Job 7:1
New International Version
“Do not mortals have hard service on earth? Are not their days like those of hired laborers?

New Living Translation
“Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand,

English Standard Version
“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?

Berean Standard Bible
“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

King James Bible
Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

New King James Version
Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?

New American Standard Bible
“Is a person not forced to labor on earth, And are his days not like the days of a hired worker?

NASB 1995
“Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

NASB 1977
“Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

Legacy Standard Bible
“Is not man conscripted to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

Amplified Bible
“Is not man forced to labor on earth? And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

Christian Standard Bible
Isn’t each person consigned to forced labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired worker?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Isn’t mankind consigned to forced labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

American Standard Version
Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

Contemporary English Version
Why is life so hard? Why do we suffer?

English Revised Version
Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? and are not his days like the days of an hireling?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Isn't a mortal's stay on earth difficult like a hired hand's daily [work]?

Good News Translation
Human life is like forced army service, like a life of hard manual labor,

International Standard Version
"Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?

Majority Standard Bible
“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

NET Bible
"Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man?

New Heart English Bible
"Isn't a man forced to labor on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired hand?

Webster's Bible Translation
Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of a hireling?

World English Bible
“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Is there not warfare to man on earth? And his days as the days of a hired worker?

Young's Literal Translation
Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

Smith's Literal Translation
Is there not warfare to man upon the earth, and his days as the days of a hireling?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The life of a man on the earth is a battle, and his days are like the days of a hired hand.

New American Bible
Is not life on earth a drudgery, its days like those of a hireling?

New Revised Standard Version
“Do not human beings have a hard service on earth, and are not their days like the days of a laborer?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
BEHOLD there is an appointed time for man upon earth, and his days are like the days of a hireling.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Now there is time for a person on the Earth, and like the days of a hired man are his days
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Continues: Life Seems Futile
1“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? 2Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages.…

Cross References
Job 14:1
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.

Psalm 39:4-5
“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Ecclesiastes 2:23
Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: / a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

Ecclesiastes 5:15-17
As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands. / This too is a grievous affliction: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind? / Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

Psalm 90:9-10
For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh. / The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. / The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Psalm 144:4
Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Genesis 47:9
“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

1 Corinthians 7:29-31
What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; / those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing; / and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 9:27
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.


Treasury of Scripture

Is there not an appointed time to man on earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

Is there.

Job 14:5,13,14
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; …

Psalm 39:4
LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Isaiah 38:5
Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

an appointed time.

Ecclesiastes 8:8
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

like the days.

Job 14:6
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

Leviticus 25:50
And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

Deuteronomy 15:18
It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

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Appointed Earth Forced Hand Hard Hired Hireling Labor Ordered Payment Servant Service Time Trouble Warfare Working
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Appointed Earth Forced Hand Hard Hired Hireling Labor Ordered Payment Servant Service Time Trouble Warfare Working
Job 7
1. Job excuses his desire of death.
12. He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God.














Is not man
The Hebrew word for "man" here is "אֱנוֹשׁ" (enosh), which often emphasizes the frailty and mortality of humanity. This term is used to reflect on the human condition, highlighting the inherent weakness and vulnerability of mankind. In the context of Job, it underscores the existential struggle and the transient nature of human life. The rhetorical question invites readers to consider the universal experience of human suffering and toil.

consigned to labor
The phrase "consigned to labor" suggests a sense of inevitability and duty. The Hebrew root "צָבָא" (tsaba) can imply being drafted or enlisted, often used in military contexts. This conveys the idea that labor is not merely a choice but an assignment or obligation placed upon humanity. It reflects the post-Fall condition described in Genesis, where labor becomes a part of the human experience due to sin. This labor is not just physical but also emotional and spiritual, encompassing the entirety of human struggle.

on earth
The term "earth" in Hebrew is "אֶרֶץ" (eretz), which can mean land, ground, or the world. It reminds us of the earthly realm where human life unfolds, distinct from the heavenly or spiritual realms. This emphasizes the temporal and often harsh reality of life on earth, where man must toil and face the consequences of a fallen world. It also points to the biblical narrative of creation, where man was formed from the dust of the ground, linking humanity's labor to the very substance of the earth.

Are not his days
The phrase "his days" refers to the limited and finite nature of human life. In Hebrew, "יָמִים" (yamim) is used, which can denote both the literal days and the broader span of one's life. This reflects the biblical understanding that human life is brief and filled with toil, as echoed in other wisdom literature like Psalms and Ecclesiastes. It serves as a reminder of the brevity and preciousness of life, urging a reflection on how one spends their days.

like those of a hired hand?
The comparison to "a hired hand" uses the Hebrew "שָׂכִיר" (sakhir), which refers to a laborer or mercenary who works for wages. This imagery evokes the idea of working under obligation, often without personal fulfillment or lasting reward. It suggests a life of routine and hardship, where one's efforts are temporary and transactional. In the ancient Near Eastern context, hired hands were often seen as outsiders, lacking the security and inheritance of family. This metaphor highlights the transient and often unsatisfying nature of human labor, pointing to a deeper longing for purpose and rest that can only be fulfilled in God.

Verses 1-21. - In this chapter Job first bewails his miserable fate, of which he expects no alleviation (vers. 1-10); then claims an unlimited right of complaint (ver. 11); and finally enters into direct expostulation with God - an expostulation which continues from ver. 12 to the end of the chapter. At the close, he admits his sinfulness (ver. 20), but asks impatiently why God does not pardon it instead of visiting it with such extreme vengeance (ver. 21). Verse 1. - Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? rather, Is there not a warfare (or, a time of service) to man upon earth? Has not each man a certain work appointed for him to do, and a certain limited time assigned him within which to do it? And thus, Are not his days also like the days of an hireling? Since the hireling is engaged to do a certain work in a certain time.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Is not
הֲלֹא־ (hă·lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

man
לֶאֱנ֣וֹשׁ (le·’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

consigned to labor
צָבָ֣א (ṣā·ḇā)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

on
עֲלֵי־ (‘ă·lê-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

earth?
אָ֑רֶץ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Are not his days
וְכִימֵ֖י (wə·ḵî·mê)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

like those
יָמָֽיו׃ (yā·māw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

of a hired hand?
שָׂכִ֣יר (śā·ḵîr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7916: A man at wages


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OT Poetry: Job 7:1 Isn't a man forced to labor (Jb)
Job 6:30
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