7 "Remember that my life is but breath ; My eye will not again see good . 8 "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer; Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be. 9 "When a cloud vanishes , it is gone , So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up. 10 "He will not return again to his house , Nor will his place know him anymore . 11 "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth ; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit , I will complain in the bitterness of my soul . 12 "Am I the sea , or the sea monster , That You set a guard over me? 13 "If I say , ' My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint ,' 14 Then You frighten me with dreams And terrify me by visions ; 15 So that my soul would choose suffocation , Death rather than my pains . 16 "I waste away ; I will not live forever . Leave me alone , for my days are but a breath .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 7:7-16
Commentary on Job 7:7-16
(Read Job 7:7-16)
Plain truths as to the shortness and vanity of man's life, and the certainty of death, do us good, when we think and speak of them with application to ourselves. Dying is done but once, and therefore it had need be well done. An error here is past retrieve. Other clouds arise, but the same cloud never returns: so a new generation of men is raised up, but the former generation vanishes away. Glorified saints shall return no more to the cares and sorrows of their houses; nor condemned sinners to the gaieties and pleasures of their houses. It concerns us to secure a better place when we die. From these reasons Job might have drawn a better conclusion than this, I will complain. When we have but a few breaths to draw, we should spend them in the holy, gracious breathings of faith and prayer; not in the noisome, noxious breathings of sin and corruption. We have much reason to pray, that He who keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, may keep us when we slumber and sleep. Job covets to rest in his grave. Doubtless, this was his infirmity; for though a good man would choose death rather than sin, yet he should be content to live as long as God pleases, because life is our opportunity of glorifying him, and preparing for heaven.