Job 7:4
New International Version
When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

New Living Translation
Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’ But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn.

English Standard Version
When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn.

Berean Standard Bible
When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

King James Bible
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

New King James Version
When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, And the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.

New American Standard Bible
“When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

NASB 1995
“When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

NASB 1977
“When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

Legacy Standard Bible
If I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the twilight continues, And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.

Amplified Bible
“When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

Christian Standard Bible
When I lie down I think, “When will I get up? ” But the evening drags on endlessly, and I toss and turn until dawn.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When I lie down I think: When will I get up? But the evening drags on endlessly, and I toss and turn until dawn.

American Standard Version
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

Contemporary English Version
I pray for night to end, but it stretches out while I toss and turn.

English Revised Version
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? but the night is long; and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When I lie down, I ask, 'When will I get up?' But the evening is long, and I'm exhausted from tossing about until dawn.

Good News Translation
When I lie down to sleep, the hours drag; I toss all night and long for dawn.

International Standard Version
"When I lie down I ask, 'When will I wake up?' But the night continues and I keep tossing and turning until dawn.

Majority Standard Bible
When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

NET Bible
If I lie down, I say, 'When will I arise?', and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns.

New Heart English Bible
When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise, and the night be gone?' I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

Webster's Bible Translation
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day.

World English Bible
When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If I lay down, then I have said, When do I rise, "" And evening has been measured? And I have been full of tossings until dawn.

Young's Literal Translation
If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

Smith's Literal Translation
If I lay down, and I said, When shall I arise, and the evening be measured? And I was filled with tossings even to the twilight.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
If I lie down to sleep, I will say, “When will I rise?” And next I will hope for the evening and will be filled with sorrows even until darkness.

New American Bible
When I lie down I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.

New Revised Standard Version
When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I rise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing until dawn.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? and the night seems long; when I go to rest, I toss about till the dawning of the day.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
If I lie down, also I say, ‘when shall I arise?’ And I stretch out the evening and lie down, and I tremble until dawn
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When I lie down, I say: 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whenever I lie down, I say, When will it be day? and whenever I rise up, again I say when will it be evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Continues: Life Seems Futile
3So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me. 4When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. 5My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering.…

Cross References
Psalm 6:6
I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

Psalm 77:4
You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

Psalm 102:7
I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

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.

Lamentations 3:49
My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,

Isaiah 38:13
I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

Jeremiah 20:18
Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

Psalm 13:1-2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? / How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?

Psalm 30:5
For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 42:3
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalm 55:4-5
My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me. / Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

Psalm 119:148
My eyes anticipate the watches of night, that I may meditate on Your word.

Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

2 Corinthians 1:8
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.


Treasury of Scripture

When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day.

When.

Job 7:13,14
When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; …

Job 17:12
They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.

Job 30:17
My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

night, etc.

Psalm 109:23
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

Isaiah 54:11
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

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Arise Bed Continually Continues Dawn Dawning Drags Evening Fro Full Lay Lie Measured Morning Night Rise Side Think Time Toss Tossing Tossings Turn Turning When
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Arise Bed Continually Continues Dawn Dawning Drags Evening Fro Full Lay Lie Measured Morning Night Rise Side Think Time Toss Tossing Tossings Turn Turning When
Job 7
1. Job excuses his desire of death.
12. He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God.














When I lie down
This phrase captures the moment of rest that Job seeks, yet it is elusive. In the Hebrew context, lying down is often associated with peace and rest, as seen in Psalm 4:8, where lying down is linked with safety and tranquility. However, for Job, this anticipated rest is fraught with anxiety and turmoil. The Hebrew word "שָׁכַב" (shakab) implies a physical act of lying down, but here it is laden with emotional and spiritual unrest, highlighting Job's profound suffering and the disruption of his peace.

I think 'When will I get up?'
Job's thoughts are consumed with the anticipation of relief from his suffering. The Hebrew verb "אָמַר" (amar), translated as "I think," suggests a deep, internal dialogue. This reflects Job's restless mind, unable to find solace even in sleep. The question "When will I get up?" underscores his longing for the night to end, symbolizing his desire for an end to his trials. This phrase echoes the human condition of yearning for deliverance from pain, a theme prevalent throughout Scripture.

But the night drags on
The night, often a time for rest and renewal, becomes a prolonged period of distress for Job. The Hebrew word "מָדַד" (madad), meaning "drags on," conveys a sense of stretching or extending, emphasizing the interminable nature of Job's suffering. In the ancient Near Eastern context, night was also a time of vulnerability and fear, which amplifies Job's sense of helplessness. This phrase captures the essence of prolonged suffering, a common experience in the human journey, and invites readers to empathize with Job's plight.

and I toss and turn until dawn
The imagery of tossing and turning, expressed by the Hebrew "נָדַד" (nadad), suggests restlessness and discomfort. This physical manifestation of Job's inner turmoil is a vivid portrayal of his sleepless nights. The mention of "dawn" signifies hope and the promise of a new day, yet for Job, it is merely a continuation of his anguish. This phrase encapsulates the tension between hope and despair, a recurring theme in the Book of Job. It serves as a reminder of the endurance required in the face of suffering and the ultimate hope found in God's sovereignty.

(4) When I lie down, I say.--Or, When I lie down, then I say, When shall I arise? But the night is long, and I am filled with tossings to and fro till the morning twilight.

Verse 4. - When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? So Gesenius, Rosenmuller, and Delitzsch. Others translate, "the night is long" (Dillmann, Renan), or "the night seems endless" (Merx); comp. Deuteronomy 28:67, "At evening thou shalt say, Would God it were morning!" And I am full of tossings to and fro. Professor Lee understands "tossings of the mind," or "distracting thoughts;" but it is more probable that tossings of the body are meant. These are familiar to every bad sleeper. Unto the dawning of the day. A little rest sometimes visits the tired eyelids after a long, sleepless night. Job may refer to this, or he may simply mean that he lay tossing on his bed all through the night, till morning came, when he arose.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I lie down
שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי (šā·ḵaḇ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

I think:
וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי (wə·’ā·mar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘When
מָתַ֣י (mā·ṯay)
Interrogative
Strong's 4970: Extent, when

will I get up?’
אָ֭קוּם (’ā·qūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

But the night
עָ֑רֶב (‘ā·reḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6153: Evening

drags on,
וּמִדַּד־ (ū·mid·daḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4059: Be gone

and I toss and turn
וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי (wə·śā·ḇa‘·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

until
עֲדֵי־ (‘ă·ḏê-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

dawn.
נָֽשֶׁף׃ (nā·šep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5399: A breeze, dusk


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OT Poetry: Job 7:4 When I lie down I say 'When (Jb)
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