The Meaning of Job 14:1 Explained

Job 14:1

KJV: Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

YLT: Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!

Darby: Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

ASV: Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Man  [that is] born  of a woman  [is] of few  days,  and full  of trouble. 

What does Job 14:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 14:1-22 - Shall Man Live Again?
Continuing his appeal, Job looks from his own case to the condition of mankind generally, Job 14:1-6. All men are frail and full of trouble, Job 9:32-34,0; why should God bring a creature so weak into judgment with Him? Job 14:3. The sinfulness of man is universal-not one can be proved clean before God, Job 14:4. Since man is so frail Job pleads that he may not have such unwonted affliction, but may get some pleasure, Job 14:6, r.v., out of his brief day.
The anticipation of death as total extinction strengthens Job's appeal, Job 14:7-12. Of a tree there is hope that, if cut down, it will sprout again, Job 14:7-9. But at present Job sees no such hope for man. He dies, and is done with, as waters "fail from the sea," Job 14:10-12. This is a gloomy, despairing thought, and one against which the mind rebels as soon as uttered. Against the belief that death is the end of all things every man's better nature revolts. Hence the picture of another life beyond the present immediately rises to Job, Job 14:13-15. It may be only a yearning desire, for Job still asks the question, Job 14:14. Yet this desire, as that for a Daysman, 1711711324_37 both suggested by the heart's despair, is equally answered by the gospel.
The hope for a future life is made stronger by the apparent injustices that exist now, Job 14:16-22. God's treatment of Job appears to be so severe that Job must perish under His hand, Job 14:18-22. A future life is surely necessary to remedy the inequalities of the present. Evidently this is not the place and time of judgment. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 14

1  Job entreats God for favor, by the shortness of life, and certainty of death
7  He waits for his change
16  By sin the creature is subject to corruption

What do the individual words in Job 14:1 mean?

Man [who is] born of woman is of few days and full of trouble
אָ֭דָם יְל֣וּד אִשָּׁ֑ה קְצַ֥ר יָ֝מִ֗ים וּֽשְׂבַֽע־ רֹֽגֶז

אָ֭דָם  Man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יְל֣וּד  [who  is]  born 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
אִשָּׁ֑ה  of  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
קְצַ֥ר  is  of  few 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֵר  
Sense: short, impatient.
יָ֝מִ֗ים  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וּֽשְׂבַֽע־  and  full 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
רֹֽגֶז  of  trouble 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹגֶז  
Sense: agitation, excitement, raging, trouble, turmoil, trembling.