Job Chapter 14

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry 22 Verses

What is Job 14 about?

The suffering of a righteous man and the profound questions it raises about God's justice, sovereignty, and human understanding. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
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 a 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 is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a 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 put forth boughs like a plant.
10But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11[As] the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;
12So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, 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 warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.
15Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.
16But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?
17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
18But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place;
19The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So 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 honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth.

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“Man [that is] born of a woman, etc.] 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…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“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.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“Man that is born of a woman - See the notes at Job 13:28. The object of Job in these verses, is to show the frailty and feebleness of man. He, therefore, dwells on many circumstances adapted to this, and this is one of the most stirring and beautiful. He alludes to the delicacy and feebleness, of the female sex, and says that the offspring of one so frail must himself be frail; the child of one so feeble must himself be feeble. Possibly also there may be an allusion here to the prevailing opinion in the Oriental world of the inferiority of the female sex. The following forcible lines by Lord Bacon, express a…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“Man - A weak creature, and withal corrupt and sinful, and of that sex by which sin and all other calamity was brought into the world. Job 14:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“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).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“born: Job 15:14, Job 25:4; Psa 51:5; Mat 11:11 of few days: Heb. short of days, Job 7:1, Job 7:6, Job 9:25; Gen 47:9; Psa 39:5 full: Job 5:7; Ecc 2:17, Ecc 2:23 Job 14:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“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…”
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