection from the dead decisively conquered death and despair, ushering in an eternal "good" that transcends all earthly suffering (Romans 8:18). Through Christ, the "wind-like" brevity of our earthly lives is transformed; for those in Him, death is not the end of "seeing good" but the gateway to an eternal inheritance and a glorious future where "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore" (Revelation 21:4). Thus, Job's lament, while deeply human, ultimately points to the One who suffered, died, and rose again to secure an enduring hope and an eternal good for all who believe, fulfilling the deepest longings of the human heart beyond the limitations of this fleeting life (John 11:25-26).