Job 7:18

7:17-21 Job reasons with God concerning his dealings with man. But in the midst of this discourse, Job seems to have lifted up his thoughts to God with some faith and hope. Observe the concern he is in about his sins. The best men have to complain of sin; and the better they are, the more they will complain of it. God is the Preserver of our lives, and the Saviour of the souls of all that believe; but probably Job meant the Observer of men, whose eyes are upon the ways and hearts of all men. We can hide nothing from Him; let us plead guilty before his throne of grace, that we may not be condemned at his judgment-seat. Job maintained, against his friends, that he was not a hypocrite, not a wicked man, yet he owns to his God, that he had sinned. The best must so acknowledge, before the Lord. He seriously inquires how he might be at peace with God, and earnestly begs forgiveness of his sins. He means more than the removing of his outward trouble, and is earnest for the return of God's favour. Wherever the Lord removes the guilt of sin, he breaks the power of sin. To strengthen his prayer for pardon, Job pleads the prospect he had of dying quickly. If my sins be not pardoned while I live, I am lost and undone for ever. How wretched is sinful man without a knowledge of the Saviour!

That is, "daily", continually, as Aben Ezra interprets it; either in a way of love, grace, and mercy; so God has visited men, by raising up and sending his Son to be a Redeemer of them; the Son of God has visited them, as the dayspring from on high, by his incarnation and appearance in this world; see Luke 1:68 ; and the Lord visits them, by calling them by his grace, see Acts 15:14 ; by communing and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; by helping right early, and by renewing his mercies to them every morning, all which is matter of admiration: or else the word may be taken in a different sense, as it sometimes is, either for punishing man for sin, as in Exodus 20:5 ; or for chastising the Lord's people, which is a visiting them, though in a fatherly way, and in love, and which is often and frequently done, even every morning, see Psalm 89:32 ; and so the sense agrees with the former, though by some given with this difference thus, "what is man, that thou shouldest magnify him?" or make him great both in things temporal and spiritual, as he had made Job in the time of his prosperity, which he may have respect unto; having been the greatest man in all the east, with respect to both characters, whereby it was plain he had interest in the love and affections of the heart of God; and "yet, notwithstanding, nevertheless, thou visitest him" (t), with afflictions and chastisements continually; which may seem strange, and look like a contradiction, that thou shouldest

Job 7:18 . And that thou shouldest visit him — Namely, punish or chastise him, as the word visiting is often used; every morning — That is, every day; the word morning, which is the beginning of the day, being put, by a synecdoche, for the whole day, as the evening ( Job 7:4 ) is put for the whole night; and try him every moment — That is, afflict him, which is often called trying, because it does indeed try a man’s faith, and patience, and perseverance. But this and the former verse may possibly be understood of mercies as well as afflictions. Having declared his loathing of life, and his passionate desire of death, and urged it with this consideration, that the days of his life were mere vanity; he may be considered as pursuing his argument with this expostulation, What is man, that vain, foolish creature, that thou shouldest magnify, or regard, or visit him with thy mercy and blessings; that thou shouldest so far honour and regard him, as by thy visitation to preserve his spirit, or hold his soul in life; and try him, which God doth, not only by his afflictions, but also by prosperity, and both inward and outward blessings? That thou shouldest observe his motions every moment, as in care for him, and jealous over him?

18 . The words of this verse recall Psalm 8:5 ; Psalm 144:3 , the former of which passages at least must have been in the Author’s mind. The admiring gratefulness of the Psalmist that God condescended to visit man and gave him such a place in His estimation is parodied by Job, and the Psalmist’s words are made with bitter irony to express his wonder that God should occupy Himself continually with so slight a thing as man, and make him the object of His unceasing persecution.

Verse 18. - And that thou shouldset visit him every morning, and try him every moment? Our whole life is a probation, not merely particular parts of it. God "tries us every moment " if not with afflictions, then with blessings; if not with pains, then with pleasures. He is with us all the day long, and all our life long, equally in his mercies and in his chastisements. But Job was probably thinking only of the latter. Job 7:18

Visit him; to wit, punish or chasten him, as the word to visit , or visiting , is oft used, as Exodus 20:5 32:34 34:7 . Every morning , i.e. every day. But he mentions the morning, either because that is the beginning of the day, and so is put synecdochically for the whole day, as the evening , Job 7:4 , is put for the whole night; or he speaks of God after the manner of men, who rest and sleep in the night, but in the morning rise and go about their business, and visit or inspect those persons and things which they have a respect for or care of. Try him, i.e. afflict him, which is oft called trying, because it doth indeed try a man’s faith, and patience, and perseverance. But this and the former verse may possibly be otherwise understood, not of afflictions, but of mercies. Having declared his loathing of life, and his passionate desire of death, and urged it with this consideration, that the days of his life were mere vanity , he now pursues it with this expostulation. What is man, that vain, foolish creature, that thou shouldst magnify , or regard , or visit him , (to wit, with thy mercy and blessings, of which those words are commonly used, i.e. that thou shouldst so far honour and regard him, as by thy visitation to preserve his spirit, or hold his soul in life,) and try him? which God doth not only by afflictions, but also by prosperity and outward blessings, which commonly detect a man’s hypocrisy, and discover that corruption which before lay hid in his heart.

And that thou shouldest visit him? - That is, for the purpose of inflicting pain. This language Job intends undoubtedly to be applicable to himself, and he asks with impatience why God should take a pleasure in visiting with suffering each returning day a creature like him? Every morning - Why is there no intermission even for a day? Why does not God allow one morning, or one moment, to pass without inflicting pain on a creature so feeble and so frail? And try him - Or, prove him; to wit, by afflictions. Every moment - Constantly; without intermission.