Job 10 20

Job 10:20 kjv

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Job 10:20 nkjv

Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

Job 10:20 niv

Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy

Job 10:20 esv

Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer

Job 10:20 nlt

I have only a few days left, so leave me alone,
that I may have a moment of comfort

Job 10 verses

Job 10 20 Meaning

Job 10:20 captures Job's raw, desperate plea to God, acknowledging the extreme brevity of his life and imploring the Almighty to cease His relentless affliction. He yearns for a momentary respite, a brief period of comfort or joy, before his inevitable descent into death and the silent realm of Sheol. It is a profound expression of human frailty, exhaustion under severe suffering, and a longing for peace before life's end.

Job 10 20 Context

Job 10:20 appears within the larger discourse of Job's profound lament to God, found in chapters 9 and 10. Having just acknowledged God's immense power and His inscrutable ways (Job 9), Job then presses his own case directly before God in chapter 10. He questions why God, who formed him with such intricate care (vv. 8-12), would now pursue and destroy him so mercilessly (vv. 13-17). He expresses a deep longing that he had never been born or had died at birth, so as to avoid this current suffering (vv. 18-19). Verse 20 follows as Job transitions from recounting his grievances to making a direct, desperate appeal for immediate cessation of his agony. He feels his life is already drawing to a close, and all he desires is a brief, final period of quiet peace before he passes into the dark silence of death. This encapsulates Job's extreme physical and emotional exhaustion, as he perceives himself to be hunted by the very One who created him.

Job 10 20 Word analysis

• "Are not" (Hebrew: הֲלֹא - ha-lo'): This is a rhetorical question that expects an affirmative answer. It functions to emphasize the undeniable truth that Job perceives – his days are indeed few. It is a plaintive statement more than an inquiry.
• "my days" (Hebrew: יְמֵי - ye-mei): Derived from "יום" (yom - day), this word signifies the duration of Job's earthly life. The possessive suffix ("-י" - 'i', meaning "my") personalizes the lament, centering on Job's individual, suffering existence.
• "few" (Hebrew: קָצָר - qa-tzar): This adjective means short, brief, or limited. It powerfully underscores Job's awareness of his impending death, magnifying his urgency for immediate relief.
• "cease" (Hebrew: חֲדַל - cha-dal): An imperative verb meaning "stop," "desist," or "refrain." This is a direct command from Job to God, revealing his deep anguish and the perceived relentlessness of his tormentor.
• "from me" (Hebrew: מִמֶּנִּי - mi-me-ni): A combination of the preposition "מן" (min - from) and the personal pronoun "אני" (ani - me). It makes clear the specific object of the divine cessation: Job himself, who feels under constant divine assault.
• "and let me take comfort/regain strength" (Hebrew: וְיַבְלִֽיגָה - ve-yav-li-gah): The prefix "וְ" (ve-) means "and" or "then." "יַבְלִֽיגָה" (yavliḡah) is from the rare verb "בלג" (balag), meaning to cheer up, brighten, regain strength, or to find a brief period of quiet. This isn't a request for great joy, but for a simple, temporary lifting of his oppressive suffering, allowing his countenance to change from despair to something akin to peace.
• "a little" (Hebrew: כַמָּֽה - ka-mah): This word signifies "how much," or in this context, "for a little while" or "briefly." It reinforces the temporary nature of the respite Job desires, further emphasizing his conviction of imminent death and his modest hope for fleeting ease.

Words-group analysis:

• "Are not my days few?": This rhetorical question serves as Job's central argument and the foundation of his plea. It highlights his acute awareness of his mortality and the severe temporal limitation of his life, making his suffering all the more unbearable in its intensity relative to his limited time on earth.
• "cease then, and let me alone": This imperative plea is a desperate cry for God to halt His perceived assault. It conveys Job's utter exhaustion and his longing for an end to the intense physical and emotional torment he endures.
• "that I may take comfort a little": This clause reveals the purpose behind Job's request for cessation. He desires not to regain his former prosperity or a full life, but simply a brief moment of peace, respite, or emotional recovery, no matter how short, before he faces the inevitable darkness of death.

Job 10 20 Bonus section

The concept of "balag" (to take comfort, brighten, recover) used in this verse (יַבְלִֽיגָה - yavliḡah) is relatively rare in the Old Testament, also appearing in Ps 39:13, where the psalmist asks God to "turn Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength (yavliḡah) before I go away and am no more." This parallelism strengthens the understanding that Job, like the psalmist, desires a moment of respite from God's intense scrutiny and felt judgment, to find inner peace and a brief break from his overwhelming ordeal, before his end. It underscores a fundamental human longing for even temporary relief in the face of suffering that seems endless and irreversible. Job's request is humble, reflecting his deep physical and mental exhaustion; he is not asking for restoration, but simply a moment of reprieve. This longing for even small mercies before death is a consistent motif in lament literature across the ancient world, echoing a common human reaction to profound grief and terminal awareness.

Job 10 20 Commentary

Job 10:20 is a powerful testament to the human spirit under immense duress. It is a moment where Job's formal theological debate with his friends fades into a deeply personal and visceral cry to God. He is not bargaining or demanding an answer here, but simply pleading for mercy—a tiny sliver of comfort—in the brief remaining moments of what he believes is his short life. This verse portrays Job's despair, not as a sign of disbelief, but of a profound longing for grace and respite in the face of what he perceives as divine cruelty. It underlines the sheer burden of relentless suffering, highlighting that even a momentary alleviation becomes an immense desire when one feels their very being is under attack and fading. It also contrasts sharply with the simplistic retribution theology of his friends, revealing Job's genuine human need for unmerited compassion.