Job 7 7

Job 7:7 kjv

O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

Job 7:7 nkjv

Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good.

Job 7:7 niv

Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.

Job 7:7 esv

"Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.

Job 7:7 nlt

O God, remember that my life is but a breath,
and I will never again feel happiness.

Job 7 verses

Job 7 7 Meaning

Job 7:7 expresses Job’s profound despair, lamenting the extreme brevity and fleeting nature of his life. He appeals to God to remember his desperate state, asserting with conviction that his current afflictions are so severe and irreversible that he will never again experience well-being, joy, or prosperity in his earthly life. This verse highlights his belief that his suffering marks a definitive end to any hope of future good.

Job 7 7 Context

Job 7:7 is part of Job’s second extensive lament (Job 6-7), spoken in response to Bildad’s accusation that Job's suffering implies his sinfulness. Job pours out his heart, expressing deep agony and a desperate longing for an end to his suffering, even death. He vividly describes his physical torment and restless nights (Job 7:1-5). He views his days as swiftly fleeting, devoid of hope (Job 7:6). In this specific verse, Job appeals to God to acknowledge his extremely fragile and finite existence, convinced that his future holds no good things whatsoever. His perception of "good" is entirely bound to his earthly life and current suffering, not extending to any hope beyond the grave, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern understanding of Sheol as a shadowy, non-returnable realm where "good" as understood on earth was absent. The historical context indicates that such pronouncements were common laments in ancient literature, reflecting human fragility and a limited understanding of afterlife concepts.

Job 7 7 Word analysis

• Remember (זָכָר, zakhar): This is an imperative, an urgent plea. It signifies more than mental recall; it implies active attention, intervention, and perhaps showing concern. Job desires God to not only be aware of his condition but to act upon it. The term often describes God's covenant faithfulness elsewhere in Scripture.

• my life (חַיַּי, ḥayyayi): Refers to his living existence, his span of life. Job emphasizes his own personal, lived experience of this ephemeral life.

• is but a breath (רוּחַ, ruach): The word "ruach" is central. While it can mean "spirit" or "wind," here its primary sense is "breath" in the context of human life's brevity. It emphasizes extreme transience, emptiness, and fragility. A breath is momentarily present then vanishes, highlighting human weakness and dependence. It is a vapor, easily dispersed, emphasizing the fleeting, non-substantial nature of mortal existence.

• my eye (עֵינִי, `eini): More than just physical sight; it signifies perception, experience, and the active enjoyment of life. "To see good" is an idiom for experiencing well-being, joy, prosperity, and peace.

• will never again (לֹא תָשׁוּב, lo’ tashuv): Lit. "will not return" or "will not turn back." This conveys an absolute, irrevocable sense of finality. Job is convinced that his current state of suffering is permanent in an earthly sense, with no reversal.

• see good (רָאוֹת טוֹב, ra'ot ṭov): "Good" here (ṭov) means well-being, health, prosperity, happiness, pleasure, anything positive. Job declares he will never again experience anything pleasant or prosperous on earth. His perspective is entirely consumed by his present, severe misery.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Remember my life is but a breath": This phrase encapsulates Job's deep sense of vulnerability and insignificance before God. It's a humble, desperate cry. By describing his life as ruach (breath), Job emphasizes human mortality and the divine origin and impermanence of human existence. It's a lament on his extreme weakness and an appeal for divine compassion before his short life vanishes entirely.
  • "my eye will never again see good": This segment expresses the complete abandonment of earthly hope. Job believes his future on earth holds no relief, no recovery, no return to any former state of well-being. This perspective underscores his despair and is pivotal to understanding the intensity of his suffering; he sees no light at the end of his earthly tunnel.

Job 7 7 Bonus section

Theologically, Job's lament over his life being a "breath" is deeply rooted in ancient Israelite theology where breath (ruach) signifies the very life principle given by God (e.g., Gen 2:7) and that which returns to Him upon death. It underlines humanity’s absolute dependence on God for life itself and its transient nature. Job’s statement, "my eye will never again see good," reveals his understanding of Sheol, the common grave, as a final resting place devoid of joy or activity, an understanding common to his era (e.g., Ps 6:5; Isa 38:18). This contrasts sharply with later Christian revelation of resurrection and eternal life (e.g., 1 Cor 15), providing a key interpretative lens for readers today: Job’s hope is constrained by his contemporary knowledge. Job’s lament implicitly challenges the "retribution theology" promoted by his friends, as he, an undeniably righteous man, suffers immensely without a path to recovery, defying the expected pattern of cause and effect.

Job 7 7 Commentary

Job 7:7 powerfully conveys Job's raw anguish and despair. Having lost everything—family, wealth, health—and experiencing profound physical and psychological torment, Job’s perception of life has narrowed to a brief, insubstantial existence leading irrevocably towards an earthly end devoid of any further happiness. His plea for God to "remember" is a desperate request for divine attention to his suffering, juxtaposed with the lament that his fleeting life (a mere "breath") offers no possibility of recovering "good" on earth. This reflects a pre-Christian understanding of existence, where the hope of ultimate well-being and eternal life was not fully revealed. It highlights the universality of human experience regarding life’s transience and the deep pain of hopeless suffering, setting the stage for the book's larger exploration of justice, wisdom, and God's sovereignty beyond human comprehension.