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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Job 14

Job 14: man's few days and the hope of a tree

General context

Job continues, speaking of man born of a woman as few of days and full of trouble, like a flower cut down and a shadow that does not continue. He asks whether God opens his eyes on such a creature and brings Job into judgment, and says no one can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. Since man's days and months are determined and his bounds set, Job asks God to turn from him so he can rest and finish his day like a hireling. There is hope for a tree: cut down, it sprouts again, and though its root grows old and its stock dies, at the scent of water it buds. But man dies and wastes away; as waters fail from the sea, man lies down and does not rise until the heavens are no more. Job wishes God would hide him in the grave until his wrath is past, appoint him a set time and remember him. He asks, If a man die, shall he live again, and says he would wait all the days of his appointed time until his change came; God would call and he would answer, and would desire the work of his hands. But now God numbers his steps and watches his sin, sealing his transgression in a bag. As mountains fall, rocks move and water wears stones, God destroys the hope of man, prevails against him, changes his face and sends him away. His sons come to honour or are brought low and he does not know it; his flesh has pain and his soul mourns.

Cited passages: Job 14:1, Job 14:2, Job 14:3, Job 14:4, Job 14:5, Job 14:6, Job 14:7, Job 14:8, Job 14:9, Job 14:10, Job 14:11, Job 14:12, Job 14:13, Job 14:14, Job 14:15, Job 14:16, Job 14:17, Job 14:18, Job 14:19, Job 14:20, Job 14:21, Job 14:22

Job 14 (KJV)

1Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

5Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

7For 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.

8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

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

10But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13O 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!

14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

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

16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

18And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19The 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.

20Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

22But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

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Historical context

The chapter has no narrator's line; it ends the speech Job began at 12.1, and Eliphaz answers at 15.1. Job speaks about man in general in verses 1 to 2 and 7 to 12, and to God as thou in verses 3 to 6 and 13 to 20. The question If a man die, shall he live again is asked, not answered; the surrounding lines say man riseth not: till the heavens be no more, and the wish to be hidden in the grave and remembered is framed as O that thou wouldest. The text does not resolve this into a doctrine. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one is Job's statement, close to Eliphaz's voice in 4.17 and to Eliphaz's later words in 15.14; Job uses it to ask why God bothers to judge such a creature, not to confess guilt. The sons of verse 21 are any dead man's sons; Job's own sons died in 1.19, and the text does not say whether he has them in mind. Nothing in the chapter identifies Job's change in verse 14 beyond its being the end of his appointed time.

Cited passages: Job 12:1, Job 15:1, Job 14:1, Job 14:3, Job 14:14, Job 14:12, Job 14:13, Job 14:4, Job 4:17, Job 15:14, Job 14:21, Job 1:19

Literary context

The chapter is a meditation on limits. It opens with three images of brevity, a flower, a shadow, few days, and sets them against God's judgment. The tree passage in verses 7 to 9 is the first hopeful picture, and it is used only to mark a contrast: But man dieth. The dried sea and failed flood carry the same finality. Then, against his own argument, Job imagines a set time, a call, an answer, and God desiring the work of thine hands, the same phrase he used in 10.3 for what God despised. The question If a man die, shall he live again is bracketed by O that in verse 13 and For now in verse 16, wish and reality. The final verses return to erosion: mountains, rocks, stones worn by water, thou destroyest the hope of man. The speech that began in chapter 12 with irony at the friends ends with no reference to them, only a man whose flesh has pain and whose soul mourns. Eliphaz's second speech at 15.2 begins by calling all this vain knowledge.

Cited passages: Job 14:1, Job 14:2, Job 14:7, Job 14:9, Job 14:10, Job 14:11, Job 14:13, Job 14:15, Job 10:3, Job 14:14, Job 14:16, Job 14:18, Job 14:19, Job 14:22, Job 12:2, Job 15:2

Key moments

  1. Few days, full of trouble (Job 14:1). Job says man born of a woman is short-lived and troubled.
  2. A clean thing from an unclean (Job 14:4). Job says none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean.
  3. Hope of a tree (Job 14:7). Job says a felled tree can sprout again.
  4. But man dieth (Job 14:10). Job says man dies and wastes away, and asks where he is.
  5. Hide me in the grave (Job 14:13). Job wishes God would hide him until his wrath is past and remember him.
  6. Shall he live again? (Job 14:14). Job asks whether a dead man will live again and says he would wait for his change.
  7. The hope of man destroyed (Job 14:19). Job says that as water wears stones, God destroys the hope of man.

For reflection

Job asks whether a man who dies will live again, and then says he would wait for his change if God would call. Does the chapter leave that as hope, wish, or refusal, and where does the text tip it?