Job 14:14
If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Job isn't just asking a rhetorical question about death; he's framing his entire life as a "warfare" or a difficult service he must endure. He's willing to wait through this hardship, not for a change in his present circumstances, but for a future "renewal" that transcends this life.
Job is deeply in the weeds of suffering, questioning God and his own existence. He's just lamented the brevity and hardship of human life, comparing it to a dying plant that doesn't return. In this context, he poses a profound question about the finality of death, wondering if there's any hope beyond the grave. He then pivots, expressing a willingness to endure his current "appointed time" or "warfare," whatever that entails, until a "change" or renewal finally comes.
Job poses a question that seems to echo the doubts of many: 'If a man dies, shall he live again?' But is this a question of uncertainty, or a rhetorical setup?
Job begins with a stark question that, on the surface, sounds like a denial of any future life. The ancient Hebrew here uses an affirmative question to imply a negative answer regarding life in this world. It’s like saying, 'If a man dies, does he really live again here?' The answer implied by the context and the following lines is 'No.' Death is presented as a definitive end to our earthly existence and service.
However, this isn't the end of Job's thought. He immediately pivots from this somber reality to a profound hope. The hardship of death and the grave is acknowledged, but it's framed as a period of waiting, not eternal cessation.
Job speaks of waiting 'all the days of my appointed time.' What does this 'appointed time' signify, and what is he waiting for?
The phrase translated 'appointed time' is rich with meaning, often carrying connotations of 'warfare,' 'hard service,' or 'assigned station.' Job isn't just passively waiting; he's enduring his current 'warfare'—likely referring to his suffering, his life's trials, and perhaps even his struggle with his friends—with an active expectation.
He waits 'till my change come.' This 'change' isn't just death itself, but a transformation, a renewal. It points towards a hope beyond the grave, a future state where God will remember and restore. The ancient commentators saw this 'change' as a 'renovation,' a new beginning, much like the renewal of plants in spring or a soldier being released from duty. It's a confident anticipation of God's restorative action.
Understand the original words
muth · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the state of being deceased. Biblically, death is viewed as the separation of the spirit from the body, often as a consequence of sin, yet subject to God's ultimate power to resurrect.
tsaba' · Hebrew Noun
Literally 'compulsory labor' or 'hard service.' It describes the arduous, often burdensome nature of human life and toil in a fallen world.
chaliphah · Hebrew Noun
A change, transformation, or replacement. In a theological sense, it often points to the hope of restoration, rejuvenation, or the eschatological transformation of the human state.
This passage directly echoes Job's hope, proclaiming that Christ has indeed been raised as the firstfruits, confirming the future resurrection that Job anticipates.
Psalm 16:10Like Job, the psalmist expresses a firm conviction that his soul will not be left in the place of the dead, and that God will not allow His holy one to see corruption, pointing to a future renewal.
Daniel 12:2This prophecy speaks directly to Job's question, foretelling that many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt, confirming a future life after death.
Hebrews 11:35This chapter on faith highlights individuals who endured suffering with the hope of a better resurrection, mirroring Job's steadfast waiting for his 'change' or renewal.
jfbJob 14:14: "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come."
- shall he live?—The answer implied is, There is a hope that he shall, though not in the present order of life, as is shown by the words following. Job had denied (Job 14:10-12) that man shall live again in this present world. But hoping for a "set time," when God shall remember and raise him out of the hiding-place of the grave (Job 14:13), he declares himself willing to "wait…
bensonJob 14:14: "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come."
Job 14:14 . If a man die, shall he live again? — He shall not in this world, but he shall in another and better; and, therefore, all the days of my appointed time will I wait — Hebrew, צבאי , tsebai, of my warfare, namely, with my spiritual enemies, or of my service and suffering, or of the station and place God has assigned me. The idea which the word conveys is partly, at least,…
Job isn't just asking a rhetorical question about death; he's framing his entire life as a "warfare" or a difficult service he must endure. He's willing to wait through this hardship, not for a change in his present circumstances, but for a future "renewal" that transcends this life.
Job is deeply in the weeds of suffering, questioning God and his own existence. He's just lamented the brevity and hardship of human life, comparing it to a dying plant that doesn't return. In this context, he poses a profound question about the finality of death, wondering if there's any hope beyond the grave. He then pivots, expressing a willingness to endure his current "appointed time" or "warfare," whatever that entails, until a "change" or renewal finally comes.
Job is deeply in the weeds of suffering, questioning God and his own existence. He's just lamented the brevity and hardship of human life, comparing it to a dying plant that doesn't return. In this context, he poses a profound question about the finality of death, wondering if there's any hope beyond the grave. He then pivots, expressing a willingness to endure his current "appointed time" or "warfare," whatever that entails, until a "change" or renewal finally comes.
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"If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come." — Job isn't just asking a rhetorical question about death; he's framing his entire life as a "warfare" or a difficult service he must endure. He's willing to wait through this hardship, not for a chang…
