Job 9:26

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle [that] hasteth to the prey.

They are passed away {H2498} as {H5973} the swift {H16} ships {H591}: as the eagle {H5404} that hasteth {H2907} to the prey {H400}.

They skim by like skiffs built of reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

Context of Job 9:26

Job 9:26 is part of Job's passionate response to Bildad's assertion that God only punishes the wicked. In this chapter, Job acknowledges God's unchallengeable power and wisdom, but he expresses his despair over his own situation. He feels that no matter how righteous he is, he cannot contend with God, and his suffering is accelerating the passage of his life. This verse reflects Job's profound lament regarding the swift passage of his days amid intense suffering, emphasizing his feeling of helplessness before divine omnipotence, as he states, "He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength" (Job 9:4).

Key Themes and Messages

  • Brevity and Transience of Life: The primary message is the extreme swiftness with which life passes, especially when one is engulfed in sorrow or distress. The imagery of fast ships and a swooping eagle powerfully conveys this sense of fleeting time. This imagery powerfully conveys the brevity and transient nature of human existence.
  • Inevitability of Time's Passage: Job feels his days are rushing by, unstoppable and unalterable, much like ships driven by wind or an eagle focused on its prey. He has no control over the speed of time, nor over his impending end.
  • Human Helplessness: In the face of overwhelming suffering and the unstoppable march of time, Job feels utterly powerless. He cannot slow down his days, nor can he escape the perceived hastening towards his demise.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses vivid metaphors to convey speed:

  • "swift ships" (Hebrew: אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה - 'oniyyot 'eve): This phrase can refer to swift boats made of reeds or papyrus, known for their speed and lightness. The imagery suggests something that glides quickly and silently, leaving little trace.
  • "as the eagle [that] hasteth to the prey" (Hebrew: כְּנֶשֶׁר יָטוּשׁ עֲלֵי אֹכֶל - k'nesher yatush 'alei 'okhel): The eagle is renowned for its swift, decisive, and powerful dive when it spots its quarry. This paints a picture of an unstoppable, purposeful rush, emphasizing the relentless and rapid advance of Job's days toward an uncertain fate.

Practical Application

Job's lament, though born of personal despair, offers timeless insights for us today:

  • A Call to Awareness: This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the precious and finite nature of our time on earth. It encourages us to live with intentionality rather than letting life simply "pass away" unnoticed.
  • Urgency in Living Purposefully: Understanding that our days are swift, like a ship or an eagle, can motivate us to make the most of every moment. It calls us to reflect on how we 'redeem the time' and invest it in what truly matters—our relationship with God, serving others, and fulfilling our purpose.
  • Perspective on Suffering: Even in times of deep affliction, when it feels like life is rushing towards an undesirable end, this verse acknowledges that time continues its swift course. It can prompt us to seek God's presence and strength daily, recognizing that our "light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Habakkuk 1:8

    Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle [that] hasteth to eat.

  • Isaiah 18:2

    That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, [saying], Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

  • Job 39:27

    Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

  • Job 39:30

    Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain [are], there [is] she.

  • 2 Samuel 1:23

    Saul and Jonathan [were] lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

  • Lamentations 4:19

    Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

  • Proverbs 23:5

    Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

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