Job 7:16 Meaning and Explanation
“I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Job recoils from his suffering, asks to be left alone, and calls his fleeting days empty.
What Does Job 7:16 Mean?
Job's lament continues. He loathes his condition and says he would not want to live forever in it; he asks to be left alone, for his days feel empty and brief, like a vapor.
This is the cry of a man at the end of his strength. Yet even 'let me alone' is addressed to God, and so remains a kind of prayer. The Bible holds such moments tenderly. The God who seems too near in Job's pain is the same who will not finally abandon him, and the brevity Job mourns is gathered up by the One in whom even fleeting days are precious and never forgotten.
Job 7:16 in the Original Language
hebel (הֶבֶל), 'vanity' -- a breath or vapor, here the fleeting, insubstantial quality of mortal days.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 7:16
What does Job 7:16 mean?
Job recoils from his suffering, asks to be left alone, and calls his fleeting days empty.