Job 7:18
And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
Original Language Analysis
וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ
And that thou shouldest visit
H6485
וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ
And that thou shouldest visit
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
1 of 4
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
לִבְקָרִ֑ים
him every morning
H1242
לִבְקָרִ֑ים
him every morning
Strong's:
H1242
Word #:
2 of 4
properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning
Cross References
Jeremiah 9:7Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?1 Peter 1:7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern religions portrayed deities as capricious, sometimes blessing and sometimes harming humans arbitrarily. Job's question challenges this: Why does YHWH, the covenant God, treat him like enemies treat prey? His question assumes God should be benevolent, making the experienced malevolence more perplexing.
Questions for Reflection
- How can we maintain trust when God's providential attention feels more like harassment than blessing?
- What does Job's inverted use of Psalm 8 teach about how suffering reshapes our theological perception?
- In what ways does understanding testing's sanctifying purpose transform our response to constant trials?
Analysis & Commentary
Job asks why God bothers visiting humanity daily and testing 'him every moment.' The verb 'visit' (paqad, פָּקַד) means to attend to, inspect, or muster—it can denote blessing (Ruth 1:6) or judgment (Exodus 32:34). The verb 'magnify' (gadal, גָּדַל) means to make great or important. Job's question inverts Psalm 8:4: 'What is man, that thou art mindful of him?' But where David marvels at divine care, Job protests divine harassment.
The phrase 'try him every moment' (rega, רֶגַע, an instant, blink of an eye) suggests relentless, continuous testing without respite. Job experiences God's attention not as providence but as persecution. This reveals how suffering can distort our perception of God's character—the same watchful care that blesses can seem oppressive when viewed through pain's lens.
Reformed theology affirms that God's testing serves sanctification (James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7). God magnifies humanity not despite our frailty but to reveal it, driving us to dependence on grace. Job's complaint receives partial vindication—God does test constantly—but the final chapters will reveal this testing's redemptive purpose.