Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 14 closes Job's response to Zophar with a meditation on human-mortality (vv. 1–6) and the cautious post-mortem-question 'if a man dies, shall he live again?' (v. 14). The chapter contains hints-of-resurrection-hope still-undeveloped — pointing-toward-but-not-yet-affirming what Job 19:25–27 will declare more-confidently.
Notable Variants
14:1 'man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble'; 14:14 'if a man dies, shall he live again?' — proto-resurrection question; 14:7 'there is hope for a tree' — hopeful tree-imagery contrasted with human-finality.
Structural Notes
MT Job 14 = LXX Job 14. 22 verses.
A human being, born of woman — few days and full of turmoil.
'Man who is born of woman is few of days and full of trouble' tracks MT. MAN-BORN-OF-WOMAN — anthropological-aphorism. Galatians 4:4 ('born of woman, born under the law') uses the same phrase Christologically of Jesus.
He springs up like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
'He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not' tracks MT. FLOWER-WITHERS imagery — Isaiah 40:6–8, 1 Peter 1:24.
And on such a creature you fix your gaze? You bring even me into judgment with you?
'And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you?' tracks MT.
Who can bring something clean from what is unclean? No one.
'Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one' tracks MT. CLEAN-FROM-UNCLEAN impossibility-axiom — original-sin-anthropology in seed-form. John 3:6 ('that which is born of the flesh is flesh') extends.
Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with you. You have set his limit, and he cannot pass it.
'Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass' tracks MT. APPOINTED-LIMITS — divine-determination of human-lifespan. Acts 17:26 ('having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place') extends.
Look away from him so he can rest, until he finishes his day like a hired worker.
'Look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day' tracks MT.
For a tree has hope: if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not stop coming.
'For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease' tracks MT. TREE-HAS-HOPE-OF-SPROUTING. Isaiah 11:1's 'shoot from the stump of Jesse' Messianic-shoot extends — though Job's-point here is to-contrast-tree-hope with human-finality.
Even if its root grows old in the ground and its stump dies in the dust,
'Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil' tracks MT.
at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant.
'Yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant' tracks MT.
But a man dies and lies powerless. A human breathes his last — and where is he?
'But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?' tracks MT. WHERE-IS-HE — the post-mortem question.
As waters vanish from the sea and a river dries up and is gone,
'As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up' tracks MT.
so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake; they will not be roused from their sleep.
'So a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep' tracks MT. SLEEP-OF-DEATH — sleeping-imagery for death. Daniel 12:2 ('many of those who sleep in the dust shall awake') and 1 Cor 15:51 ('we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed') extend the sleep-then-awake resurrection-tradition.
If only you would hide me in Sheol, conceal me until your anger passes, set me an appointed time — and then remember me!
'Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!' tracks MT.
If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I would wait until my relief comes.
'If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come' tracks MT. IF-A-MAN-DIES-SHALL-HE-LIVE — proto-resurrection question. The book hovers-at-the-edge of resurrection-belief without-yet articulating it. 1 Corinthians 15:35–58's resurrection-discourse Christologically-answers Job's-question definitively.
You would call, and I would answer you. You would long for the work of your hands.
'You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands' tracks MT. YOU-WOULD-CALL — anticipates John 11:43 (Lazarus 'come forth') and 1 Thess 4:16's voice-of-the-archangel.
For now you count my every step, but you would not keep watch over my sin.
'For then you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin' tracks MT.
My transgression would be sealed in a bag; you would plaster over my guilt.
'My transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity' tracks MT. SEALED-IN-A-BAG — sin-as-secured-and-covered. Atonement-imagery.
But a mountain falls and crumbles away, and a rock is moved from its place.
'But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place' tracks MT.
Water wears away stones; floods wash away the soil of the earth — and so you destroy the hope of a mortal.
'The waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man' tracks MT.
You overpower him forever, and he is gone. You change his face and send him away.
'You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance and send him away' tracks MT.
His sons rise to honor, and he does not know it. They are brought low, and he is unaware.
'His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not' tracks MT. POST-MORTEM IGNORANCE — the dead don't-know-what-happens-to-the-living. Ecclesiastes 9:5 ('the dead know nothing') parallel.
He feels only the pain of his own flesh; his soul mourns only for itself.
'He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself' tracks MT. CLOSES Job's first speech-cycle response.