Job 7:21

Job 7:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
• New International Version (NIV)Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.”

Context of Job 7:21

19Why don’t you stop looking at me long enough to let me swallow my spit? 20If I sin, what can I ⌞possibly⌟ do to you since you insist on spying on people? Why do you make me your target? I’ve become a burden even to myself. Why don’t you forgive my disobedience and take away my sin? Soon I’ll lie down in the dust. Then you will search for me, but I’ll be gone!”

Job 7:21 word by word

וּמֶ֤ה׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פִשְׁעִי֮ וְתַעֲבִ֪יר אֶת־עֲוֹ֫נִ֥י כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה לֶעָפָ֣ר אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And why dost thou not pardonנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: forgiveH5375
• my transgressionפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
• and take awayעָבַר‛âbar · to pass: bringH5674
• mine iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• for now shall I sleepשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: be deadH7901
• in the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• and thou shalt seek me in the morningשָׁחַרshâchar · to seekH7836

Cross-references for Job 7:21

• Job 10:14“ ‘If I sin, you watch me and will not free me from my guilt.
• Job 13:23How many crimes and sins have I committed? Make me aware of my disobedience and my sin.
• Isaiah 64:9Don’t be too angry, Lord. Don’t remember our sin forever. Now look, we are all your people.
• Lamentations 3:42“We have been disobedient and rebellious. You haven’t forgiven us.
• Lamentations 5:20Why have you completely forgotten us? Why have you abandoned us for such a long time?
• 2 Samuel 24:10After David counted the people, his conscience troubled him. David said to the Lord, “I have committed a terrible sin by what I have done. Lord, please forgive me because I have acted very foolishly.”
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy.
• Hosea 14:2Return to the Lord, and say these things to him: “Forgive all our sins, and kindly receive us. Then we’ll praise you with our lips.
• John 1:29John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
• 1 John 1:9God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.
• 1 John 3:5You know that Christ appeared in order to take away our sins. He isn’t sinful.
• Job 3:13Instead of being alive, I would now be quietly lying down. I would now be sleeping peacefully.
• Job 17:14if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘You are my mother and sister,’
• Job 21:32He is carried to the cemetery, and his grave is guarded.
• Ecclesiastes 12:7Then the dust ⌞of mortals⌟ goes back to the ground as it was before, and the breath of life goes back to God who gave it.
• Isaiah 26:19Your dead will live. Their corpses will rise. Those who lie dead in the dust will wake up and shout for joy, because your dew is a refreshing dew, and the earth will revive the spirits of the dead.

Commentaries on Job 7:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21And why dost thou not pardon - These words are spoken after the manner of men. If thou have any design to save me, if I have sinned, why dost thou not pardon my transgression, as thou seest that I am a dying man; and to-morrow morning thou mayest seek me to do me good, but in all probability I shall then be no more, and all thy kind thoughts towards me shall be unavailing? If I have sinned, then why should not I have a part in that mercy that flows so…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression? - Admitting that I have sinned Job 7:20, yet why dost thou not forgive me? I shall soon pass away from the land of the living. I may be sought but I shall not be found. No one would be injured by my being pardoned - since I am so short-lived, and so unimportant in the scale of being. No one can be benefited by pursuing a creature of a day, such as I am, with punishment. Such seems to be the meaning of this…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 Job reasons with God concerning his dealings with man. But in the midst of this discourse, Job seems to have lifted up his thoughts to God with some faith and hope. Observe the concern he is in about his sins. The best men have to complain of sin; and the better they are, the more they will complain of it. God is the Preserver of our lives, and the Saviour of the souls of all that believe; but probably Job meant the Observer of men, whose…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-21Job cried out to God, saying life was too short (7:6–10). This complaint contrasts with his earlier wish for God to end his life (6:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. for now--very soon. in the morning--not the resurrection; for then Job will be found. It is a figure, from one seeking a sick man in the morning, and finding he has died in the night. So Job implies that, if God does not help him at once, it will be too late, for he will be gone. The reason why God does not give an immediate sense of pardon to awakened sinners is that they think they have a claim on God for it.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 7:21

• Death

In the dictionaries

• Bitterness
• Complain
• Dust
• Preserver
• Terrify
• Wearisome
• Daniel, Book of
• Justice

Commentaries on Job 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings