Job 14 14

Job 14:14 kjv

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job 14:14 nkjv

If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.

Job 14:14 niv

If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.

Job 14:14 esv

If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.

Job 14:14 nlt

Can the dead live again?
If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle,
and I would eagerly await the release of death.

Job 14 verses

Job 14 14 Meaning

Job 14:14 opens with a profound, often rhetorical, question about the possibility of life after death for a human being, immediately followed by a powerful declaration of persistent hope and patient endurance. Job expresses his resolve to wait through the entirety of his allotted period of struggle until a definitive "change" or renewal arrives, suggesting a future transformation beyond his present suffering and perhaps beyond death itself. This verse encapsulates both Job's deep existential questioning and his tenacious faith amidst overwhelming despair.

Job 14 14 Context

Job 14 is a lament in which Job deeply ponders the brevity, fragility, and toil of human life, particularly in contrast to the cyclical renewal observed in nature. He compares humans to a tree, which, though cut down, can sprout again, whereas a man, once dead, seems to perish irrevocably. Throughout the chapter, Job questions God's justice in his suffering and expresses a desire for release, even if through death. Verse 14 comes as a climactic articulation of this tension: he asks if there's any hope for life after physical death ("If a man dies, shall he live again?"), implying that on a superficial level, the answer seems to be "no" from a purely natural perspective. However, immediately, Job shifts from a purely philosophical or despairing question to a declaration of enduring faith and hope, choosing to "wait" through his hardship for a divine "change." This transition from apparent despair to an active posture of waiting points to a deeper, God-given expectation that transcends the visible realities of death and decay. This waiting acknowledges that the resolution of his struggle, whether in life or through resurrection, must come from a divine initiative beyond human capability. The surrounding verses in Chapter 14 set the stage for this hopeful yearning amidst great affliction, highlighting human frailty against the backdrop of an eternal, all-powerful God.

Job 14 14 Word analysis

• If a man dies, shall he live again?

  • man (אֱנוֹשׁ, 'enosh): This Hebrew term refers to humanity in its frailty, weakness, and mortality, distinct from 'ish (individual man) or 'adam (humanity, mankind). It emphasizes the perishable, vulnerable aspect of human existence. The question is therefore profound, pondering whether this frail being has any prospect beyond death.
  • dies (יָמוּת, yamut): The regular verb for "to die," highlighting the inevitable end of physical life.
  • shall he live again (יִחְיֶה, yichyeh): From the root חָיָה (chayah), "to live," "to be alive," "to revive." The construction is a rhetorical question that could be taken as expressing a skeptical "no," given the observable finality of death. However, when considered with the latter half of the verse and Job's later statements (Job 19:25-27), it becomes an open, hopeful question—a yearning rather than a definitive assertion of hopelessness. The presence of the subsequent declaration of waiting implies a positive leaning to the initial query.

• All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

  • All the days of my appointed time (כָּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי, kol-yemey tsava'i):
    • appointed time (צָבָא, tzava'): This word is often translated as "warfare" or "military service," but also means "appointed service," "fixed term," or "hard service." In this context, it refers to Job's fixed, yet arduous, duration of life, particularly emphasizing his present suffering as a period of difficult, mandated service or conflict that he must endure. It implies a set boundary or task.
  • will I wait (אֲיַחֵל, 'ayachel): From the root יָחַל (yachal), meaning "to wait," "to hope," "to expect patiently." This term conveys active, hopeful endurance rather than passive resignation. It implies a firm expectation of future relief or intervention.
  • till my change (חֲלִיפָתִי, chalifati):
    • change (חֲלִיפָה, chalifah): This significant term can mean "change," "succession," "renewal," "relief," "fresh beginning," or even "new set of garments" (a symbol of new state). The precise nature of this "change" has been debated: some see it as simply death ending his suffering, others as relief within his lifetime, and still others, most persuasively, as a transformative resurrection or vindication in a renewed state beyond death. Given the context of the question about living again and Job's subsequent faith in Job 19, the interpretation pointing to a resurrection or a radical transformation seems most fitting. It suggests a qualitative shift from his current state of suffering to a state of peace and renewal.
  • come (תָּבוֹא, tavo'): The verb "to come," indicating the future arrival of this longed-for change.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "If a man dies, shall he live again?": This rhetorical question sets up the profound existential dilemma regarding mortality and immortality. While appearing to lean towards a "no" from a human perspective, its placement immediately before a statement of persistent hope implies a deeper inquiry or even a challenge to the perceived finality of death, opening the door for divine intervention.
  • "All the days of my appointed time will I wait": This phrase expresses Job's commitment to patient endurance through his decreed period of suffering. The use of "appointed time" (tzava') frames his agony not as meaningless, but as a fixed, though painful, term of service or conflict, which he is determined to see through with hope. His "waiting" is not idle but active, characterized by an enduring faith that something significant is yet to unfold.
  • "till my change come": This climactic phrase identifies the object of Job's enduring hope. The "change" is not mere cessation of suffering but a transformation—a significant shift in his condition. For Christian interpretation, in light of later biblical revelation, this "change" profoundly resonates with the concept of resurrection, new life, and the ultimate transformation of perishable humanity into an imperishable state. It’s a divinely ordained transition from the temporal limitations and suffering of this life to a renewed state.

Job 14 14 Bonus section

The "change" (chalifah) that Job anticipates carries rich theological implications beyond mere death. In Hebrew thought, garments often symbolized a person's state or identity (e.g., changing clothes for mourning or celebration). Thus, chalifah as a "change of garments" could subtly hint at a profound alteration of Job's very condition or being, a new spiritual or bodily state. This idea finds powerful resonance in the New Testament concept of resurrection, where perishable bodies are raised imperishable, and mortal puts on immortality (1 Cor 15:53-54), a fundamental change that transforms the very nature of existence.

Job's resolve to "wait" (yachal) highlights the essence of Old Testament hope—an active, patient, and persistent expectation for divine action, even when the means or timing are unknown. This "waiting" is not passive resignation but an expression of deep-seated trust that God is sovereign over all circumstances, including life and death, and that His plan will ultimately bring about vindication and renewal. This anticipation is proto-evangelical, hinting at a truth fully revealed in Christ's victory over death.

Job 14 14 Commentary

Job 14:14 captures a pinnacle moment in Job’s theological wrestling. He initially poses a question reflecting the natural human observation that death appears to be final. This contrasts with nature's capacity for renewal (e.g., a tree cut down can sprout again, Job 14:7-9). For man, this natural cycle seems broken. However, immediately after this inquiry, Job declares an unwavering commitment: he will wait through his entire "appointed time"—his divinely permitted period of intense suffering, likened to arduous military service—until a profound "change" comes. This "change" (chalifah) signifies not just relief from suffering but a fundamental transformation, a renewal of his very being.

While the exact nature of Job’s "change" in his understanding may not have been a fully formed concept of resurrection as later revealed in Christ, his statement undeniably points towards a hope beyond this mortal life. It is an expression of desperate faith: even in his most acute suffering and confusion, Job refuses to abandon the belief that God holds the ultimate solution, a solution that must transcend death’s apparent victory. This verse, therefore, serves as a poignant foreshadowing of the New Testament revelation of bodily resurrection, affirming that God's power is not limited by death and that for those who wait in faith, there is indeed a transformation to come. It challenges the common belief that all hope ends at the grave, planting a seed of a greater future. Job's waiting exemplifies endurance born of hope, a hope fixed not on what he can see or comprehend, but on what God can do.