Job 14

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 22 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=36-37}} Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q100 (4QJob{{sup|b}}; 50–1 BCE) with extant verses 4–6{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=728}}{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=42}}[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/4Q100-1 4Q100 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library] and 4Q101 (4QpaleoJob{{sup|c}}; 250–150 BCE) with extant verses 13–18.{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=728}}[https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#job Dead sea scrolls - Job]{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=42}}[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/4Q101-1 4Q101 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}

The structure of the book is as follows:{{sfn|Wilson|2015|pp=17–23}}

• The Prologue (chapters 1–2)
• The Dialogue (chapters 3–31)
• The Verdicts (32:1–42:6)
• The Epilogue (42:7–17)

Within the structure, chapter 14 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline:{{sfn|Wilson|2015|pp=18–21}}

• Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament (3:1–26)
• Round One (4:1–14:22)
• Eliphaz (4:1–5:27)
• Job (6:1–7:21)
• Bildad (8:1–22)
• Job (9:1–10:22)
• Zophar (11:1–20)
• Job (12:1–14:22)
• The Wicked Prosper but I Am Suffering (12:1–6)
• God's Hand in Creation (12:7–12)
• God's Active Control of the World (12:13–25)
• Job's Stance (13:1–3)
• Job's Rebuke of His Friends (13:4–12)
• Addressing the Friends (13:13–19)
• Addressing God (13:20–28)
• The Brevity of Human Life (14:1–6)
• The Lack of Hope for Humans (14:7–12)
• Job's Imaginative Exploration of Hope (14:13–17)
• The Lack of Hope – Again (14:18–22)
• Round Two (15:1–21:34)
• Round Three (22:1–27:23)
• Interlude – A Poem on Wisdom (28:1–28)
• Job's Summing Up (29:1–31:40)

The Dialogue section is composed in the format of poetry with distinctive syntax and grammar.{{sfn|Crenshaw|2007|p=335}} Chapters 12 to 14 contain Job's closing speech of the first round, where he directly addresses his friends (12:2–3; 13:2, 4–12).{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=79}}

There are two major units in chapter 14, each with a distinct key question:{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=86}}

• Verses 1–6 focus on the brevity of human life, with the key question in verses 3–4.
• Verses 7–22 explore the issue of hope for humans, with the key question in verses 13–17.{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=86}}

File:Job.jpg and his friends", on an unknown medieval wall painting in a Dutch Reformed Church, Hattem, Netherlands.]]

This section contains Job's laments of his suffering against the backdrop of human sorrow in general (echoing chapter 7).{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=87}} Three phrases ("born of a woman", "few of days" and "full of trouble"; verse 1) and the analogies to "a flower" and "a shadow" (verse 2) emphasize human limitations as well as the brevity of human life.{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=87}} Job attempts to protest that God treats him as a "hired man", which is 'unsuited for his limilations' (verses 5–6).{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=88}}

:[Job said:] "Look away from him that he may rest,

::Till like a hired man he finishes his day."{{bibleref2|Job|14:6|NKJV}} NKJV

• "Rest": or "cease",Note on Job 14:6 in NKJV from the Hebrew verb {{lang|he|חָדַל}}, khadal ("to desist; to cease"), so it would mean here "and let him desist" or "and let him rest".Note [a] on Job 14:6 in NET Bible

Here Job depicts humans as "hired laborers" under a harsh taskmaster, so 'life becomes mere tedium driven by obligation and fear', instead of 'joyful service to a caring master'.{{sfn|Estes|2013|p=87}}

There are three units in this section:{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=86}}

• Verses 7–12 point to lack of hope for humanity
• Verses 13–17 provide the key question as well as Job's imaginative exploration of hope
• Verses 18–22 revisit the lack of hope for humanity.{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=86}}

The center point is that Job wants God to 'remember' him (verse 13; cf. Job 7:7, 10:9) and protect him from divine wrath, believing that God is in charge, although in the ways that Job does not fully understand.{{sfn|Wilson|2015|p=89}}

:[Job said:] "Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,

::that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,

:that You would appoint me a set time

::and remember me!"{{bibleref2|Job|14:13|MEV}} MEV

• "Hide me in the grave": seems to be in contrast to Job's revulsion of the grave in other parts of his speeches (Job 7:9; 17:16), because Job thinks the afterlife is 'an unpleasant prospect of joyless semi-existence', instead of 'a joyful anticipation'.{{sfn|Estes|2013|p=88}}
• "The grave": translated from the Hebrew term "Sheol", which in the Bible refers to 'the place where the dead go'.Note [b] on Job 14:13 in NET Bible

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|

• Afterlife
• Death
• Divine retribution
• Sin
• Suffering

}}

• Related Bible parts: Job 12, Job 13, Job 31

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last = Alter |first = Robert |title = The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary |publisher = W.W. Norton & Co |year = 2010 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TujOn209Ts8C| isbn = 978-0393080735}}
• {{Cite book|last= Coogan|first = Michael David| authorlink= Michael D. Coogan |title = The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 |editor-last1=Coogan |editor-first1=Michael David |editor-first2=Marc Zvi |editor-last2= Brettler |editor-first3=Carol Ann |editor-last3= Newsom |editor-first4= Pheme |editor-last4= Perkins |edition= Augmented 3rd |publisher = Oxford University Press |year =2007 |isbn = 9780195288810 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ}}
• {{Cite book|last= Crenshaw | first= James L. | chapter = 17. Job | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John| editor-last1=Barton |editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John| editor-last2= Muddiman |editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press |edition= first (paperback) | date = 2007 | pages = 331–355 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ| access-date=February 6, 2019}}
• {{Cite book|last= Estes | first = Daniel J. | title= Job | series= Teach the Text Commentary Series |editor-first1= John H. |editor-last1=Walton |editor-first2= Mark L. |editor-last2=Strauss | place= United States |publisher =Baker Publishing Group | year= 2013 |isbn = 9781441242778 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SpFRU1n-oUMC }}
• {{Cite book |last = Farmer |first = Kathleen A. |chapter = The Wisdom Books |editor1-last = McKenzie |editor1-first = Steven L. |editor2-last = Graham |editor2-first = Matt Patrick |title = The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues |publisher = Westminster John Knox Press |year = 1998 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=owwhpmIVgSAC |isbn = 978-0-66425652-4}}
• {{Cite book |last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.|author-link= Joseph Fitzmyer |title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature |publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008|isbn = 9780802862419|location = Grand Rapids, MI }}
• {{cite book|last= Halley| first= Henry H.| authorlink= Henry Hampton Halley| title= Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary |edition=24th (revised)|publisher= Zondervan Publishing House |date= 1965 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zsG4oLToI7oC | isbn= 0-310-25720-4}}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Kugler | first1 = Robert | last2 = Hartin | first2 = Patrick J. | title = An Introduction to the Bible | publisher = Eerdmans | year = 2009 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L8WbXbPjxpoC | isbn = 978-0-8028-4636-5 }}
• {{Cite book | editor-last = Ulrich | editor-first = Eugene |editor-link= Eugene Ulrich | title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants | year = 2010 | publisher = Brill | url = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls}}
• {{Cite book | last1 =Walton | first1 = John H.| title = Job | place= United States | publisher = Zondervan |year= 2012 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vNQ9CvY0NccC | isbn = 9780310492009 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 =Wilson | first1 = Lindsay | title = Job | place= United States | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company |year= 2015 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_IpyCgAAQBAJ | isbn = 9781467443289 }}
• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes | isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• Jewish translations:
• [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16416 Iyov - Job - Chapter 14 (Judaica Press)] translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
• Christian translations:
• [http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Job+14 Online Bible at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=22&chapter=14&version=9 Book of Job Chapter 14]. Various versions
• {{librivox book | title=Book of Job}} Various versions

{{Book of Job}}

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