Job 10:20-22
Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer before I go—and I shall not return— to the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order, where light is as thick darkness.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Job isn't just asking for relief from pain; he's pleading for a temporary withdrawal of God's intense scrutiny. He wants a moment of respite, a chance to simply "be" and gather himself before his inevitable departure, implying that even a brief pause from God's overwhelming presence is a form of comfort.
Job, overwhelmed by suffering and a profound sense of God's relentless pursuit, pleads for a brief reprieve. He argues that his days are already numbered and rapidly dwindling, making God's continued harshness seem unnecessary. Job desperately wants a moment of peace and comfort before he inevitably succumbs to death and descends into the darkness of the grave.
Job feels like his life is slipping away, and he's begging for a break before it's all over. What does this say about how we view our own limited time?
Job’s cry, “Are not my days few?” isn't just a complaint about his suffering; it's a profound reflection on the brevity of life.
Life's Limited Span
He recognizes that his time on earth is short, even without his current intense pain. This realization amplifies his plea for relief. He sees his remaining days as precious and dwindling, making his current torment feel even more unjust.
A Plea for Mercy
Because life is so short, Job asks God to 'cease' His affliction and 'let him alone.' It’s not a demand for an unfair advantage, but a desperate request for a moment of peace before the inevitable end. He desires just a little chance to find some solace, some comfort, before he has to face the unknown of death.
Job is in so much pain he's almost asking God to stop agonizing over him. Can we understand this raw honesty without calling it rebellion?
Job's words here push the boundaries, sounding almost like a challenge to God. Yet, the commentaries suggest there’s a saving grace in his plea.
Wrestling with God
Job isn't giving up on God; he's wrestling with Him. Like Jacob at Peniel, Job's honest, albeit pained, engagement with God comes from a deep place of seeking understanding and relief, rather than outright rejection.
Faith Under Fire
Even in his anguish, Job’s underlying reverence for God seems to remain. His desperate words reveal the intensity of his suffering, which is so great that the grave seems a welcome escape. This deep-seated faith, even when tested by immense pain and difficult questions, is what keeps his plea from being outright blasphemy.
Understand the original words
yamim · Hebrew Noun
The finite, transient period of a human's life. It emphasizes the brevity and fragility of existence, often used in prayer to reflect on the limitation of time before eternity.
balag · Hebrew Verb
A state of brief respite, relaxation, or joy. In the midst of suffering, Job desires a moment of relief or the calming of his troubled spirit before he meets his end.
choshek · Hebrew Noun
A state of total absence of light, often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe judgment, separation from God's presence, or the realm of the dead (Sheol). It represents a place or condition where God’s revealing light is absent.
tsalmaveth · Hebrew Noun
This passage also voices a plea for God to turn away His gaze and give the speaker space to recover before life's end, mirroring Job's desperate cry for a moment of respite.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6These verses highlight the finality of death and the absence of consciousness or activity in the grave, echoing Job's bleak understanding of the destination he anticipates.
Genesis 50:11This verse describes mourning for Joseph with great intensity, similar to how Job is experiencing profound sorrow, though Job's is self-inflicted by his current suffering and perceived abandonment.
Lamentations 3:8-9Here, the prophet laments that his prayers are blocked, feeling God has surrounded him and cut off his way, a sentiment that Job shares as he feels God's hand is against him.
bensonJob 10:20: "Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,"
Job 10:20-22 . Are not my days few? Cease then, &c. — My life is short, and of itself hastens to an end; there is no need that thou shouldest grudge me some ease for so small a moment. Let me alone — Or lay aside, or remove thy hand or anger from me. That I may take comfort a little — Hebrews אבליגה , abligah, et recreabo me, I shall refresh, or strengthen myself: shall have some respite, some remi…
pooleJob 10:20: "Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,"
My life is short, and of itself hastens apace to an end; there is no need that thou shouldst push it forward, or grudge me some ease for so small a moment. Let me alone; or, lay aside , or remove , thy hand or anger from me.
Job isn't just asking for relief from pain; he's pleading for a temporary withdrawal of God's intense scrutiny. He wants a moment of respite, a chance to simply "be" and gather himself before his inevitable departure, implying that even a brief pause from God's overwhelming presence is a form of comfort.
Job, overwhelmed by suffering and a profound sense of God's relentless pursuit, pleads for a brief reprieve. He argues that his days are already numbered and rapidly dwindling, making God's continued harshness seem unnecessary. Job desperately wants a moment of peace and comfort before he inevitably succumbs to death and descends into the darkness of the grave.
Job, overwhelmed by suffering and a profound sense of God's relentless pursuit, pleads for a brief reprieve. He argues that his days are already numbered and rapidly dwindling, making God's continued harshness seem unnecessary. Job desperately wants a moment of peace and comfort before he inevitably succumbs to death and descends into the darkness of the grave.
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A poetic expression denoting the deepest form of darkness, often associated with the grave, death, or the gloom of the underworld. It carries a sense of extreme obscurity and the absence of life's vitality.
'alatah · Hebrew Noun
A term conveying severe gloom, hopelessness, and murky obscuration. It describes a condition of overwhelming despair or the profound emptiness characteristic of death.
'eyphah · Hebrew Noun
A descriptive term for a state of total disorder, chaos, or confusion, lacking the structure or purpose provided by God’s creative hand. It signifies a realm where the order of life has been replaced by the lawlessness of the void.
seder · Hebrew Noun
Used here to denote the lack of structure or arrangement, signifying a state of profound chaos. Biblically, order is a mark of God’s creation and sovereign governance; its absence suggests a place where God's sustaining grace is not manifest.
"Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer before I go—and I shall not return— to the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shado…" — Job isn't just asking for relief from pain; he's pleading for a temporary withdrawal of God's intense scrutiny. He wants a moment of respite, a chance to simply "be" and gather himself before his ine…
