Job 14:1 kjv
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Job 14:1 nkjv
"Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
Job 14:1 niv
"Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble.
Job 14:1 esv
"Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.
Job 14:1 nlt
"How frail is humanity!
How short is life, how full of trouble!
Job 14 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 39:4-5 | "LORD, make me to know my end... You have made my days a few handbreadths." | Brevity of life, frailty of man |
| Ps 90:10 | "The days of our years are seventy, or eighty... yet their span is toil." | Short life filled with labor and sorrow |
| Ps 103:14 | "He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." | God's knowledge of human frailty |
| Ps 144:3-4 | "What is man, that You regard him?... Man is like a breath." | Human insignificance and fleeting nature |
| Eccl 1:2 | "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." | Life's meaninglessness without God's purpose |
| Eccl 2:23 | "All his days are sorrowful, and his task grievous..." | Human labor and sorrow |
| Is 40:6-7 | "All flesh is grass... the grass withers, the flower fades." | Humanity's temporary and fading existence |
| Jas 1:10-11 | "...for like a flower of the grass he will pass away." | Human transience |
| Jas 4:14 | "You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." | Life's ephemeral nature |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass." | Transience of life and earthly glory |
| Job 7:1 | "Has not man a hard service on earth?" | Life as hard service, full of trouble |
| Job 8:9 | "For we are but of yesterday and know nothing..." | Shortness of human experience |
| Job 5:7 | "For man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." | Trouble is inherent to human existence |
| Jn 16:33 | "In the world you will have tribulation." | Assurance of trouble in this world |
| Rom 8:20-22 | "For the creation was subjected to futility... groans together." | Creation's groaning under futility, includes humanity |
| Gen 3:17-19 | "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread..." | Consequence of the Fall: toil, return to dust |
| 1 Chr 29:15 | "For we are sojourners... Our days on earth are like a shadow." | Humanity as temporary dwellers |
| Prov 23:29 | "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? ...Those who tarry long over wine." | The source of trouble can be self-inflicted too, in contrast to Job's innocent suffering |
| Matt 6:27 | "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span?" | Humanity's limited control over lifespan |
| Phil 1:21 | "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." | Contrast: Christian perspective on death/life's purpose |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear... no more death, nor sorrow nor crying." | Ultimate promise of relief from trouble |
Job 14 verses
Job 14 1 Meaning
Job 14:1 is a poignant declaration by Job on the inherent nature of humanity, stating that human life is inherently brief and overwhelmingly characterized by suffering and turmoil from birth to death. It expresses a universal lament about the fragility, transience, and troubled state of mankind, born of common origins yet destined for a short, laborious existence. This verse sets the tone for Job’s extended meditation on the fleeting and sorrowful nature of life.
Job 14 1 Context
Job 14:1 is part of Job's third cycle of discourse, specifically his response to Zophar (though Zophar's preceding speech is quite brief and lacking in specific arguments against Job, focusing more on the unknowability of God). Chapters 12-14 represent Job's most comprehensive and passionate lament over his condition and the nature of human existence. In chapter 14, Job moves from defending his innocence and questioning God’s dealings with him, to a profound meditation on the universal human predicament. He acknowledges the transient and sorrowful nature of life, then contrasts the cycle of renewal in nature (like a tree sprouting after being cut down) with the seemingly finality of human death, which he believes offers no hope of resurrection or a return to life. Verse 1 serves as the thesis for his extended complaint and despairing philosophical reflection, emphasizing that this fleeting, suffering life is all humanity knows. His desperate longing for rest from suffering underscores the truth of this initial statement.
Job 14 1 Word analysis
- Man (אִישׁ, 'ish): Refers generally to humankind, though often specifically male. In this context, it highlights the universal experience, transcending specific gender to encapsulate all human beings. The term also carries a sense of commonality and shared vulnerability, contrasting with God's divine and enduring nature.
- Born of woman (יְלוּד אִשָּׁה, yelûḏ 'iššāh): This phrase underscores humanity's earthly, mortal origin, emphasizing dependence and natural frailty. It highlights that human life begins with an act of natural birth, implying susceptibility to physical decay, sickness, and death. It contrasts sharply with any concept of divine, uncreated origin and points to a common heritage of physical limitation. This phrase highlights our humble, earthly beginnings and connection to Adam's sin and its consequences (Gen 3:16).
- Is of few days (קְצַר יָמִים, qĕṣar yāmîm): Literally "short of days" or "short-lived." This phrase speaks to the brevity, transience, and impermanence of human existence. It contrasts with the perceived timelessness of God or even the cyclical renewal seen in nature. Human life is a mere flicker compared to eternity, susceptible to sudden end. It also suggests that life is too short to accomplish much or to find enduring happiness without significant struggle.
- And full of trouble (וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז, ûśěḇa‘ rôḡez): This is a powerful phrase.
- Full of (שָׂבַע, śāḇa‘): Implies satiety, being thoroughly saturated or filled to overflowing, not just experiencing some trouble, but being consumed by it.
- Trouble (רֹגֶז, rôḡez): Means agitation, restlessness, disquiet, distress, or turmoil. It suggests not merely external hardship but an internal state of being disturbed and unsettled. It denotes a life of constant perturbation, worry, and suffering, a restless condition that defines human experience from birth.
Words-group analysis
- Man who is born of woman: This entire opening statement points to the shared human condition rooted in natural birth, immediately tying humanity to finitude, dependence, and the consequences of sin introduced into the world. It is a universal qualifier, applicable to all people regardless of their status or righteousness.
- Of few days and full of trouble: These two descriptive clauses perfectly encapsulate the two primary facets of Job's lament about human existence: its extreme brevity and its overwhelming character of suffering. They stand as a bleak assessment of earthly life, asserting that human life is defined by its short duration and its perpetual disquietude.
Job 14 1 Bonus section
The language of "born of woman" might subtly imply the consequences of the Fall, although Job himself would not have articulated it in doctrinal terms. It speaks to a common lineage and a common fate inherited by all humans in a fallen world. This contrasts starkly with God's uncreated and eternal nature, highlighting the immense gap between humanity and divinity, a gap that Job frequently grapples with throughout his speeches. This verse is also a profound philosophical and theological statement about the limits of human power and knowledge. It portrays a creature constantly agitated and burdened, struggling against forces beyond its control, a theme deeply explored in wisdom literature like Ecclesiastes. Ultimately, while seemingly despairing, this profound expression of human weakness indirectly magnifies the greatness of God and the eventual need for a divine solution to humanity's inherent suffering and mortality.
Job 14 1 Commentary
Job 14:1 serves as a profound and somewhat pessimistic introduction to Job's reflection on humanity's limited existence in the face of suffering. Emerging from his profound personal agony, Job articulates a universal truth about the human condition: life is inherently brief and ceaselessly troubled. This statement is not just about his personal misery, but a generalized observation on all mankind, born of common fragile origins, existing for a short period, and invariably experiencing turmoil. This verse encapsulates a major theme of the Book of Job – the reality of inexplicable human suffering and the perceived limitations of human understanding and existence when compared to the vastness and mystery of God. It sets the stage for Job’s desperate yearning for death as an escape and his fleeting glimpse of hope for life beyond the grave. The raw honesty of this lament acknowledges the deep human struggle and prepares the reader for Job's longing for relief.