Job 10:12

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

Thou hast granted {H6213} me life {H2416} and favour {H2617}, and thy visitation {H6486} hath preserved {H8104} my spirit {H7307}.

You granted me life and grace; your careful attention preserved my spirit.

You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

Commentary

Job 10:12 is a poignant statement from Job, uttered amidst his intense suffering and lament. In this verse, Job acknowledges God's past benevolence, contrasting it with his present agony. It’s a moment of profound reflection where he remembers God's sustaining hand, even as he questions His current dealings.

Context

This verse is part of Job's extended monologue in chapters 9 and 10, where he grapples with the inscrutable nature of God's power and justice. Despite his overwhelming pain and desire for an explanation from God, Job cannot deny the fundamental truth of God's past goodness. He has just expressed his fear of God's overwhelming might and his inability to contend with Him (Job 9:32). Yet, in Job 10:12, he pauses to recall the divine favor that previously characterized his life, setting the stage for his subsequent plea for God to simply leave him alone.

Key Themes

  • Divine Providence and Sustenance: Job explicitly credits God with granting him "life and favour." This highlights the biblical teaching that God is the ultimate source of all existence and blessing. Even in his deepest despair, Job cannot escape the truth that his very breath and every good thing he experienced came from God.
  • God's Preserving Care: The phrase "thy visitation hath preserved my spirit" speaks to God's continuous, watchful care. The word "visitation" here carries the positive connotation of God's attentive oversight, His active involvement in sustaining Job's inner being and protecting his life through various challenges. It’s a recognition of God's faithful guardianship.
  • Gratitude Amidst Grief: This verse beautifully captures the complex dynamic of faith during suffering. Job is not simply complaining; he is wrestling with God, remembering His past mercies even as he struggles to understand his present affliction. This act of remembering God's goodness is a powerful testament to his enduring, though troubled, faith.

Linguistic Insights

  • The word for "favour" (Hebrew: chesed, חֶסֶד) is a rich theological term, often translated as "lovingkindness," "mercy," or "steadfast love." It denotes a loyal, covenantal love that goes beyond mere kindness, implying active commitment and faithfulness. Job acknowledges God's enduring chesed in his life.
  • "Visitation" (Hebrew: pekuddah, פְּקֻדָּה) can have a dual meaning in Hebrew, referring to either a benevolent oversight (as here, God's care) or a punitive inspection (as in judgment). In Job 10:12, the context clearly indicates a positive, preserving act of God's attention and care, which has "preserved" (shamar, שָׁמַר - to guard, keep, protect) his spirit.

Practical Application

Job 10:12 offers a profound lesson for believers facing trials today. It reminds us that even when circumstances are overwhelming and God's presence feels distant, we can look back and acknowledge His past faithfulness. Remembering God's previous acts of "life and favour" and His preserving "visitation" can anchor our souls when the storms of life rage. It encourages us to maintain a complex faith that allows for lament and questioning, yet never entirely forgets the foundational truth of God's goodness and His sovereign plans. Even when we don't understand His ways, we can reflect on His unchangeable character and His past care, drawing strength from His unfailing mercies.

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Cross-References

  • Acts 17:28 (6 votes)

    For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

  • Job 33:4 (6 votes)

    The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

  • Matthew 6:25 (5 votes)

    Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

  • Genesis 19:19 (4 votes)

    Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

  • Acts 17:25 (4 votes)

    Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;