Job 14
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Various moral sentiments. The antithesis between wisdom and folly, and the different effects of each.
Open source ↗JOB PASSES FROM HIS OWN TO THE COMMON MISERY OF MANKIND. (Job 14:1-22) woman--feeble, and in the East looked down upon (Gen 2:21). Man being born of one so frail must be frail himself (Mat 11:11). few days-- (Gen 47:9; Psa 90:10). Literally, "short of days." Man is the reverse of full of days and short of trouble.
Open source ↗Man that is born of a woman,.... Man, Adam; not the first man, so called, for he was made and created out of the dust of the earth, and not born of a woman; the woman was made out of him, and not he of her; "earthly man", as Mr. Broughton translates it, as every descendant of Adam is; as is the earth, such are they that are earthy, everyone of which is born of a woman; yet not as opposed unto and distinguished from the heavenly One, or the Lord from heaven, for he also as man was made and born of a woman: this, though a proper description of all mankind, there being none but what are born of a woman, see Mat 11:11; yet Job chiefly designs himself; for having spoken of his wasting circumstances in which he was, in Job 13:28, goes on in this to treat of his frailty and mortality, and to improve it into an argument with God for pity and mercy, as appears from Job 14:3; where he speaks of himself in the first person, as here in the third, and all along: he may have respect in this clause to Eve, the mother of all living, from whom all descend, and of whom, in a sense, they may be said to be born; or else to his immediate parent, he and every man being born of a woman; no man, but the first, ever came into the world in any other way; there is one that came into the world without an earthly father, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ, but none without a mother; nor lie, who indeed was born of a virgin, and so in an extraordinary and miraculous manner; and this is observed, not so much on account of natural descent, or to denote that, as being reckoned from the mother, she having so great a concern in the production of man, conceiving, bearing, and bringing him forth; nor to remark the sinfulness of nature, though one born of a sinful woman must needs be so too, since this is ex…
Open source ↗1 Man that is born of a woman, Short of days and full of unrest, 2 Cometh forth as a flower and is cut down; He fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not. 3 Moreover, Thou openest Thine eyes upon him, And Thou drawest me before Thy tribunal. Even if he yields to the restraint which his suffering imposes on him, to regard himself as a sinner undergoing punishment, he is not able to satisfy himself by thus persuading himself to this view of God's conduct towards him. How can God pass so strict a judgment on man, whose life is so short and full of sorrow, and which cannot possibly be pure from sin? - Job 14:1. אדם is followed by three clauses in apposition, or rather two, for אשּׁה ילוּד (lxx γεννητὸς γυναικός, as Mat 11:11; comp. γέννημα γυν. Sir. 10:18) belongs to the subject as an adjectival clause: woman-born man, short-lived, and full of unrest, opens out as a flower. Woman is weak, with pain she brings forth children; she is impure during her lying-in, therefore weakness, suffering, and impurity is the portion of man even from the birth (Job 15:14; Job 25:4). As קצר is the constr. of קצר, so (רגז) שׂבע is from שׂבע, which here, as Job 10:15, has the strong signification: endowed (with adversity). It is questionable whether ויּמּל, Job 14:2, signifies et marcescit or et succiditur. We have decided here as elsewhere (vid., on Psa 37:2; Psa 90:6, Genesis, S. 383) in favour of the latter meaning, and as the Targ. (אתמולל), translated "he is mown down." For this meaning (prop. to cut off from above or before, to lop off), - in which the verb מלל (מוּל נמל) is become technical for the περιτομή, - is most probably favoured by its application in Job 24:24; where Jerome however translates, sicut summitates spicarum conterentur, since he derives ימלו from מלל in the significa…
Open source ↗We are here led to think, I. Of the original of human life. God is indeed its great original, for he breathed into man the breath of life and in him we live; but we date it from our birth, and thence we must date both its frailty and its pollution. 1. Its frailty: Man, that is born of a woman, is therefore of few days, Job 14:1. This may refer to the first woman, who was called Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Of her, who being deceived by the tempter was first in the transgression, we are all born, and consequently derive from her that sin and corruption which both shorten our days and sadden them. Or it may refer to every man's immediate mother. The woman is the weaker vessel, and we know that partus sequitur ventrem - the child takes after the mother. Let not the strong man therefore glory in his strength, or in the strength of his father, but remember that he is born of a woman, and that, when God pleases, the mighty men become as women, Jer 51:30. 2. Its pollution (Job 14:4): Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? If man be born of a woman that is a sinner, how can it be otherwise than that he should be a sinner? See Job 25:4. How can he be clean that is born of a woman? Clean children cannot come from unclean parents any more than pure streams from an impure spring or grapes from thorns. Our habitual corruption is derived with our nature from our parents, and is therefore bred in the bone. Our blood is not only attainted by a legal conviction, but tainted with an hereditary disease. Our Lord Jesus, being made sin for us, is said to be made of a woman, Gal 4:4. II. Of the nature of human life: it is a flower, it is a shadow, Job 14:2. The flower is fading, and all its beauty soon withers and is gone. The shadow is fleeting, and its very being…
Open source ↗14:1-2 The flower is an image of life’s brevity (Pss 90:5-6; 103:15-16; Isa 40:6-7). • A shadow passes swiftly (1 Chr 29:15; Ps 102:11).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
אָדָם (ʼâdâm, H120) — ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) יָלַד (yâlad, H3205) — to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show… אִשָּׁה (ʼishshâh, H802) — a woman קָצֵר (qâtsêr, H7116) — short (whether in size, number, life, strength or temper) יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to… שָׂבֵעַ (sâbêaʻ, H7649) — satiated (in a pleasant or disagreeable sense) רֹגֶז (rôgez, H7267) — commotion, restlessness (of a horse), crash (of thunder), disquiet, anger
Open source ↗יָצָא (yâtsâʼ, H3318) — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and… צִיץ (tsîyts, H6731) — properly, glistening, i.e. a burnished plate; also a flower (as bright-colored); a wing… נָמַל (nâmal, H5243) — to become clipped or (specifically) circumcised בָּרַח (bârach, H1272) — to bolt, i.e. figuratively, to flee suddenly צֵל (tsêl, H6738) — shade, whether literal or figurative עָמַד (ʻâmad, H5975) — to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
Open source ↗פָּקַח (pâqach, H6491) — to open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, to be observant עַיִן (ʻayin, H5869) — an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape) זֶה (zeh, H2088) — the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that בּוֹא (bôwʼ, H935) — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) מִשְׁפָּט (mishpâṭ, H4941) — properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a…
Open source ↗נָתַן (nâthan, H5414) — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.) טָהוֹר (ṭâhôwr, H2889) — pure (in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense) טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ, H2931) — foul in a religious sense אֶחָד (ʼechâd, H259) — properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
Open source ↗אִם (ʼim, H518) — used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if,… יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to… חָרַץ (chârats, H2782) — properly, to point sharply, i.e. (literally) to wound; figuratively, to be alert, to… מִסְפָּר (miçpâr, H4557) — a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also… חֹדֶשׁ (chôdesh, H2320) — the new moon; by implication, a month עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application חֹק (chôq, H2706) — an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) עָבַר (ʻâbar, H5674) — to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive,…
Open source ↗שָׁעָה (shâʻâh, H8159) — to gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect, consider,… חָדַל (châdal, H2308) — properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle רָצָה (râtsâh, H7521) — to be pleased with; specifically, to satisfy adebt שָׂכִיר (sâkîyr, H7916) — a man at wages by the day or year יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to…
Open source ↗יֵשׁ (yêsh, H3426) — there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection) תִּקְוָה (tiqvâh, H8615) — literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy עֵץ (ʻêts, H6086) — a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks) כָּרַת (kârath, H3772) — to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to… חָלַף (châlaph, H2498) — properly, to slide by, i.e. (by implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce… יוֹנֶקֶת (yôwneqeth, H3127) — a sprout חָדַל (châdal, H2308) — properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle
Open source ↗שֶׁרֶשׁ (sheresh, H8328) — a root (literally or figuratively) זָקֵן (zâqên, H2204) — to be old אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) גֶּזַע (gezaʻ, H1503) — the trunk or stump of atree (as felled or as planted) מוּת (mûwth, H4191) — to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill עָפָר (ʻâphâr, H6083) — dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud
Open source ↗רֵיחַ (rêyach, H7381) — odor (as if blown) מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen פָּרַח (pârach, H6524) — to break forth as a bud, i.e. bloom; generally, to spread; specifically, to fly (as… עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application קָצִיר (qâtsîyr, H7105) — severed, i.e. harvest (as reaped), the crop, the time, the reaper, or figuratively; also… נֶטַע (neṭaʻ, H5194) — a plant; collectively, a plantation; abstractly, a planting
Open source ↗גֶּבֶר (geber, H1397) — properly, a valiant man or warrior; generally, a person simply מוּת (mûwth, H4191) — to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill חָלַשׁ (châlash, H2522) — to prostrate; by implication, to overthrow, decay אָדָם (ʼâdâm, H120) — ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) גָּוַע (gâvaʻ, H1478) — to breathe out, i.e. (by implication) expire
Open source ↗מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen אָזַל (ʼâzal, H235) — to go away, hence, to disappear יָם (yâm, H3220) — a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the… נָהָר (nâhâr, H5104) — a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively,… חָרַב (chârab, H2717) — to parch (through drought) i.e. (by analogy,) to desolate, destroy, kill יָבֵשׁ (yâbêsh, H3001) — to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither…
Open source ↗אִישׁ (ʼîysh, H376) — a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term… שָׁכַב (shâkab, H7901) — to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose) קוּם (qûwm, H6965) — to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative) שָׁמַיִם (shâmayim, H8064) — the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds… בִּלְתִּי (biltîy, H1115) — properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a… קוּץ (qûwts, H6974) — to awake (literally or figuratively) עוּר (ʻûwr, H5782) — to wake (literally or figuratively) שֵׁנָה (shênâh, H8142) — sleep
Open source ↗נָתַן (nâthan, H5414) — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.) צָפַן (tsâphan, H6845) — to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny;… שְׁאוֹל (shᵉʼôwl, H7585) — Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories… סָתַר (çâthar, H5641) — to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively אַף (ʼaph, H639) — properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the… שׁוּב (shûwb, H7725) — to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not… שִׁית (shîyth, H7896) — to place (in a very wide application) חֹק (chôq, H2706) — an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) זָכַר (zâkar, H2142) — properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention;…
Open source ↗גֶּבֶר (geber, H1397) — properly, a valiant man or warrior; generally, a person simply מוּת (mûwth, H4191) — to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill חָיָה (châyâh, H2421) — to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to… צָבָא (tsâbâʼ, H6635) — a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army);… יָחַל (yâchal, H3176) — to wait; by implication, to be patient, hope חֲלִיפָה (chălîyphâh, H2487) — alternation בּוֹא (bôwʼ, H935) — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.