Job 7 2

Job 7:2 kjv

As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

Job 7:2 nkjv

Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,

Job 7:2 niv

Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,

Job 7:2 esv

Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,

Job 7:2 nlt

like a worker who longs for the shade,
like a servant waiting to be paid.

Job 7 verses

Job 7 2 Meaning

Job chapter 7, verse 2 encapsulates Job's profound weariness and longing for relief from his suffering. Through two vivid analogies, he likens his intense desire for an end to his pain and life itself to a common laborer's desperate anticipation of rest and reward. Just as a bondservant ardently desires the relief and cessation of work that the evening shadow brings, and a hired hand eagerly anticipates the payment that signifies the completion of his day's strenuous labor, so too does Job yearn for a respite from his unbearable affliction, finding his hope in the ending of his life. This verse highlights the universal human need for rest from toil and a just reward for endurance, which Job feels desperately deprived of.

Job 7 2 Context

Job 7:2 is part of Job's raw and deeply emotional lament (chapters 6-7), his first sustained speech in response to his friends' silence and Eliphaz's subtle accusations. Having lost his wealth, children, and health, Job is overwhelmed by pain and despair. He is not just physically ill but mentally exhausted and spiritually distressed, feeling that God Himself has become his adversary. In this section, he expresses profound weariness with life itself, desiring only relief or even death. The verse immediately preceding it (Job 7:1) establishes that human life is hard service and few days are truly enjoyable, setting the stage for Job's desperate longing. The verse uses relatable analogies to communicate the intensity of his suffering and his longing for an end to his "hard service," paralleling it to the demanding and unending toil of a daily laborer.

Job 7 2 Word analysis

• As a servant: The Hebrew word here is עֶבֶד ('eved), referring to a bondservant or slave. This individual has no personal freedom or control over his labor; his entire life is consumed by service under a master. This signifies a life of involuntary, burdensome, and endless toil from Job's perspective.
• earnestly desires: The Hebrew verb is שׁוֹאֵף (sho'ef), meaning "to pant," "to gasp," or "to long for intensely." It denotes an almost breathless yearning, emphasizing the powerful, almost instinctual, nature of this desire, like someone gasping for air or water after exertion. It's not a casual wish but a desperate, consuming longing.
• the shadow: The Hebrew word is צֵל (tsel). In the context of the Middle East, "shadow" often signifies more than just shade; it points specifically to the lengthening shadows of evening that signal the end of the workday and relief from the scorching sun. For a laborer, the coming of the evening shadow means the cessation of toil, rest, and perhaps the impending reward. For Job, it represents the eagerly anticipated cessation of his torment.
• and as a hired man: The Hebrew is שָׂכִיר (sakhir), referring to a laborer hired for daily wages. Unlike a permanent servant, a hired man works to meet immediate needs and sustenance, entirely dependent on his daily wage for survival. His work is still physically demanding and often without dignity, but with a definite endpoint.
• eagerly looks for: The Hebrew is יְקַוֶּה (yekawweh), which means "to wait for," "to hope for," or "to eagerly expect." This term expresses a strong, forward-looking anticipation, often tied to a promise or a known outcome. It signifies an anxious but certain expectation, contrasting with Job's perceived lack of hope.
• his wages: The Hebrew word is פֹּעַל (po'al), here meaning "wages" or "recompense for work." This is the tangible outcome, the earned reward for a day's effort. For the hired man, wages mean survival; for Job, his "wages" are rest, the cessation of life, the final release from his agony.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "As a servant earnestly desires the shadow": This phrase paints a picture of relentless, hard labor under the relentless sun. The "servant" represents anyone bound by severe circumstances, feeling no control over their plight. Their intense yearning for "shadow" symbolizes the longing for the setting sun, signifying the end of their torturous workday, the blessed arrival of rest, and the temporary reprieve from suffering. It is a primal, immediate desire for physical relief and freedom from oppression.
• "and as a hired man eagerly looks for his wages": This second analogy shifts the focus from the immediate cessation of toil to the promised outcome. The "hired man" embodies the person whose entire day's arduous effort is oriented towards a tangible reward – his "wages." This represents a profound yearning for a concrete, final, and just recompense for all the hardship endured. For Job, this ultimate recompense is the ending of his suffering, achieved through death, which he views as the only meaningful "payment" for his unbearable plight. Together, these two phrases highlight both the physical exhaustion and the mental expectation of an end to affliction.

Job 7 2 Bonus section

The analogies in Job 7:2 speak to universal human experiences: the desire for rest after physical exertion and the expectation of recompense for hard work. In the ancient world, especially in agricultural societies, the concept of a "day's labor" ending with the sunset and subsequent payment was a deeply ingrained part of life. Job leverages this shared understanding to communicate the intensity of his personal struggle. His expressions here resonate with humanity's collective longing for an end to suffering and for justice, pointing to the ultimate rest and reward that believers find in Christ. The yearning for the "shadow" or the "wages" foreshadows the spiritual yearning for the peace and complete deliverance from all tribulation found in God's eternal presence.

Job 7 2 Commentary

Job 7:2 is a profound lament expressing the absolute depths of Job's despair. He is not merely tired but completely broken, desiring the termination of his life more than anything. The analogies chosen are powerfully evocative of a life of grueling, unending toil. The servant's longing for the evening "shadow" emphasizes Job's desperate yearning for simple physical relief from intense suffering, for the day's agonizing heat and labor to end. The hired man's anticipation of "wages" reflects Job's craving for a just end, a payment for the overwhelming and undeserved hardships he has endured. He sees death not as a penalty but as the ultimate rest and release, the only "wages" his life of toil seems to promise. This verse serves as a crucial window into Job's tormented soul, highlighting his profound weariness and the human cry for solace when life becomes an unbearable burden, reminding us of the human longing for an ultimate Sabbath rest beyond earthly toils.