Job 7:17

Context

Job 7:17 is a poignant cry from Job, who is enduring immense physical suffering and emotional anguish. Having lost his children, wealth, and health, and now being misunderstood by his friends, Job feels relentlessly pursued and scrutinized by God. This verse is part of a longer lament where Job expresses his weariness with life and his desire for relief from God's perceived constant attention and affliction. He views God's focus on him not as benevolent care, but as an oppressive and overwhelming scrutiny, questioning why the Almighty would spend so much effort on a fragile human.

Key Themes

• Divine Scrutiny vs. Human Frailty: Job questions why God, in His infinite power and majesty, would devote such intense focus to a mere mortal, especially in a way that feels burdensome and punitive. He feels overwhelmed by God's constant observation.
• The Paradox of God's Attention: The verse highlights a profound tension: the immense power of God directed towards the insignificance of humanity. While often a source of comfort (as in Psalm 8:4, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"), for Job, this attention feels like an inescapable burden.
• Lament and Rhetorical Question: This is not a request for information but an expression of profound despair and frustration. Job is not truly asking "What is man?" but rather expressing his inability to comprehend why God would deal with him so severely.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrasing "magnify him" in this context does not mean to praise or exalt, but rather to make a great deal of, to observe minutely, or to pay excessive attention to. It implies a detailed, almost obsessive focus. Similarly, "set thine heart upon him" means to direct one's intense thought and intention towards someone. For Job, God's "magnifying" and "setting His heart upon" him feel like a constant, burdensome surveillance leading to affliction, rather than loving care.

Practical Application

Job's desperate question resonates with anyone who has felt overwhelmed by life's trials or the feeling of being under intense divine scrutiny during suffering. This verse reminds us:

• God's Omnipresence and Omniscience: God is indeed intimately aware of every detail of our lives, even when we feel forgotten or misunderstood.
• Understanding Suffering: While Job's perspective was born of extreme suffering, the Bible also teaches that God's attention can be a source of comfort and guidance, even in trials. His awareness of us is ultimately for our good, though it may not always feel that way in the moment of pain.
• Humility and Awe: The vast difference between God's infinite nature and humanity's frailty should inspire both humility and awe that God chooses to engage with us at all.