1βροτὸς{N-NSM} γὰρG1063{PRT} γεννητὸςG1084{A-NSM} γυναικὸςG1135{N-GSF} ὀλιγόβιος{A-NSM} καὶG2532{CONJ} πλήρηςG4134{A-NSM} ὀργῆςG3709{N-GSF} 2ἢG2228{CONJ} ὥσπερG3746{ADV} ἄνθοςG438{N-NSN} ἀνθῆσαν{V-AAPNS} ἐξέπεσενG1601{V-AAI-3S}, ἀπέδρα{V-AAI-3S} δὲG1161{PRT} ὥσπερG3746{ADV} σκιὰG4639{N-NSF} καὶG2532{CONJ} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} στῇG2476{V-AAS-3S}. 3οὐχὶG3364{ADV} καὶG2532{CONJ} τούτουG3778{D-GSM} λόγονG3056{N-ASM} ἐποιήσωG4160{V-AMI-2S} καὶG2532{CONJ} τοῦτονG3778{D-ASM} ἐποίησαςG4160{V-AAI-2S} εἰσελθεῖνG1525{V-AAN} ἐνG1722{PREP} κρίματιG2917{N-DSN} ἐνώπιόνG1799{PREP} σουG4771{P-GS}; 4τίςG5100{I-NSM} γὰρG1063{PRT} καθαρὸςG2513{A-NSM} ἔσταιG1510{V-FMI-3S} ἀπὸG575{PREP} ῥύπουG4509{N-GSM}; ἀλλ᾽G235{CONJ} οὐθείςG3762{A-NSF}. 5ἐὰνG1437{CONJ} καὶG2532{CONJ} μίαG1520{A-NSF} ἡμέραG2250{N-NSF} ὁG3588{T-NSM} βίοςG979{N-NSM} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM} ἐπὶG1909{PREP} τῆςG3588{T-GSF} γῆςG1065{N-GSF}, ἀριθμητοὶ{A-NPM} δὲG1161{PRT} μῆνεςG3303{N-NPM} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM} παρὰG3844{PREP} σοίG4771{P-DS}, εἰςG1519{PREP} χρόνονG5550{N-ASM} ἔθουG5087{V-AMI-2S}, καὶG2532{CONJ} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} ὑπερβῇG5233{V-AAS-3S}. 6ἀπόσταG868{V-AAD-2S} ἀπ᾽G575{PREP} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM}, ἵναG2443{CONJ} ἡσυχάσῃG2270{V-AAS-3S} καὶG2532{CONJ} εὐδοκήσῃG2106{V-AAS-3S} τὸνG3588{T-ASM} βίονG979{N-ASM} ὥσπερG3746{ADV} ὁG3588{T-NSM} μισθωτόςG3411{A-NSM}. 7ἔστινG1510{V-PAI-3S} γὰρG1063{PRT} δένδρῳG1186{N-DSN} ἐλπίςG1680{N-NSF}· ἐὰνG1437{CONJ} γὰρG1063{PRT} ἐκκοπῇG1581{V-AAS-3S}, ἔτιG2089{ADV} ἐπανθήσει{V-FAI-3S}, καὶG2532{CONJ} ὁG3588{T-NSM} ῥάδαμνος{N-NSM} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSN} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} ἐκλίπῃG1587{V-AAS-3S}· 8ἐὰνG1437{CONJ} γὰρG1063{PRT} γηράσῃG1095{V-AAS-3S} ἐνG1722{PREP} γῇG1065{N-DSF} ἡG3588{T-NSF} ῥίζαG4491{N-NSF} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSN}, ἐνG1722{PREP} δὲG1161{PRT} πέτρᾳG4073{N-DSF} τελευτήσῃG5053{V-AAS-3S} τὸG3588{T-NSN} στέλεχος{N-NSN} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSN}, 9ἀπὸG575{PREP} ὀσμῆςG3744{N-GSF} ὕδατοςG5204{N-GSN} ἀνθήσει{V-FAI-3S}, ποιήσειG4160{V-FAI-3S} δὲG1161{PRT} θερισμὸνG2326{N-ASM} ὥσπερG3746{ADV} νεόφυτονG3504{A-ASN}. 10ἀνὴρG435{N-NSM} δὲG1161{PRT} τελευτήσαςG5053{V-AAPNS} ᾤχετο{V-IMI-3S}, πεσὼνG4098{V-AAPNS} δὲG1161{PRT} βροτὸς{N-NSM} οὐκέτιG3765{ADV} ἔστινG1510{V-PAI-3S}. 11χρόνῳG5550{N-DSM} γὰρG1063{PRT} σπανίζεται{V-PPI-3S} θάλασσαG2281{N-NSF}, ποταμὸςG4215{N-NSM} δὲG1161{PRT} ἐρημωθεὶςG2049{V-APPNS} ἐξηράνθηG3583{V-API-3S}· 12ἄνθρωποςG444{N-NSM} δὲG1161{PRT} κοιμηθεὶςG2837{V-APPNS} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} ἀναστῇG450{V-AAS-3S}, ἕωςG2193{CONJ} ἂνG302{PRT} ὁG3588{T-NSM} οὐρανὸςG3772{N-NSM} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} συρραφῇ{V-APS-3S}· καὶG2532{CONJ} οὐκG3364{ADV} ἐξυπνισθήσονταιG1852{V-FPI-3S} ἐξG1537{PREP} ὕπνουG5258{N-GSM} αὐτῶνG846{D-GPM}. 13εἰG1487{CONJ} γὰρG1063{PRT} ὄφελονG3784{V-AAI-1S} ἐνG1722{PREP} ᾅδῃG86{N-DSM} μεG1473{P-AS} ἐφύλαξαςG5442{V-AAI-2S}, ἔκρυψαςG2928{V-AAI-2S} δέG1161{PRT} μεG1473{P-AS}, ἕωςG2193{CONJ} ἂνG302{PRT} παύσηταίG3973{V-AMS-3S} σουG4771{P-GS} ἡG3588{T-NSF} ὀργὴG3709{N-NSF} καὶG2532{CONJ} τάξῃG5021{V-AAS-3S} μοιG1473{P-DS} χρόνονG5550{N-ASM}, ἐνG1722{PREP} ᾧG3739{R-DSM} μνείανG3417{N-ASF} μουG1473{P-GS} ποιήσῃG4160{V-FMI-2S}. 14ἐὰνG1437{CONJ} γὰρG1063{PRT} ἀποθάνῃG599{V-AAS-3S} ἄνθρωποςG444{N-NSM}, ζήσεταιG2198{V-FMI-3S} συντελέσαςG4931{V-AAPNS} ἡμέραςG2250{N-APF} τοῦG3588{T-GSM} βίουG979{N-GSM} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM}· ὑπομενῶG5278{V-AAS-1S}, ἕωςG2193{CONJ} ἂνG302{PRT} πάλινG3825{ADV} γένωμαιG1096{V-AMS-1S}. 15εἶταG1534{ADV} καλέσειςG2564{V-FAI-3S}, ἐγὼG1473{P-NS} δέG1161{PRT} σοιG4771{P-DS} ὑπακούσομαιG5219{V-FMI-1S}, τὰG3588{T-APN} δὲG1161{PRT} ἔργαG2041{N-APN} τῶνG3588{T-GPF} χειρῶνG5495{N-GPF} σουG4771{P-GS} μὴG3165{ADV} ἀποποιοῦ{V-PMD-2S}. 16ἠρίθμησαςG705{V-AAI-2S} δέG1161{PRT} μουG1473{P-GS} τὰG3588{T-APN} ἐπιτηδεύματα{N-APN}, καὶG2532{CONJ} οὐG3364{ADV} μὴG3165{ADV} παρέλθῃG3928{V-AAS-3S} σεG4771{P-AS} οὐδὲνG3762{A-NSN} τῶνG3588{T-GPF} ἁμαρτιῶνG266{N-GPF} μουG1473{P-GS}· 17ἐσφράγισαςG4972{V-AAI-2S} δέG1161{PRT} μουG1473{P-GS} τὰςG3588{T-APF} ἀνομίαςG458{N-APF} ἐνG1722{PREP} βαλλαντίῳG905{N-DSN}, ἐπεσημήνω{V-AMI-2S} δέG1161{PRT}, εἴG1487{CONJ} τιG5100{I-ASN} ἄκωνG210{A-NSM} παρέβηνG3845{V-AAI-1S}. 18καὶG2532{CONJ} πλὴνG4133{ADV} ὄροςG3735{N-NSN} πῖπτονG4098{V-PAPNS} διαπεσεῖται{V-FAI-3S}, καὶG2532{CONJ} πέτραG4073{N-NSF} παλαιωθήσεταιG3822{V-FPI-3S} ἐκG1537{PREP} τοῦG3588{T-GSM} τόπουG5117{N-GSM} αὐτῆςG846{D-GSF}· 19λίθουςG3037{N-APM} ἐλέαναν{V-AAI-3P} ὕδαταG5204{N-NPN}, καὶG2532{CONJ} κατέκλυσενG2626{V-AAI-3S} ὕδαταG5204{N-NPN} ὕπτια{A-APN} τοῦG3588{T-GSN} χώματος{N-GSN} τῆςG3588{T-GSF} γῆςG1065{N-GSF}· καὶG2532{CONJ} ὑπομονὴνG5281{N-ASF} ἀνθρώπουG444{N-GSM} ἀπώλεσαςG622{V-AAI-2S}. 20ὦσας{V-AAI-2S} αὐτὸνG846{D-ASM} εἰςG1519{PREP} τέλοςG5056{N-ASN}, καὶG2532{CONJ} ᾤχετο{V-IMI-3S}· ἐπέστησαςG2186{V-AAI-2S} αὐτῷG846{D-DSM} τὸG3588{T-ASN} πρόσωπονG4383{N-ASN} καὶG2532{CONJ} ἐξαπέστειλαςG1821{V-AAI-2S}· 21πολλῶνG4183{A-GPM} δὲG1161{PRT} γενομένωνG1096{V-AMPGP} τῶνG3588{T-GPM} υἱῶνG5207{N-GPM} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM} οὐκG3364{ADV} οἶδενG1492{V-RAI-3S}, ἐὰνG1437{CONJ} δὲG1161{PRT} ὀλίγοιG3641{A-NPM} γένωνταιG1096{V-AMS-3P}, οὐκG3364{ADV} ἐπίσταταιG1987{V-PMI-3S}· 22ἀλλ᾽G235{CONJ} ἢG2228{CONJ} αἱG3588{T-NPF} σάρκεςG4561{N-NPF} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM} ἤλγησαν{V-AAI-3P}, ἡG3588{T-NSF} δὲG1161{PRT} ψυχὴG5590{N-NSF} αὐτοῦG846{D-GSM} ἐπένθησενG3996{V-AAI-3S}.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 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 (
Matt 11:11).
few days-- (
Gen 47:9;
Ps 90:10). Literally, "short of days." Man is the reverse of full of days and short of trouble.
2 (
Ps 90:6; see on
Job 8:9).
3 open . . . eyes upon--Not in graciousness; but, "Dost Thou sharply fix Thine eyes upon?" (See on
Job 7:20; also see on
Job 1:7). Is one so frail as man worthy of such constant watching on the part of God? (
Zech 12:4).
me--so frail.
thee--so almighty.
4 A plea in mitigation. The doctrine of original sin was held from the first. "Man is unclean from his birth, how then can God expect perfect cleanness from such a one and deal so severely with me?"
5 determined-- (
Job 7:1;
Isa 10:23;
Dan 9:27;
Dan 11:36).
6 Turn--namely, Thine eyes from watching him so jealously (
Job 14:3).
hireling-- (
Job 7:1).
accomplish--rather, "enjoy." That he may at least enjoy the measure of rest of the hireling who though hard worked reconciles himself to his lot by the hope of his rest and reward [UMBREIT].
7 Man may the more claim a peaceful life, since, when separated from it by death, he never returns to it. This does not deny a future life, but a return to the present condition of life. Job plainly hopes for a future state (
Job 14:13;
Job 7:2). Still, it is but vague and trembling hope, not assurance; excepting the one bright glimpse in
Job 19:25. The Gospel revelation was needed to change fears, hopes, and glimpses into clear and definite certainties.
9 scent--exhalation, which, rather than the humidity of water, causes the tree to germinate. In the antithesis to man the tree is personified, and volition is poetically ascribed to it.
like a plant--"as if newly planted" [UMBREIT]; not as if trees and plants were a different species.
10 man . . . man--Two distinct Hebrew words are here used; Geber, a mighty man: though mighty, he dies. Adam, a man of earth: because earthly, he gives up the ghost.
wasteth--is reduced to nothing: he cannot revive in the present state, as the tree does. The cypress and pine, which when cut down do not revive, were the symbols of death among the Romans.
11 sea--that is, a lake, or pool formed from the outspreading of a river. Job lived near the Euphrates: and "sea" is applied to it (
Jer 51:36;
Isa 27:1). So of the Nile (
Isa 19:5).
fail--utterly disappeared by drying up. The rugged channel of the once flowing water answers to the outstretched corpse ("lieth down,"
Job 14:12) of the once living man.
12 heavens be no more--This only implies that Job had no hope of living again in the present order of the world, not that he had no hope of life again in a new order of things.
Ps 102:26 proves that early under the Old Testament the dissolution of the present earth and heavens was expected (compare
Gen 8:22). Enoch before Job had implied that the "saints shall live again" (
Jude 1:14;
Heb 11:13-
Heb 11:16). Even if, by this phrase, Job meant "never" (
Ps 89:29) in his gloomier state of feelings, yet the Holy Ghost has made him unconsciously (
1Pet 1:11-12) use language expressing the truth, that the resurrection is to be preceded by the dissolution of the heavens. In
Job 14:13-
Job 14:15 he plainly passes to brighter hopes of a world to come.
13 Job wishes to be kept hidden in the grave until God's wrath against him shall have passed away. So while God's wrath is visiting the earth for the abounding apostasy which is to precede the second coming, God's people shall be hidden against the resurrection glory (
Isa 26:19-
Isa 26:21).
set time--a decreed time (
Acts 1:7).
14 shall he live?--The answer implied is, There is a hope that he shall, though not in the present order of life, as is shown by the words following. Job had denied (
Job 14:10-
Job 14:12) that man shall live again in this present world. But hoping for a "set time," when God shall remember and raise him out of the hiding-place of the grave (
Job 14:13), he declares himself willing to "wait all the days of his appointed time" of continuance in the grave, however long and hard that may be.
appointed time--literally, "warfare, hard service"; imlying the hardship of being shut out from the realms of life, light, and God for the time he shall be in the grave (
Job 7:1).
change--my release, as a soldier at his post released from duty by the relieving guard (see on
Job 10:17) [UMBREIT and GESENIUS], but elsewhere GESENIUS explains it, "renovation," as of plants in spring (
Job 14:7), but this does not accord so well with the metaphor in "appointed time" or "warfare."
15 namely, at the resurrection (
John 5:28;
Ps 17:15).
have a desire to--literally, "become pale with anxious desire:" the same word is translated "sore longedst after" (
Gen 31:30;
Ps 84:2), implying the utter unlikelihood that God would leave in oblivion the "creature of His own hands so fearfully and wonderfully made." It is objected that if Job knew of a future retribution, he would make it the leading topic in solving the problem of the permitted afflictions of the righteous. But, (1) He did not intend to exceed the limits of what was clearly revealed; the doctrine was then in a vague form only; (2) The doctrine of God's moral government in this life, even independently of the future, needed vindication.
16 Rather, "Yea, thou wilt number my steps, and wilt not (as now) jealously watch over my sin." Thenceforward, instead of severe watching for every sin of Job, God will guard him against every sin.
number . . . steps--that is, minutely attend to them, that they may not wander [UMBREIT] (
1Sam 2:9;
Ps 37:23).
17 sealed up-- (
Job 9:7). Is shut up in eternal oblivion, that is, God thenceforth will think no more of my former sins. To cover sins is to completely forgive them (
Ps 32:1;
Ps 85:2). Purses of money in the East are usually sealed.
sewest up--rather, "coverest"; akin to an Arabic word, "to color over," to forget wholly.
18 cometh to naught--literally, "fadeth"; a poetical image from a leaf (
Isa 34:4). Here Job falls back into his gloomy bodings as to the grave. Instead of "and surely," translate "yet"; marking the transition from his brighter hopes. Even the solid mountain falls and crumbles away; man therefore cannot "hope" to escape decay or to live again in the present world (
Job 14:19).
out of his place--so man (
Ps 103:16).
19 The Hebrew order is more forcible: "Stones themselves are worn away by water."
things which grow out of--rather, "floods wash away the dust of the earth." There is a gradation from "mountains" to "rocks" (
Job 14:18), then "stones," then last "dust of the earth"; thus the solid mountain at last disappears utterly.
20 prevailest--dost overpower by superior strength.
passeth--dieth.
changest countenance--the change in the visage at death. Differently (
Dan 5:9).
21 One striking trait is selected from the sad picture of the severance of the dead from all that passes in the world (
Eccl 9:5), namely, the utter separation of parents and children.
22 "Flesh" and "soul" describe the whole man. Scripture rests the hope of a future life, not on the inherent immortality of the soul, but on the restoration of the body with the soul. In the unseen world, Job in a gloomy frame anticipates, man shall be limited to the thought of his own misery. "Pain is by personification, from our feelings while alive, attributed to the flesh and soul, as if the man could feel in his body when dead. It is the dead in general, not the wicked, who are meant here."