“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job isn't just complaining about life being hard; he's framing it as a pre-determined service or "warfare" assigned to all people. His days are like a hired hand's because they are limited and filled with toil, implying a job he didn't choose and an end he can't wait to reach.
“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is deeply distressed and feels he has no respite on earth, comparing human life to a constant, weary struggle or the limited days of a hired laborer. He's responding to his friends' accusations, essentially arguing that his profound suffering makes his complaints understandable, not a sign of rebellion against God. This sets the stage for his intense dialogue with God that follows.
Ever feel like you're just going through the motions, waiting for the day to end? Job felt that, and he described it in a way that still hits home.
Job kicks off this chapter with a powerful question: 'Has not man a hard service on earth?' The original Hebrew word here, 'tsaba,' can mean 'service,' 'warfare,' or 'campaign.' It paints a picture of life not as a leisurely stroll, but as a demanding assignment, perhaps even a battle.
Think about it:
What does it mean to live like a hired hand, counting down the minutes? Job uses this image to express a deep weariness with life.
Job's comparison of human days to those of a 'hired hand' isn't just about a limited time; it's about the experience of that time.
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The Hireling's Experience:
Job is expressing a profound exhaustion with the condition of humanity on earth. It’s not just about the tasks we perform, but the feeling that life itself is a long, often arduous period of service, where the main hope is for that service to be over.
Understand the original words
enosh · Hebrew Noun
A general term for humanity, emphasizing their frailty, mortal nature, and dependence upon God, often contrasted with God's transcendence.
tsaba · Hebrew Noun
Refers to military service, forced labor, or burdensome, arduous work; used metaphorically to describe the toilsome and often painful experience of human life.
sakir · Hebrew Noun
One who serves another for pay, highlighting a life governed by the requirements, control, and timelines of another rather than one's own desires.
This passage speaks of humanity's 'hard service' and 'appointed time' on earth, echoing Job's sentiment of life being a difficult period of service or warfare.
Matthew 20:1-2The parable of the laborers hired by the hour highlights the temporary and transactional nature of work and reward, paralleling Job's comparison of human days to those of a hired hand who anticipates the end of their labor.
1 Corinthians 10:13This verse assures that God provides a way out of temptation and affliction, reassuring that hardships (like Job's) are temporary and within limits, aligning with the idea of a set 'appointed time' or 'warfare'.
Philippians 2:8Jesus' obedience to death on the cross exemplifies the ultimate 'hard service' and fulfillment of an appointed time, showing a divine purpose even in suffering and the completion of a difficult task.
Ecclesiastes 8:7This verse acknowledges that humans do not know the appointed time for their end, reinforcing Job's contemplation of life's duration and the uncertainty surrounding the end of one's 'days' or 'service'.
jfbJob 7:1: "Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?"
CHAPTER 7Job 7:1-21. Job Excuses His Desire for Death.1. appointed time—better, "a warfare," hard conflict with evil (so in Isa 40:2; Da 10:1). Translate it "appointed time" (Job 14:14). Job reverts to the sad picture of man, however great, which he had drawn (Job 3:14), and details in this chapter the miseries which his friends will see, if, according to his request (Job 6:28), they…
pulpitJob 7:1: "Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?"
Verses 1-21. - In this chapter Job first bewails his miserable fate, of which he expects no alleviation (vers. 1-10); then claims an unlimited right of complaint (ver. 11); and finally enters into direct expostulation with God - an expostulation which continues from ver. 12 to the end of the chapter. At the close, he admits his sinfulness (ver. 20), but asks impatiently why God does…
Job isn't just complaining about life being hard; he's framing it as a pre-determined service or "warfare" assigned to all people. His days are like a hired hand's because they are limited and filled with toil, implying a job he didn't choose and an end he can't wait to reach.
Job is deeply distressed and feels he has no respite on earth, comparing human life to a constant, weary struggle or the limited days of a hired laborer. He's responding to his friends' accusations, essentially arguing that his profound suffering makes his complaints understandable, not a sign of rebellion against God. This sets the stage for his intense dialogue with God that follows.
Job is deeply distressed and feels he has no respite on earth, comparing human life to a constant, weary struggle or the limited days of a hired laborer. He's responding to his friends' accusations, essentially arguing that his profound suffering makes his complaints understandable, not a sign of rebellion against God. This sets the stage for his intense dialogue with God that follows.
"“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?" — Job isn't just complaining about life being hard; he's framing it as a pre-determined service or "warfare" assigned to all people. His days are like a hired hand's because they are limited and fi…
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Last reviewed October 2026