Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job isn't just looking forward to the evening's rest; he's "panting" for it, a word that implies desperate, almost labored breathing. This vivid imagery highlights that for the weary servant, the coming of night isn't just about stopping work, but about receiving the tangible reward owed for his service.
Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is deep in his suffering, and here he paints a vivid picture of his exhaustion. He compares himself to a slave yearning for the cool of the evening to end a long, hard day's work, and a hired laborer eagerly awaiting their wages as proof of a finished task. He's essentially saying that his own life feels like unending toil, and he longs for death as the ultimate release and rest.
Imagine working under the scorching sun, your only hope for relief the setting sun and the cool evening shadow. Job uses this vivid image to express his deep desire.
The Daily Grind and the Evening Relief
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, laborers often worked long, grueling hours, especially during the hottest parts of the day. The "shadow" Job refers to isn't just a fleeting moment of cool; it signifies the end of the workday.
Beyond just ending the day's work, there's the earned reward. Job sees his suffering as a long 'job' for which he anticipates a final 'payment'.
Earning and Expecting Reward
The "hired hand" in this verse looks forward to his wages. This wasn't just about getting paid; it was about the culmination of his effort and the recognition of his labor.
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Understand the original words
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A person owned by another, signifying total loss of personal autonomy, subjection to the will of another, and often implying a condition of harsh struggle.
This psalm speaks of night and darkness as a time of rest and release from labor, mirroring Job's longing for the cessation of his suffering.
Matthew 20:8The parable of the laborers in the vineyard highlights the expectation of wages at the end of the day, a concept Job echoes by looking for the 'reward' of his life's work, which he associates with rest.
Hebrews 11:26This passage speaks of Moses esteeming 'the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,' looking 'to the reward,' which connects to Job's desire for a recompense beyond his current suffering.
Ecclesiastes 9:10This verse urges us to do with our might what our hands find to do, because 'there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in the grave, to which you are going.' This underscores the finality of death and the urgency to seek reward and rest while alive, a sentiment Job profoundly feels.
jfbJob 7:2: "As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:"
- earnestly desireth—Hebrew, "pants for the [evening] shadow." Easterners measure time by the length of their shadow. If the servant longs for the evening when his wages are paid, why may not Job long for the close of his hard service, when he shall enter on his "reward?" This proves that Job did not, as many maintain, regard the grave as a mere sleep.
pulpitJob 7:2: "As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:"
Verse 2. - As a servant (or, a slave) panteth for the shadow; i.e. longs for the shades of evening to descend and bring the day to a close. The slavery of Job's time was probably not unlike that of captive races in Egypt, so graphically portrayed in the early chapters of Exodus. The captive, working from morning to night at exhausting labour, would long intensely for the night to arrive…
Job isn't just looking forward to the evening's rest; he's "panting" for it, a word that implies desperate, almost labored breathing. This vivid imagery highlights that for the weary servant, the coming of night isn't just about stopping work, but about receiving the tangible reward owed for his service.
Job is deep in his suffering, and here he paints a vivid picture of his exhaustion. He compares himself to a slave yearning for the cool of the evening to end a long, hard day's work, and a hired laborer eagerly awaiting their wages as proof of a finished task. He's essentially saying that his own life feels like unending toil, and he longs for death as the ultimate release and rest.
Job is deep in his suffering, and here he paints a vivid picture of his exhaustion. He compares himself to a slave yearning for the cool of the evening to end a long, hard day's work, and a hired laborer eagerly awaiting their wages as proof of a finished task. He's essentially saying that his own life feels like unending toil, and he longs for death as the ultimate release and rest.
"Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages," — Job isn't just looking forward to the evening's rest; he's "panting" for it, a word that implies desperate, almost labored breathing. This vivid imagery highlights that for the weary servant, the com…
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Last reviewed October 2026