Job 7:16

"so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones."

Key Reflection

In Job 7:16, the phrase "my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones" conveys a profound sense of despair and weariness with life. The imagery suggests that Job finds his very existence burdensome and would prefer to end his suffering by choosing a swift, painful death over enduring it. This powerful statement reflects the intense emotional and physical turmoil Job experiences, highlighting his deep dissatisfaction with his current condition.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

I loathe it -I loathe my life as it is now. It has become a burden and I desire to part with it, and to go down to the grave. There is, however, considerable variety in the interpretation of this. Noyes renders it, “I am wasting away.” Dr. Good connects it with the previous verse and understands by it, “death in comparison with my sufferings do I despise.” The Syriac is, - it fails to me, that is, I fail, or my powers are wasting away. But the Hebrew wordמאסmâ'asmeans properly to loathe and contemn (see the note atJob 7:5), and the true idea here is expressed in the common version.

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