Job Chapter 14 — The Frailty of Human Life
Job reflects on the short and difficult nature of human existence, contrasting the permanence of death with the seasonal renewal of a tree.
1“Man, who is born of a woman,
2He grows up like a flower, and is cut down.
3Do you open your eyes on such a one,
4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
5Seeing his days are determined,
6Look away from him, that he may rest,
7“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down,
8Though its root grows old in the earth,
9yet through the scent of water it will bud,
10But man dies, and is laid low.
11As the waters fail from the sea,
12so man lies down and doesn’t rise.
13“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,*Sheol is the place of the dead.
14If a man dies, will he live again?
15You would call, and I would answer you.
16But now you count my steps.
17My disobedience is sealed up in a bag.
18“But the mountain falling comes to nothing.
19The waters wear the stones.
20You forever prevail against him, and he departs.
21His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it.
22But his flesh on him has pain,
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Job 14:1-2
“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. He grows up like a flower, and is cut down.”
This verse famously captures Job's perspective on the fleeting and difficult nature of human life.
Job 14:7
“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.”
Job uses this metaphor to contrast the physical resilience of nature with the perceived finality of human death.
Job 14:14
“If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my warfare I would wait, until my release should come.”
This question reflects Job's deep contemplation of the possibility of existence beyond death.
Chapter Summary
In Job Chapter 14, Job continues his address to God, focusing on the inherent weakness and brevity of human life. He compares humanity to a flower that quickly withers and a shadow that does not remain. Job observes that while a cut tree may sprout again through the scent of water, a person who dies is laid low and does not rise again. He questions whether a person can live again after death and expresses a momentary longing for God to hide him in Sheol until His anger has passed. Job describes the overwhelming power of God over man's destiny, noting how even mountains and stones are worn away by time and water. The chapter concludes with a somber view of mortality, as Job laments that a dying person loses connection with the world and focuses only on their own physical pain and grief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Job observes that a tree has hope for renewal even if it is cut down, as it can sprout again from its roots. In contrast, he feels that once a man dies, he is laid low and does not rise again in the same way nature does.
In the context of this chapter, Sheol refers to the place of the dead where Job asks God to hide him. He views it as a potential refuge from his current suffering and God's perceived anger.
Job uses this phrase to describe how even a seemingly dead stump can be revitalized by the presence of moisture. It highlights the persistence of life in the natural world compared to the fragility of man.
Study Note
The rhetorical question 'If a man dies, will he live again?' in verse 14 highlights the existential tension and early biblical inquiry into the nature of the afterlife.
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