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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.
30. For ‘the eye of Man’ is the pity of the Redeemer, which softens the hardness of our insensibility, when it looks upon us. Hence, as the Gospel witnesses, it is said, And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. And he went out, and wept bitterly. [Luke 22, 61. 62.] But the soul when divested of the flesh ‘the eye of Man’ doth not henceforth at all regard, in that it never delivers him after death, whom grace doth not restore to pardon before death. For hence Paul saith, Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. [2 Cor. 6, 2] Hence the Psalmist saith, For His mercy is for the present state of being [d]; [Ps. 118, 1] for this reason, that the man whom mercy doth not rescue now, after the present state of being, justice alone consigns to punishment. Hence Solomon saith, And if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be. [Eccles. 11, 3] For when, at the moment of the falling of the human being, either the Holy Spirit or the Evil Spirit receives the soul departed from the chambers of the flesh, he will keep it with him for ever without change, so that neither once exalted, shall it be precipitated into woe, nor once plunged into eternal woes, any further arise to take the means of escape. Therefore let the holy man, contemplating the ills of mankind, viz. how he is removed from the present world without the knowledge of his Redeemer, and buried in everlasting flames without remedy, and taking up their voice in his own person, give utterance to the words, And the eye of man shall not see me. Forasmuch as the man whom the grace of the Redeemer doth not now look upon to correct, it doth not then visit to keep from destruction. For the Lord, when He cometh to judgment, looketh on the sinner to smite, but He doth not look on him to acknowledge him in bestowing the grace of salvation. He taketh account of sins, and knoweth not the life of those that perish. Hence after that the holy man had averred that he could no more be ‘seen by the eye of Man’ after the present life, he rightly added at once;
Thine eyes are upon me, and I shall not stand.
31. As though he said in plain words; ‘Thou, when thou comest in severity to Judgment, both seest not, to save, and yet seest, to smite, in that him, whom Thou lookest not on in the present life with the pitifulness of Thy saving care, hereafter looking on Thou dost extinguish by Thy law of justice. For now the sinner casts away the fear of God, and yet lives, blasphemes and yet prospers, because the pitiful Creator would not in seeing punish him, whom He would rather by waiting for bring to amendment; as it is written, And winkest at the sins of men for their repentance. [Wisd. 11, 23] But when the sinner is then looked upon, he ‘does not stand,’ in that when the strict Judge minutely examines his deserts, the convicted sinner cannot bear up against his torments.
32. Not but that this likewise accords with the voice of the righteous, whose mind is ever anxiously fixed on the coming Judgment. For they have fears for every thing that they do, whilst they heedfully consider who are the persons, and before what a Judge they will have to stand. They behold the power of His Mightiness, and they consider what an amount of guilt they are tied and bound with from their own imperfection. They reckon up the evil deeds of their own doing, and multiply over against them the benefits of their Creator. They reflect how rigidly He judges wicked deeds, how minutely He examines good ones; and they foresee without a shadow of doubt that they will be lost, if they be judged apart from pity: for even this very life that we seem to live righteously is sin, if, when He takes account of our lives, the mercy of God does not make allowance for it in His own eyes. For it is hence written in this very book, Yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. [Job 25, 5] For strictly judged in His sight those very persons do also bear spots of defilement, that shine bright in the purity of holiness. Therefore it is well said, Thine eyes are upon me, and I shall not stand. As if it were said in plain terms by the voice of the righteous man, ‘If I be sifted with an exact scrutiny, I cannot stand up in undergoing judgment, for life cannot bear up against punishment, if the mercilessness of just retribution bears hard upon it.’ Now both the sin and the punishment of that same human race is well added in few words.
For “the human eye” is the pity of the Redeemer that softens the hardness of our insensibility when it looks upon us. Hence, as the Gospel witnesses, it is said, “And the Lord turned, looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” However, when the soul is divested of the flesh, “the human eye” does not henceforth see anything. The Redeemer’s pity never delivers anyone after death that it has not gracefully restored to pardon before death.
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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
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
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.
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
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.
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 who takes away the sin of the world, 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?" 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 and will one day see Him face to face. 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 where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain."