New King James Version
Job 7:17
17“What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him,
Job 7:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
- New International Version (NIV)“What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention,
- English Standard Version (ESV)What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often?
Context of Job 7:17
15So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. 16I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, 18That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment? 19How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
Read all of Job 7Job 7:17 word by word
מָֽה־אֱ֭נוֹשׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 7:17
- Psalms 8:4What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
- Psalms 144:3Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
- Hebrews 2:6But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?
- Job 7:12Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me?
- 1 Samuel 24:14After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
- Job 34:14If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
Commentaries on Job 7:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17What is man that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? - Two different ideas have been drawn from these words: - Man is not worth thy notice; why therefore dost thou contend with him? How astonishing is thy kindness that thou shouldest fix thy heart - thy strongest affections, on such a poor, base, vile, impotent creature as man, (אנוש enosh ), that thou shouldest so highly exalt him beyond all other creatures, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? - That thou shouldst make him great, or that thou shouldst regard him as of so great importance as to fix thine eye attentively upon him. The idea here is, that it was unworthy the character of so great a being as God to bestow so much time and attention on a creature so insignificant as man; and especially that man could not be of so much importance that it was necessary for God to watch all his defects with…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. 17-18that You should exalt him: Compare with Psalm 8:4–5, which expresses similar thoughts in a positive way. attend (Hebrew paqad): In Psalm 8:4, this term means "to honor or care for." Job used it ironically to mean "You bother yourself" (compare with "punished," Isaiah 26:14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. (Psa 8:4; 144:3). Job means, "What is man that thou shouldst make him [of so much importance], and that thou shouldst expend such attention [or, heart-thought] upon him" as to make him the subject of so severe trials? Job ought rather to have reasoned from God's condescending so far to notice man as to try him, that there must be a wise and loving purpose in trial. David uses the same words, in their right application, to express wonder that God…Read the comment
Topics related to Job 7:17
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries