What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job marvels that God would "magnify" man, which here isn't about God's love but about God's intense focus and attention, even in affliction. It's the idea that God would expend such significant thought and care on someone so seemingly insignificant.
What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is in the midst of a deep existential crisis, lamenting the overwhelming suffering God has allowed to befall him. He feels abandoned and relentlessly tormented, questioning the very nature of his relationship with the Almighty. This verse expresses his astonishment and confusion that such a powerful and infinite God would "make so much" of frail, insignificant humanity, especially by intensely scrutinizing and afflicting him.
Job cries out, 'What is man, that you make so much of him?' It’s a question born of deep pain, but it touches on an eternal truth about God’s relationship with humanity.
Job is wrestling with the sheer disparity between himself and God. He sees himself as small, frail, and utterly insignificant—a stark contrast to the Almighty Creator. Yet, God’s attention is fixed on him. This isn't just about Job's suffering; it’s about the astonishing fact that God notices us at all.
The phrase 'set your heart on him' sounds like affection. But in Job's pain, is God showing love, or is this intense focus a sign of judgment?
This phrase, 'set your heart on him,' is powerful and can be understood in a couple of ways, especially in Job's desperate state:
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Understand the original words
enosh · Hebrew Noun
A term for humanity, often emphasizing its frailty, mortality, and weakness in contrast to the eternal, sovereign God.
leb · Hebrew Noun
To direct one's deepest affection, concern, or attention toward someone. When applied to God, it signifies His deliberate and purposeful engagement with His creation.
paqad · Hebrew Verb
In a theological context, God's intervention in human affairs, whether in judgment or in grace, appearing to inspect or intervene in an individual's life.
bachan · Hebrew Verb
A trial or examination used to prove, refine, or reveal the true character, integrity, or faith of a person.
This psalm echoes Job's wonder, asking 'What is man, that you are mindful of him?' It contrasts humanity's smallness with God's immense creation, highlighting the awe-inspiring nature of God's attention to us.
Psalm 144:3Similar to Job, the psalmist questions God's focus on humanity, calling man 'like a breath, his days like a fleeting shadow.' This passage emphasizes the fragility of human life against the backdrop of God's eternal power.
Isaiah 40:17This prophetic passage directly contrasts the nations with God, stating that 'before him all the nations are as nothing.' It reinforces Job's sense of human insignificance, asking how such a mighty God could possibly concern Himself with us.
Luke 12:6-7Jesus speaks of God's intimate knowledge and care, even for the smallest sparrows, stating 'even the hairs of your head are all numbered.' This offers a counterpoint to Job's despair, showing that God's 'magnifying' of man stems from profound, loving attention, not mere cosmic oversight.
clarkeJob 7:17: "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"
What is man that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? - Two different ideas have been drawn from these words: - 1. Man is not worth thy notice; why therefore dost thou contend with him? 2. How astonishing is thy kindness that thou shouldest fix thy heart - thy strongest affections, on such a poor, base, vile, impotent creature as man, (אנוש enosh)…
jfbJob 7:17: "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"
- (Ps 8:4; 144:3). Job means, "What is man that thou shouldst make him [of so much importance], and that thou shouldst expend such attention [or, heart-thought] upon him" as to make him the subject of so severe trials? Job ought rather to have reasoned from God's condescending so far to notice man as to try him, that there must be a wise and loving purpose in trial. David uses the same…
Job marvels that God would "magnify" man, which here isn't about God's love but about God's intense focus and attention, even in affliction. It's the idea that God would expend such significant thought and care on someone so seemingly insignificant.
Job is in the midst of a deep existential crisis, lamenting the overwhelming suffering God has allowed to befall him. He feels abandoned and relentlessly tormented, questioning the very nature of his relationship with the Almighty. This verse expresses his astonishment and confusion that such a powerful and infinite God would "make so much" of frail, insignificant humanity, especially by intensely scrutinizing and afflicting him.
Job is in the midst of a deep existential crisis, lamenting the overwhelming suffering God has allowed to befall him. He feels abandoned and relentlessly tormented, questioning the very nature of his relationship with the Almighty. This verse expresses his astonishment and confusion that such a powerful and infinite God would "make so much" of frail, insignificant humanity, especially by intensely scrutinizing and afflicting him.
"What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?" — Job marvels that God would "magnify" man, which here isn't about God's love but about God's intense focus and attention, even in affliction. It's the idea that God would expend such significant thoug…
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Last reviewed October 2026