Job 14 7

Job 14:7 kjv

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Job 14:7 nkjv

"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.

Job 14:7 niv

"At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.

Job 14:7 esv

"For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease.

Job 14:7 nlt

"Even a tree has more hope!
If it is cut down, it will sprout again
and grow new branches.

Job 14 verses

Job 14 7 Meaning

Job 14:7 is a lament from Job, articulating the seemingly contradictory nature of life's resilience in creation compared to the perceived finality of human death. Job observes that a cut-down tree, though appearing lifeless, holds an intrinsic hope of renewal. Its root system can generate new growth, causing it to sprout again, and a young shoot can emerge and continue to thrive. This observation underscores a deep, despairing contrast for Job regarding the human condition, setting the stage for his subsequent plea about humanity's unalterable end.

Job 14 7 Context

Job 14:7 is part of Job’s desperate plea and lament in a sustained discourse with his three friends and God, found within Job chapters 3 to 14. After an intense argument about the cause of his suffering, Job shifts focus in chapter 14 to meditate on the general human condition. He feels abandoned by God and sees no possibility of reprieve from his anguish or return from death. This verse highlights a striking contrast: the cyclical nature of life in the natural world (specifically, the remarkable regeneration of a felled tree) versus the irreversible mortality of humankind as Job understands it. He sees nature offering hope of renewal, but views humans as perishing without possibility of revival. This stark observation sets up his plea in the following verses (14:10-12), where he laments that man, unlike the tree, "dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?" His argument indirectly questions divine justice or mercy, seeking some form of release or eventual restoration, which his observations of the natural world fail to provide for humans.

Job 14 7 Word analysis

• For (כִּי - ki): This conjunction introduces a foundational reason or explanation. It signals Job is about to provide an observational premise for his subsequent argument. It implies "Indeed," or "Certainly."

• hope (תִּקְוָה - tikvah): More than abstract optimism, tikvah in Hebrew can mean "a cord" or "a line," suggesting something tangible that offers a connection, an anchor, or a means of drawing oneself up or recovering. For a tree, this 'cord' is its tenacious root system, ensuring life despite adversity.

• of a tree (לָעֵץ - la'etz): This phrase specifies the object of hope. The common 'tree' (עֵץ - etz) serves as a potent metaphor for natural vitality, resilience, and rootedness, which Job profoundly lacks.

• if it be cut down (אִם יִכָּרֵת - im yikkaret): The verb karat means "to cut off," often with connotations of finality or even destruction (as in cutting a covenant or being "cut off" from life). The "if" clause emphasizes a drastic, potentially life-ending event for the tree.

• that it will sprout again (עוֹד יַחֲלִיף - od yachalif): The word od signifies "still," "yet," or "again," emphasizing repeated action. Yachalif (from chalaf) means "to change," "renew," or "sprout anew." This points to an inherent, cyclical regeneration despite severe damage.

• and that the tender branch thereof (וְיֹנַקְתּוֹ - v'yonaqto): Yoneqet refers to a "sapling," "young shoot," or "sucker," literally "that which is sucked/nurtured" from the parent plant. It highlights new, delicate yet resilient growth from the remaining stump or roots.

• will not cease (לֹא תֶחְדָּל - lo techdal): Lo is the strong negative. Techdal (from chadal) means "to cease," "stop," "fail," or "dry up." This double negative emphasizes the assured continuity of the new growth. It implies an unstoppable, persistent life force.

• "For there is hope... will not cease" (כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה... וְיֹנַקְתּוֹ לֹא תֶחְדָּל): This phrase group powerfully juxtaposes an immediate destructive event ("cut down") with an ongoing, assured, regenerative outcome. It draws a clear contrast between an earthly living entity's capacity for cyclical renewal and Job's perceived lack thereof for humanity. The observation underscores Job's deep despair by presenting a biological certainty that man himself does not experience, creating the core theological dilemma for Job about human mortality and what comes after death.

Job 14 7 Bonus section

Job 14:7 provides the theological foil for Job's ultimate revelation. What Job cannot comprehend through natural observation, he later receives by divine revelation. This verse represents humanity's limitations in understanding life's mysteries based solely on visible evidence. It powerfully sets up the biblical concept that true, enduring hope for life after death does not stem from human experience or natural cycles, but from the specific, unique promise and power of the Creator God, ultimately manifested in Christ's victory over death. Job's despair is genuine, but his story pivots from observation to revelation, teaching that divine truth transcends human logic and visible phenomena.

Job 14 7 Commentary

Job 14:7 encapsulates Job's profound despair and central theological dilemma. Witnessing the remarkable resilience of a felled tree, which regenerates from its root system, Job recognizes an inherent promise of life's continuation within the natural order. This hope—the tenacious renewal of a young shoot that "will not cease"—stands in stark contrast to his own perception of human existence, which he portrays in subsequent verses as a fleeting shadow with no return from the grave. This lament reflects not a denial of God's power, but Job's desperate yearning for that power to apply to humans in a way that provides similar renewal. His observation underscores the deep existential question: if creation holds such inherent hope for cyclical rebirth, why is humanity seemingly excluded from such restoration upon death? The verse sets the stage for Job's cry for a mediator or an assurance of life beyond the grave, which ultimately finds its glorious expression in Job 19:25-27, where he declares a profound, Spirit-inspired conviction in a living Redeemer and his own bodily resurrection.