Job 7:8

KJV

The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no [more]: thine eyes [are] upon me, and I [am] not.

KJV (with Strong's)

The eye {H5869} of him that hath seen {H7210} me shall see {H7789} me no more: thine eyes {H5869} are upon me, and I am not.

Complete Jewish Bible

The eye that now sees me will see me no more; while your eyes are on me, I will be gone.

Berean Standard Bible

The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.

American Standard Version

The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 7:8 is a profound lament from Job, articulating his deep despair, sense of abandonment, and acute awareness of his own fleeting mortality. In this verse, Job expresses his conviction that those who once knew him will soon no longer see him, and he feels that despite God's omnipresent gaze, he is rapidly fading into non-existence, a poignant cry of a man overwhelmed by suffering and longing for the finality of death.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 7:8 is embedded within Job's first extensive lament (Job 7:1-21), a direct response to his friends' initial, unhelpful silence and subsequent attempts at comfort. Having endured the catastrophic loss of his children, wealth, and health, Job is not only physically afflicted but also deeply distressed in spirit. This chapter immediately follows Eliphaz's first speech (Job 4-5), which largely attributed Job's suffering to sin. Job's lament in chapter 7 reveals his profound weariness with life, his longing for death as a release from pain, and his growing frustration with God, whom he perceives as his relentless adversary. The verse specifically follows Job's reflection on the brevity of life, comparing it to a breath or a cloud that vanishes, setting the stage for his personal declaration of imminent disappearance.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, life was often viewed as precarious and fleeting, subject to the whims of gods or fate. The concept of an afterlife, particularly among early Israelites, was often vague, referring to Sheol—a shadowy, silent realm of the dead where there was no activity or praise of God. Job's lament reflects this understanding; his desire for "not being" is not necessarily a longing for oblivion in the modern sense, but a yearning for an end to his earthly torment, a cessation of his conscious suffering. The cultural expectation was often that suffering indicated divine displeasure, a notion Job vehemently challenges throughout the book, making his cries of despair all the more poignant as he grapples with a theology that offers no comfort for his blameless suffering.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the **brevity and fragility of human life**, a recurring motif in wisdom literature, as seen in [Psalm 90:10](/psalms/90-10 "Psalm 90:10 - The Brevity of Life") and [James 4:14](/james/4-14 "James 4:14 - Life as a Vapor"). Job's sense of imminent disappearance highlights the transient nature of earthly existence. Secondly, it expresses the **desire for release from suffering**, a desperate yearning for death as the ultimate escape from unbearable pain, a theme echoed in other lament psalms where the afflicted cry out for deliverance. Lastly, the phrase "thine eyes are upon me, and I am not" introduces a complex dynamic of **divine sovereignty and human insignificance**. While God's omnipresent gaze is acknowledged, Job feels that this very gaze is consuming him, leading to his perceived non-existence, or that despite God's awareness, his suffering is unacknowledged, leaving him feeling utterly insignificant in his agony. This tension between God's presence and Job's feeling of abandonment is central to the book's exploration of suffering.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **"see me no [more]" (לֹא עוֹד, _lo' od_):** This Hebrew phrase literally means "not yet" or "no longer." In this context, it powerfully conveys finality and absolute cessation. Job is expressing that his visible presence, his very existence to others, is about to end permanently. It's a stark declaration of his anticipated demise, emphasizing the irreversible nature of death.
* **"thine eyes [are] upon me" (עֵינֶיךָ עָלַי, _'eyneykha 'alay_):** The word "eyes" (עֵינֶיךָ, _'eyneykha_) refers to God's all-seeing gaze, implying divine scrutiny, awareness, and perhaps even active involvement. The preposition "upon me" (עָלַי, _'alay_) suggests a direct, intense focus. This is not a comforting gaze for Job, but one that he perceives as relentless, perhaps even oppressive, contributing to his suffering or hastening his end. It highlights the paradox of being fully seen by God yet feeling utterly annihilated.
* **"and I [am] not" (וְאֵינֶנִּי, _wĕ'êynennî_):** This concise and potent Hebrew phrase signifies absolute non-existence or disappearance. It is a declaration of Job's perceived imminence of death and his complete removal from the earthly sphere. It conveys a sense of being utterly consumed, vanished, or rendered absent. It's not merely that he will be dead, but that he will be as if he never was, or that his current agony has already reduced him to nothingness.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no [more]:"** This clause expresses Job's profound sense of his impending death and disappearance from the world of the living. He anticipates that those who know him, who have observed his life and his suffering, will soon look for him in vain. It emphasizes the finality and irreversible nature of death, suggesting a complete removal from human interaction and memory, at least in the immediate sense. It reflects a deep weariness with life and a longing for the quiet oblivion of the grave.
* **"thine eyes [are] upon me,"** Here, Job directly addresses God, acknowledging His omnipresent and all-seeing gaze. This is not a statement of comfort or assurance, but rather one of intense awareness of God's scrutiny. Job feels that God's attention is focused on him, but this focus is perceived as a source of his affliction, as if God is actively observing or even orchestrating his demise. It sets up a stark contrast with the following clause, highlighting the paradox of being intensely seen by God yet feeling utterly non-existent.
* **"and I [am] not."** This is the stark, climactic declaration of the verse. Despite God's attentive gaze, Job feels himself already fading into nothingness. This can be interpreted in several ways: a literal anticipation of his death and absence from the land of the living; a hyperbolic expression of his profound suffering, feeling as though his agony has annihilated his very being or identity; or a cry of despair that despite God's awareness, his suffering is so immense that he feels utterly insignificant, as if he does not matter or exist in his current state of agony. It conveys a sense of being consumed or rendered utterly insubstantial by his pain and by God's perceived judgment.

#### Literary Devices
Job 7:8 employs several powerful literary devices to convey Job's anguish. **Hyperbole** is evident in Job's declaration "and I am not," as he is clearly still alive and speaking. This exaggerated statement emphasizes the depth of his suffering, making him feel as though he has already ceased to exist due to the intensity of his pain and the perceived divine abandonment. There is also a profound **Paradox** at play: God's eyes are "upon me," implying intense divine presence and scrutiny, yet Job simultaneously declares "and I am not." This highlights the agonizing tension between God's undeniable awareness and Job's feeling of utter insignificance or annihilation. Furthermore, **Metonymy** is used in "The eye of him that hath seen me," where "eye" stands in for the person who sees, emphasizing the personal witness to Job's life and the impending absence he anticipates. This combination of devices powerfully communicates Job's extreme despair and his struggle to reconcile his suffering with God's presence.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 7:8 plunges the reader into the depths of human despair, grappling with the brevity of life and the perceived silence or hostility of God in the face of immense suffering. The verse challenges simplistic notions of divine justice and highlights the profound mystery of innocent suffering. It underscores the human yearning for an end to pain, even if that end is death. The tension between God's all-seeing eye and Job's feeling of non-existence raises fundamental questions about God's presence in suffering and the nature of human existence before a sovereign, yet seemingly distant, God. It forces us to confront the raw, unvarnished reality of human anguish and the struggle to maintain faith when all earthly comforts and theological frameworks crumble.

* [Psalm 39:4-5](/psalms/39-4 "Psalm 39:4-5 - The Brevity of Life")
* [Psalm 139:7-12](/psalms/139-7 "Psalm 139:7-12 - God's Omnipresence")
* [Ecclesiastes 9:5](/ecclesiastes/9-5 "Ecclesiastes 9:5 - The Fate of the Dead")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 7:8 offers a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the human experience of profound grief, isolation, and the desperate longing for an end to suffering. It invites us to cultivate deep empathy for those who find themselves in similar states of despair, feeling unseen, unheard, or on the brink of giving up. Job's lament reminds us that it is permissible, even necessary, to voice our deepest anguish to God, however accusatory or hopeless it may sound. His words challenge us to move beyond superficial answers to suffering and to sit with the uncomfortable reality of pain that defies easy explanation. Furthermore, the verse serves as a sober reminder of our own mortality and the transient nature of earthly life, prompting us to consider the ultimate purpose of our existence and where our hope truly lies beyond this fleeting world. It encourages a deeper trust in God's ultimate plan, even when His presence feels like absence, and His gaze feels like judgment.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's raw expression of despair resonate with your own experiences of suffering or loss?**
* **In what ways do you perceive God's "eyes upon you" during times of difficulty – as comforting, scrutinizing, or something else?**
* **How does acknowledging the brevity of life (as Job does) influence your priorities and how you choose to live each day?**
* **What does Job's continued engagement with God, even in accusation and despair, teach us about authentic faith during extreme adversity?**

### FAQ
**Does Job truly wish for non-existence, or is this hyperbole?**

Answer: While Job's statement "and I am not" (וְאֵינֶנִּי, _wĕ'êynennî_) is a powerful expression of his desire for an end to his suffering, it is likely a form of **hyperbole** rather than a literal wish for complete annihilation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, "not being" often referred to death and descent into Sheol, the shadowy realm of the dead, where there was no activity or consciousness as understood in the land of the living. Job's longing is for a cessation of his unbearable pain and a release from his torment, which death would provide. He is so overwhelmed by his agony that he feels as though his very being is being consumed, reducing him to nothingness. This is a common lament motif, expressing the extreme distress of the sufferer who wishes to escape their present reality, as seen in [Job 3:11-13](/job/3-11 "Job 3:11-13 - Job's Wish for Death").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 7:8, with its raw depiction of human suffering and the longing for an end to existence, finds its ultimate answer and transformation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's cry of "I am not" speaks to the human condition under the curse of sin, where life is fleeting, suffering is pervasive, and death seems to be the final word. Yet, in Christ, this despair is overcome. Jesus, the [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), willingly entered into the depths of human suffering, experiencing abandonment and the ultimate "not being" on the cross, crying out, "[My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")" Through His death and glorious resurrection, Christ conquered death, transforming the grave from a place of "not being" into a gateway to eternal life. Those who are "in Christ" are not destined for oblivion, but for an eternal future where God's eyes are upon them not in judgment, but in loving welcome, as they are [made new creations](/2_corinthians/5-17 "2 Corinthians 5:17 - New Creation in Christ") and will one day [see Him face to face](/1_john/3-2 "1 John 3:2 - Seeing God as He Is"). Job's longing for an end to his pain is fulfilled in Christ, who offers not merely the cessation of earthly suffering, but the promise of a [new heaven and a new earth](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Tears or Pain") where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain."

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 20:9

The eye also [which] saw him shall [see him] no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

Psalms 37:36

Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

Psalms 90:8

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy countenance.

Psalms 90:9

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale [that is told].

Job 14:3

And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

Psalms 39:11

When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man [is] vanity. Selah.

Job 8:18

If he destroy him from his place, then [it] shall deny him, [saying], I have not seen thee.