Job 9 25

Job 9:25 kjv

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

Job 9:25 nkjv

"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

Job 9:25 niv

"My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.

Job 9:25 esv

"My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good.

Job 9:25 nlt

"My life passes more swiftly than a runner.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 25 Meaning

Job chapter 9 verse 25 is a poignant lament by Job expressing his deep despair and perception of his life. He asserts that his days are passing with extreme rapidity, likened to a swift runner, implying an uncontrolled and unstoppable rush towards an end. Furthermore, he declares that these fleeting days have yielded no genuine good or positive experience, indicating a life dominated by suffering and devoid of lasting joy or benefit. It reflects his conviction that his current affliction is a terminal state, devoid of any reprieve or future prosperity.

Job 9 25 Context

Job chapter 9 is part of Job’s first response to Bildad, one of his friends. In this chapter, Job acknowledges the absolute omnipotence and incomprehensible majesty of God, stating that no human can contend with Him or justify themselves before Him. Job details God's awesome power over creation and events (Job 9:4-12). Despite acknowledging God's sovereignty, Job is overwhelmed by his suffering and the perception that God is hostile towards him (Job 9:13-24). He feels crushed and without recourse against a Being so mighty, believing that whether innocent or guilty, one faces similar ultimate fates under such a powerful hand (Job 9:22). Verse 25 stems directly from this deep sense of despair and the conviction that, in the face of God's unassailable power and apparent indifference to his plight, his life is swiftly hurtling towards an end, utterly devoid of any goodness, justice, or relief from his unbearable affliction. His perception is that his existence is meaningless and empty, not having yielded any "good" (joy, prosperity, justice) that should logically accompany his former righteousness.

Job 9 25 Word analysis

• Now (Hinneh, הִנֵּה): This Hebrew interjection serves as an exclamation or particle of attention. It emphasizes the immediacy and gravity of what Job is about to state, drawing the listener's focus to his desperate personal experience.

• my days (yamay, יָמַי): Refers to the totality of his life or the remaining duration of his existence. Job personifies his days as having agency, "running" and "seeing," expressing his intimate and desperate connection to his own fleeting mortality.

• are swifter (qallu, קַלּוּ): From the root qalal (קָלַל), meaning "to be light," "to be swift," "to be quick." It denotes extreme speed, indicating that Job perceives his life is rushing by without pause or substance, seemingly accelerating towards its conclusion.

• than a runner (mimmenni rats, מִמֶּנִּי רָץ): Rats (רָץ) means a swift messenger or a racer. In ancient times, professional runners were known for their exceptional speed in delivering messages over long distances. This vivid comparison emphasizes the uncontrollable, relentless, and extreme velocity at which Job perceives his life is passing, with no chance to intercept or halt its course.

• they flee away (parchu, פָּרְחוּ): From parach (פָּרַח), meaning "to bud," "to blossom," "to fly away." This metaphor suggests something that disappears suddenly and irrevocably, like a bird taking flight, or perhaps more poignantly, a flower that blossoms and quickly withers and vanishes. It highlights the transience and finality of life's passing.

• they see no good (lo ra'u tov, לֹא־רָאוּ טוֹב): Ra'ah (רָאָה) means "to see" or "to experience," and tov (טוֹב) means "good," "blessing," "prosperity," "well-being," or "happiness." This powerful phrase means his days, despite their swift passage, have been completely devoid of any positive, beneficial, or joyous experiences. From Job’s current perspective, his life has offered no enduring comfort, relief, or sign of divine favor, but only suffering.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Now my days are swifter than a runner": This phrase dramatically portrays the overwhelming speed of Job's life, emphasizing that his suffering-filled existence is racing by towards death, with no capacity to slow it down or change its course. It speaks to a profound loss of control over one's life.
  • "they flee away": This directly reinforces the concept of rapid and irreversible departure introduced by the "runner" metaphor. It adds a visual of disappearing, perhaps like dust or vapor carried by the wind, solidifying the idea of life's elusive and fleeting nature, offering no opportunity to grasp onto it.
  • "they see no good": This is the heart of Job’s complaint, indicating a life that has been wholly barren of joy, peace, justice, or any form of prosperity or comfort that might provide a reason to endure. It directly challenges the traditional retribution theology of his friends by declaring that, despite his former uprightness, his life now seems entirely without "good," a state that in the ancient world was often associated with the wicked, not the righteous. This isn't just a physical deprivation but an emotional and spiritual desolation.

Job 9 25 Bonus section

The concept of "good" (טּוֹב, tov) in Hebrew thought is multifaceted. It encompasses not only material prosperity and physical well-being but also moral rectitude, divine favor, happiness, and peace. When Job states "they see no good," it reflects not merely a lack of ease but a comprehensive absence of blessing, divine approval, or meaningful satisfaction in his current reality. This deeply contradicts the commonly held "retribution theology" prevalent among his friends and many in the ancient Near East, which posited that righteousness inherently led to tov and suffering to ra (evil/bad). Job, through his complaint, is implicitly arguing that this straightforward correlation is broken in his experience, forcing a re-evaluation of divine justice and the nature of suffering for the righteous. This verse foreshadows the deeper theological mysteries explored throughout the Book of Job concerning undeserved suffering and God's sovereignty over it, far beyond human comprehension.

Job 9 25 Commentary

Job 9:25 captures the essence of Job’s deep existential crisis. Faced with unimaginable suffering and what he perceives as God’s relentless antagonism, Job feels his life is slipping away with terrifying speed. The imagery of a "runner" suggests an unstoppable momentum, conveying his feeling of utter helplessness and the accelerating approach of death. This swift passage, however, offers no respite; his days "flee away," disappearing like vapor or a bird in flight, leaving no lasting trace of joy or benefit. The most crushing part is his declaration that his days "see no good." This isn't just a temporary dip in fortune, but a profound conviction that his entire experience, despite his renowned righteousness, has been (or is destined to be) utterly barren of genuine positive experience, justice, or relief. It represents a life defined by adversity, void of meaning or comfort. It is a human cry of despair, not a theological pronouncement, from one who has been stripped of everything, including his understanding of divine justice, and feels only futility and imminent extinction without having experienced anything truly valuable in the present or future. This lament sets the stage for deeper theological wrestling within the book, questioning why righteous suffering yields no "good" in this life.

• Example: One might feel this way when prolonged trials overshadow all past blessings, leading to a perception that "life just went by, and nothing good truly happened for me."
• Example: A person facing a terminal illness might lament how their final days are slipping by rapidly without experiencing a moment of peace or healing, echoing "they see no good."