Job Chapter 14

From The Open Bible Project

14:1 "Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

• (a) Taking the opportunity of his adversaries words he describes the state of man’s life from his birth to his death.

14:2 He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn't continue.

14:3 Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you?

• (b) His meaning is, that seeing that man is so frail a creature, God should not handle him so extremely, in which Job shows the wickedness of the flesh, when it is not subject to the Spirit.

14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can't pass;

14:6 Look away from him, that he may rest, until he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

• (c) Until the time you have appointed him to die, which he desires as the hireling waits for the end of his labour to receive his wages.

14:7 "For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.

14:8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,

14:9 yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.

14:10 But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

• (d) He speaks here not as though he had no hope of immortality but as a man in extreme pain, when reason is overcome by afflictions and torments.

14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,

14:12 so man lies down and doesn't rise. Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

14:13 "Oh that you would hide me in [5] Sheol [See Job Footnotes 5], that you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

• (e) By this he declares that the fear of God’s judgment was the reason why he desired to die.
• (f) That is, relieve my pain and take me to mercy.

14:14 If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come.

• (g) Meaning, to the day of the resurrection when he would be changed and renewed.

14:15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire to the work of your hands.

• (h) Though I am afflicted in this life, yet in the resurrection I will feel your mercies and answer when you call me.

14:16 But now you number my steps. Don't you watch over my sin?

14:17 My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.

• (i) You lay them all together and do not allow any of my sins to go unpunished.

14:18 "But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place;

• (k) He murmurs through the impatiency of the flesh against God, as though he used great severity against him as against the hard rocks, or waters that overflow, so that by this the opportunity of his hope is taken away.

14:19 The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.

14:20 You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away.

14:21 His sons come to honor, and he doesn't know it. They are brought low, but he doesn't perceive it of them.

14:22 But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns."

• (l) Yet while he is in pain and misery.