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Job 14
Job 14:1
General Information:
This chapter continues Job's speech, which started in Job 12:1. Job is speaking to God.
Man, who is born of woman
This refers to all people, both men and women; all are born into this world. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-gendernotations)
lives only a few days
This is an exaggeration to emphasize that people live only a short time. Alternate translation: "lives only a very short time" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole)
is full of trouble
Being "full of trouble" represents experiencing much trouble. Alternate translation: "has many troubles" or "suffers much" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
Job 14:2
He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down
Like the life of a flower, a person's life is short and is easily killed. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
he flees like a shadow and does not last
A person's short life is compared to a shadow that disappears quickly. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
Job 14:3
Do you look at any of these?
Job implies that he does not want God to pay so much attention to him. Alternate translation: "You do not look at any of these." or "You do not pay so much attention to these. Please do not pay so much attention to me." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
look at
Here looking at some one represents paying attention to him in order to judge him. Alternate translation: "pay attention to" or "look for faults in"
Do you bring me into judgment with you?
Job uses this question to show his surprise that God judges him even though Job is so insignificant like the flowers. Alternate translation: "But you judge me." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Job 14:4
General Information:
Job continues speaking to God.
Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one
Job uses this question to persuade God to apply what he knows about unclean things to Job. Alternate translation: "No one can bring something clean out of something unclean" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Job 14:5
Man's days are determined
This can be expressed in active form. Alternate translation: "You determine a man's days" or "You decide how long a man lives" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
The number of his months is with you
The number of man's months being with God represents God deciding the number of months that the man will live. "You decide how many months he will live" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass
Passing a limit represents living past a time that God has set for a person to die. Alternate translation: "you have appointed the time that he will die, and he cannot live longer than that" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:6
hired man
a man who is hired to do a job and goes home afterwards
Job 14:7
There can be hope for a tree
The abstract noun "hope" can be expressed with the verb "hope." The hope is explained in verses 7-9. Alternate translation: "We can hope that a tree will live again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
it might sprout again
"it might start growing again"
so that its tender stalk does not disappear
Disappearing represents dying. Alternate translation: "so that its young shoot will not die" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:8
Though
"Even if"
stump
the part of the tree that remains sticking out of the ground after someone has cut down most of the tree
Job 14:9
even if it only smells water
This describes the dead stump as if it could smell water to represent water being near it. Alternate translation: "even if only a little water is near it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)
it will bud
"it will start growing"
send out branches like a plant
The tree sending out branches represents branches growing on the tree. Alternate translation: "branches will start growing on it like a plant" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)
Job 14:10
then where is he?
Job uses this question to emphasize that when a person dies, he is not present. Alternate translation: "no one knows where he is." or "he is gone." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Job 14:11
Connecting Statement:
Job begins to use word pictures to describe how it is that "man dies; he becomes weak" (verse 10).
As water disappears from a lake ... dries up
Water that has dried up from a lake or a river cannot return, and once a person dies or grows old, he cannot become young again. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
Job 14:12
Connecting Statement:
Job finishes comparing growing old and dying with water drying up (verse 11).
so people lie down
Lying down represents dying. Alternate translation: "so people die" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
do not rise again
Rising again represents living again. Alternate translation: "do not live again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:13
General Information:
Job continues speaking to God.
Oh, that you would hide me
This is an exclamation showing what Job wants very much but does not really expect to happen. Alternate translation: "I wish that you would hide me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-exclamations)
keep me in private
"keep me locked up" or "keep me hidden"
call me to mind
Call someone to mind is an idiom meaning to think about him. Alternate translation: "think about me" or "remember me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Job 14:14
If a man dies, will he live again?
The implicit answer is "no." Alternate translation: "If a man dies, he will not live again." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
If so
What "so" refers to is understood from the previous phrase. Alternate translation: "If he would live again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
to wait all my weary time there
"to wait all my time there even though I would be weary"
until my release should come
The abstract noun "release" can be expressed with the verb "release." Alternate translation: "until I should be released" or "until you release me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
Job 14:15
General Information:
Job continues speaking to God.
I would answer
"I would do what you wanted me to do"
You would have a desire for
The noun "desire" can be expressed with the verbs "desire" or "want." Alternate translation: "You would desire" or "You would want" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
for the work of your hands
Here God's hands represent him making things. Job refers to himself as the work of God's hands. Alternate translation: "for me, whom you have made" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)
Job 14:16
number and care for
These two verbs together express a single action. Alternate translation: "attentively care for" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hendiadys)
my footsteps
Footsteps represent his life or what he does. Alternate translation: "my life" or "the things I do" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
you would not keep track of my sin
Keeping track of Job's sin represents thinking about his sin. Alternate translation: "you would not look at my sin" or "you would not think about my sin" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:17
My transgression would be ... you would cover up
These three lines express the same thought and are used together to emphasize his confidence that God would forgive him. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
My transgression would be sealed up in a bag
Sealing transgression in a bag represents hiding it and refusing to think about it. This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "You would refuse to think about my transgression like someone who hides something in a bag" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
you would cover up my iniquity
Covering up someone's iniquity so that it cannot be seen represents refusing to think about it. Alternate translation: "you would hide my iniquity" or "you would ignore my iniquity" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:18
General Information:
Job continues speaking to God.
mountains fall and come to nothing
"Come to nothing" here is an idiom meaning be completely destroyed. This phrase expands on the word "fall" and emphasizes complete destruction. Alternate translation: "mountains completely fall apart" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-doublet)
rocks are moved out of their place
This can be expressed in active form. Alternate translation: "rocks tumble down from their place" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
Job 14:19
Like this, you destroy the hope of man
If it is easier in your language, you can put this phrase at the beginning of verse 18 and adjust the text accordingly. Alternate translation: "You destroy the hope of man, just like ... dust of the earth" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
you destroy the hope of man
Destroying hope represents causing the things people hope for not to happen. Alternate translation: "You prevent the hope of man from happening" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
the hope of man
The abstract noun "hopes" can be expressed with the verb "hope." Alternate translation: "the things that man hopes for" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
Job 14:20
General Information:
Job continues speaking to God.
You always defeat him
The word "him" refers to any person. Alternate translation: "You always defeat man" or "You always defeat people"
he passes away
Passing away represents dying. Alternate translation: "he dies" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)
you change his face
Possible meanings are 1) the pain just before dying makes his face contract or 2) when a person dies, God makes the person's face look different.
send him away to die
This represents causing him to die. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:21
if they are brought low
Being brought low represents being shamed. Alternate translation: "if they are disgraced" or "if people shame them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 14:22
General Information:
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