Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
I loathe my life!

Overwhelmed by bodily pain, bereavement, and the accusations of his friends, Job speaks with unguarded honesty before God. Jeremiah likewise cursed the day of his birth in profound distress, and Psalm 88 records a prayer from the depths of darkness. Job does not renounce God; he brings his anguish to the God whose ways he cannot understand.

Job 10:1 I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint…
Ecc 2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done…
Jon 4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me,…

I would not live forever.

Endless continuance in his present misery holds no comfort for Job. His words reveal how severely suffering can narrow human hope when relief seems absent. Scripture later reveals eternal life not as an extension of earthly pain, but as the redeemed life secured through Christ, free from death, sorrow, and sin.

Psa 49:9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
Psa 89:47-48 Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility…
Job 14:5 Since his days are determined and the number of his months…

Leave me alone,

Job pleads for God to withdraw the pressure of His affliction and allow him a little relief. He feels watched and tested beyond his strength, though he still addresses God rather than turning from Him. Christ also entered the full depth of human anguish, bearing suffering and abandonment at the cross so that His people would not be forsaken forever.

Job 10:20 Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may…
Exo 32:10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them…
Psa 39:13 Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered…

for my days are but a breath.

Human life passes quickly and cannot be held secure by human strength. Job’s awareness of mortality accords with the psalmists and with James, who compares life to a mist that appears briefly and vanishes. The brevity of life gives urgency to trusting the Lord, whose purposes endure beyond present affliction.

Psa 39:5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths,…
Psa 144:4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Jas 4:14 You do not even know what will happen tomorrow!…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.

2. Uz
The land where Job lived. It is often associated with the region east of Israel, though its exact location is uncertain.

3. Job's Suffering
The context of this verse is Job's lament over his intense suffering, which includes the loss of his children, wealth, and health.
Teaching Points
The Brevity of Life
Job's statement, "my days are but a breath," reminds us of the transient nature of our earthly existence. We should live with an eternal perspective, focusing on what truly matters.

The Reality of Suffering
Job's lament is a raw expression of human suffering. It teaches us that it is okay to bring our honest emotions before God, trusting that He understands our pain.

The Desire for Relief
Job's plea to be left alone reflects a deep desire for relief from his suffering. This can encourage us to seek God's comfort and presence in our own times of distress.

The Importance of Hope
While Job expresses despair, the broader account of Scripture encourages us to hold onto hope, knowing that God is sovereign and has a purpose even in our suffering.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Despite Job's anguish, the book ultimately points to God's sovereignty and wisdom, reminding us to trust Him even when we do not understand our circumstances.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Job's expression of loathing his life in Job 7:16 reflect the human experience of suffering, and how can we find comfort in God's Word during such times?

2. In what ways does the brevity of life, as mentioned in Job 7:16, influence how we prioritize our daily activities and long-term goals?

3. How can we reconcile Job's desire to be left alone with the biblical call to community and support from fellow believers?

4. What other biblical characters experienced similar feelings of despair, and how did their accounts resolve or provide hope?

5. How can the themes of suffering and the brevity of life in Job 7:16 encourage us to share the hope of the Gospel with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 1:2
This verse echoes the sentiment of life's fleeting nature, similar to Job's expression of his days being "but a breath."

Psalm 39:5
This Psalm reflects on the brevity of life, paralleling Job's acknowledgment of the shortness of his days.

James 4:14
This New Testament verse also speaks to the transient nature of life, reinforcing the theme found in Job 7:16.
A Reasonable DesireD. Wilcox.Job 7:16
Continuance on Earth not Desired by the BelieverEssex RemembrancerJob 7:16
Death Better than LifeW. Ramsay.Job 7:16
Death Preferable to LifeS. Fuller.Job 7:16
I Would not Live AlwayA. A. Livermore.Job 7:16
Living AlwayS. Charters.Job 7:16
On DeathBishop Dehon.Job 7:16
Reasons Why Good Men May Look Forward with Desire to the Termination of LifeJames Grant.Job 7:16
The Advantage of not Living AlwayChristian Endeavour TimesJob 7:16
Why the Believer Does not Wish to Live AlwaysEvangelical PreacherJob 7:16
Fresh Recourse to the Relief of WordsE. Johnson Job 7:11-16
The Cry of DespairR. Green Job 7:11-16
People
Job
Places
Uz
Topics
Age, Alone, Alway, Always, Breath, Cease, Desire, Forever, Leave, Loathe, Lothe, Meaning, Vanity, Waste, Wasted
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 7:16

     4016   life, human
     5901   loneliness

Job 7:11-21

     5265   complaints

Job 7:15-16

     5067   suicide

Library
December 4 Evening
I would not live alway.--JOB 7:16. And I said, O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away, and be at rest. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.--Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

January 12 Evening
When shall I arise, and the night be gone?--JOB 7:4. Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh. Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.--He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

"Am I a Sea, or a Whale?"
On Thursday Evening, May 7th, 1891. "Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?"--Job 7:12. JOB WAS IN GREAT PAIN when he thus bitterly complained. These moans came from him when his skin was broken and had become loathsome and he sat upon a dunghill and scraped himself with a potsherd. We wonder at his patience, but we do not wonder at his impatience. He had fits of complaining, and failed in that very patience for which he was noted. Where God's saints are most glorious, there you
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Of Resisting Temptation
So long as we live in the world, we cannot be without trouble and trial. Wherefore it is written in Job, The life of man upon the earth is a trial.(1) And therefore ought each of us to give heed concerning trials and temptations, and watch unto prayer, lest the devil find occasion to deceive; for he never sleepeth, but goeth about seeking whom he may devour. No man is so perfect in holiness that he hath never temptations, nor can we ever be wholly free from them. 2. Yet, notwithstanding, temptations
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Pursues the Same Matter.
104. Thou must know that in this unspeakable Sacrament, Christ is united with the Soul, is made one thing with it, whose fineness and purity is the most profound and admirable, and the most worthy of consideration and thanks. Great was the pureness of him in being made Man; greater that of dying ignominiously on the Cross for our sake, but the giving of himself whole and entire to man in this admirable Sacrament, admits no comparison: This is singular favour, and infinite pureness: because there
Miguel de Molinos—The Spiritual Guide which Disentangles the Soul

Whether the Aureole is the Same as the Essential Reward which is Called the Aurea?
Objection 1: It would seem that the aureole is not distinct from the essential reward which is called the "aurea." For the essential reward is beatitude itself. Now according to Boethius (De Consol. iii), beatitude is "a state rendered perfect by the aggregate of all goods." Therefore the essential reward includes every good possessed in heaven; so that the aureole is included in the "aurea." Objection 2: Further, "more" and "less" do not change a species. But those who keep the counsels and commandments
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Souls who are in Heaven or Hell are Able to Go from Thence?
Objection 1: It would seem that the souls in heaven or hell are unable to go from thence. For Augustine says (De Cura pro Mort. xiii): "If the souls of the dead took any part in the affairs of the living, to say nothing of others, there is myself whom not for a single night would my loving mother fail to visit since she followed me by land and sea in order to abide with me": and from this he concludes that the souls of the departed do not mingle in the affairs of the living. But they would be able
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Of the Lack of all Comfort
It is no hard thing to despise human comfort when divine is present. It is a great thing, yea very great, to be able to bear the loss both of human and divine comfort; and for the love of God willingly to bear exile of heart, and in nought to seek oneself, nor to look to one's own merit. What great matter is it, if thou be cheerful of heart and devout when favour cometh to thee? That is an hour wherein all rejoice. Pleasantly enough doth he ride whom the grace of God carrieth. And what marvel,
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

And what Members of the Holy Body, which is the Church...
40. And what members of the holy body, which is the Church, ought more to take care, that upon them the holy Spirit may rest, than such as profess virginal holiness? But how doth He rest, where He findeth not His own place? what else than an humbled heart, to fill, not to leap back from; to raise up, not to weigh down? whereas it hath been most plainly said, "On whom shall rest My Spirit? On him that is humble and quiet, and trembles at My words." [2157] Already thou livest righteously, already thou
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

"Now the God of Hope Fill You with all Joy and Peace in Believing," &C.
Rom. xv. 13.--"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing," &c. It is usual for the Lord in his word to turn his precepts unto promises, which shows us, that the commandments of God do not so much import an ability in us, or suppose strength to fulfil them, as declare that obligation which lies upon us, and his purpose and intention to accomplish in some, what he requires of all: and therefore we should accordingly convert all his precepts unto prayers, seeing he hath made
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Eternity and Unchangeableness of God.
Exod. iii. 14.--"I AM THAT I AM."--Psal. xc. 2.--"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God."--Job xi. 7-9.--"Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." This is the chief point of saving knowledge,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

What Now Shall I Say Concerning the Very Carefulness and Watchfulness against Sin? "Who...
48. What now shall I say concerning the very carefulness and watchfulness against sin? "Who shall boast that he hath a chaste heart? or who shall boast that he is clean from sin?" [2200] Holy virginity is indeed inviolate from the mother's womb; but "no one," saith he, "is clean in Thy sight, not even the infant whose life is of one day upon the earth." [2201] There is kept also in faith inviolate a certain virginal chastity, whereby the Church is joined as a chaste virgin unto One Husband: but That
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

The Value of this Doctrine
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). "Doctrine" means "teaching,"
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

"And we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6.--"And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Here they join the punishment with the deserving cause, their uncleanness and their iniquities, and so take it upon them, and subscribe to the righteousness of God's dealing. We would say this much in general--First, Nobody needeth to quarrel God for his dealing. He will always be justified when he is judged. If the Lord deal more sharply with you than with others, you may judge there is a difference
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Sinner Stripped of his Vain Pleas.
1, 2. The vanity of those pleas which sinners may secretly confide in, is so apparent that they will be ashamed at last to mention them before God.--3. Such as, that they descended from pious us parents.--4. That they had attended to the speculative part of religion.--5. That they had entertained sound notion..--6, 7. That they had expressed a zealous regard to religion, and attended the outward forms of worship with those they apprehended the purest churches.--8. That they had been free from gross
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Letter Xlvi (Circa A. D. 1125) to Guigues, the Prior, and to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse
To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse He discourses much and piously of the law of true and sincere charity, of its signs, its degrees, its effects, and of its perfection which is reserved for Heaven (Patria). Brother Bernard, of Clairvaux, wishes health eternal to the most reverend among fathers, and to the dearest among friends, Guigues, Prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and to the holy Monks who are with him. 1. I have received the letter of your Holiness as joyfully
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
DO not mistake me, I do not say that of their own nature the worst things are good, for they are a fruit of the curse; but though they are naturally evil, yet the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them, they are morally good. As the elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God has so tempered them, that they all work in a harmonious manner for the good of the universe. Or as in a watch, the wheels seem to move contrary one to another, but all carry on the motions of the watch:
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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