Job 7:2
As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
Original Language Analysis
יִשְׁאַף
earnestly desireth
H7602
יִשְׁאַף
earnestly desireth
Strong's:
H7602
Word #:
2 of 6
to inhale eagerly; figuratively, to cover; by implication, to be angry; also to hasten
וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר
and as an hireling
H7916
וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר
and as an hireling
Strong's:
H7916
Word #:
4 of 6
a man who is hired by the day or year
Cross References
Leviticus 19:13Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.Deuteronomy 24:15At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.James 5:4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.Malachi 3:5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Historical Context
Job's metaphors reflect ancient Near Eastern labor practices where agricultural workers and servants endured harsh physical demands. The 'shadow' (tsel, צֵל) refers to the lengthening afternoon shadows that signaled the end of the workday around 6 PM. Day laborers were paid at sunset according to Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 24:15), though Job predates this codification.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Job's honest expression of suffering challenge superficial 'count it all joy' approaches to trials?
- In what ways does recognizing that even the righteous experience weariness and longing for relief vindicate authentic Christian experience?
- How does this verse point forward to the rest and reward promised to those who labor faithfully in Christ's vineyard?
Analysis & Commentary
Job employs a double comparison to express his desperate longing for relief. The Hebrew word for 'servant' (ebed, עֶבֶד) refers to a bondservant or slave who eagerly awaits the evening shadow—the end of his labor day. The 'hireling' (sakir, שָׂכִיר) denotes a day laborer who anxiously anticipates his wages. Both images convey earnest, weary expectation of relief from toil.
Job's comparison reveals the existential anguish of suffering without hope of resolution. While servants and hirelings have defined endpoints (evening and payday), Job sees no terminus to his agony. This verse introduces a profound meditation on human temporality and the weariness of existence under God's inscrutable providence. The Reformed understanding recognizes that fallen creation subjects humanity to futility (Romans 8:20), yet this groaning anticipates final redemption.
The imagery foreshadows Christ's own words about laborers worthy of their hire (Luke 10:7) and points to the eschatological rest awaiting God's people (Hebrews 4:9-11). Job's anguish, though premature given his eventual restoration, articulates the legitimate cry of those who suffer under divine sovereignty while maintaining faith.