JobChapter 7

Job Chapter 7: Meaning

Job compares his hard life to forced labor and asks God why He watches him so closely.

Summary

Job describes what life feels like for him now. He says human life is like being a hired worker or a slave. The days drag on. The nights are long and full of pain. He tosses and turns until sunrise. His skin is covered with sores and they never get better.

Job says his days are flying by faster than a weaver's shuttle. He sees no hope. He reminds God that his life is like a breath of wind. He will soon be gone, and no one will see him again.

Then Job speaks directly to God. He says he is going to tell God everything. He asks why God treats people like they are so important. Why does God watch every little thing we do? Job feels like God is targeting him. He cannot even swallow without God noticing.

Job ends by asking God to leave him alone for a moment so he can breathe. He asks God to forgive whatever he has done. He says soon he will die and be in the dust, and then it will be too late.

Historical Context

Job lived in a time when life was very hard for most people. Workers and hired servants had little power and no say over their lives. They worked from sunup to sundown just to survive. Job used this picture because everyone listening would understand what it felt like to be worn out with no relief.

Job's question about why God watches humans so closely reminded some readers of Psalm 8, which asks the same thing but as a praise. Job flipped it around to express pain instead of wonder. The book of Job shows that it is okay to wrestle honestly with God.