Job chapter 7

After reading chapter 7:

*Job is still speaking. This chapter is kind of an existential rant punctuated by laments about his current condition. Mortals are like slaves or hired hands, doing hard labor their whole lives. They look forward to the end of the day, when they can rest and be paid. But Job can't sleep and he's covered with sores. Life is over quickly, like a weaver's shuttle, like a breath, like a vanishing cloud. His days come to an end without hope. Those "who go down to the grave" are gone forever. They will never return. So much for resurrection or life in heaven.

*So, Job refuses to be quiet. He will moan and complain if he wants. Is he the sea or the monster of the deep that he needs to be put under guard? This doesn't seem to make much sense until you look at the hebrew root word for sea, which is yam. It is very interesting to note that yam is also refers to an ancient sea God. It is a vestige of pantheism/polytheism where nature itself is controlled and/or made up of capricious gods. Also the "monster of the deep" is from the Hebrew word tannin, which also has its roots in the same ancient mythology. These beings were symbols of chaos and destruction.

*Job continues on saying he thought he would get some comfort from being in bed but then he is terrified  by dreams and visions, presumably from God but maybe he is talking about Eliphaz's vision. He goes on to say he would prefer strangling to death than life. He has no desire to live forever either. He asks why people are given so much attention and testing, they are not let alone even for the time it takes to swallow their spit, according to the Hebrew. The NIV says "even for an instant."

*Job wants to be told what he has done wrong. Why is he a target? Why can't his offenses be pardoned. He's going to die soon anyway, then he won't be able to be found because he will no longer exist. So, even a god can not find people who are dead?

*This passage doesn't use any of the words assumed to mean God. As far as I can tell, Job could be speaking facetiously to Eliphaz. The KJV would support that, but the NIV intends for us to think Job is talking to God.