1 MAN that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

1Man that is borne of a woman, is of few dayes, and full of trouble.

2Hee commeth forth like a flower, and is cut downe: he fleeth also, as a shaddow and continueth not.

3And doest thou open thine eies vpon such an one, and bringest me into iudgment with thee?

4Who can bring a cleane thing out of an vncleane? not one.

5Seeing his daies are determined, the number of his moneths are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe.

6Turne from him that hee may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hircling, his day.

7For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut downe, that it will sprout againe, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8Though the roote thereof waxe old in the earth, and the stocke thereof die in the ground:

9Yet through the sent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughes like a plant.

10But man dyeth, and wasteth away; yea, man giueth vp the ghost, and where is hee?

11As the waters faile from the sea, and the floud decayeth and dryeth vp:

12So man lyeth downe, and riseth not, till the heauens be no more, they shall not awake; nor bee raised out of their sleepe.

13O that thou wouldest hide mee in the graue, that thou wouldest keepe me secret, vntill thy wrath bee past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me.

14If a man die, shall he liue againe? All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite, till my change come.

15Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt haue a desire to the worke of thine hands.

16For nowe thou numbrest my steppes, doest thou not watch ouer my sinne?

17My transgression is sealed vp in a bagge, and thou sowest vp mine iniquitie.

18And surely the mountaine falling commeth to nought: and the rocke is remoued out of his place.

19The waters weare the stones, thou washest away the things which growe out of the dust of the earth, and thou destroyest the hope of man.

20Thou preuailest for euer against him, and hee passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21His sonnes come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought lowe, but he perceiueth it not of them.

22But his flesh vpon him shall haue paine, and his soule within him shall mourne.

I == Job 5:7 ; Eccl 2:23

II == Job 8:9 ; Ps 90:5-6 , 9 ; 102:1 ; 103:15 ; 144:4 ; Isa 40:6 ; 1st Peter 1:24

III == Ps 143:2 ; 144:3

IV == Ps 51:5 ; Rom 7:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Ps 102:26 ; Isa 51:6 ; 65:17 ; 66:22 ; Acts 3:21 ; Rom 8:20 ; 2nd Peter 3:7 , 10-11 ; Rev 20:11 ; 21:1

 

 

XIV == Job 13:15 ; 14:7

 

XV == Job 13:22

 

XVI == Job 10:6 , 14 ; 13:27 ; 31:4 ; 34:21 ; Ps 56:8 ; 139:1-3 ; Prov 5:21 ; Jer 32:19

XVII == Deut 32:34 ; Hos 13:12

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Eccl 9:5 ; Isa 63:16

 

1 Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble,

2 Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide.

3 Upon such a one will you cast your eyes so as to bring him into judgment before you,

4 Can a man be found who is clean of defilement? There is none,

5 however short his days. You know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass.

6 Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day.

7 For a tree there is hope, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender shoots will not cease.

8 Even though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the dust,

9 Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again and put forth branches like a young plant.

10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when man expires, where then is he?

11 As when the waters of a lake fail, or a stream grows dry and parches,

12 So men lie down and rise not again. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

13 Oh, that you would hide me in the nether world and keep me sheltered till your wrath is past; would fix a time for me, and then remember me!

14 When a man has died, were he to live again, all the days of my drudgery I would wait, until my relief should come.

15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands.

16 Surely then you would count my steps, and not keep watch for sin in me.

17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch, and you would cover over my guilt.

18 But as a mountain falls at last and its rock is moved from its place,

19 As waters wear away the stones and floods wash away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man.

20 You prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed appearance you send him away.

21 If his sons are honored, he is not aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them.

22 Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him.

v 1-4. Compared to eternity, man’s time on earth is as fleeting as a flower. The Lord looks upon us as an unclean thing, Isa. 1:18.

 

 

 

 

v 5,6. Since our days are so limited by God, could not He turn aside from such close scrutiny of us till our time comes?

 

v 7-12. If a tree is cut down it will sprout up from the roots, but when even strong men die, he is like a dried up river, and will not be raised physically out of his sleep on this earth. (Exceptions are those miraculously restored to life.)

 

 

 

 

 

v 13,14. In the grave Job could at least hide from God’s wrath, then he begins to replace the futility of v 10 with the certainty of resurrection, and he will confidently wait for that day. John. 5:25;  6:40; 1 Thess, 4:16.

 

v 15-17. God would not leave the work of His hands and not call for it. Job would be glad to respond to that call, because instead of God making note of our every sin, they will be completely sewed up like a bag, to be remembered against us no more.
v

 

 

18-20. With his limited knowledge of resurrection and future life, Job again falls into despondency. Even mountains can be worn away to dust, so Job has no hope but for more suffering and finally death.

 

 

v 21,22. Death cuts off all communication with others, and he could foresee only the pain, at least in thought, of worms destroying the decaying body. His confidence for the future is forgotten, and he sits in pain and without hope.