Job 14:10 Meaning and Explanation
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Job contrasts the reviving tree with mortal man, who dies, fades away, and seems simply gone.
What Does Job 14:10 Mean?
The hopeful picture breaks against Job's grief. A tree may sprout again, "but man dieth," and to Job's eyes the human story looks different and darker. He watches a person breathe their last and asks the aching question that haunts every mourner: "where is he?"
Job is honest about the silence death leaves behind, refusing easy comfort he cannot yet feel. His question hangs open, unanswered in this moment, yet the very asking is a reaching toward God. Scripture does not leave the question unanswered forever. The One who is the resurrection and the life would step into death's silence and answer it, so that the place where the dead seem lost becomes the ground of God's greatest work.
Job 14:10 in the Original Language
gava (גָּוַע), 'giveth up the ghost' -- to breathe out, expire, the breath of life departing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 14:10
What does Job 14:10 mean?
Job contrasts the reviving tree with mortal man, who dies, fades away, and seems simply gone.