The Meaning of Job 7:2 Explained

Job 7:2

KJV: As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

YLT: As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

Darby: As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

ASV: As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As a servant  earnestly desireth  the shadow,  and as an hireling  looketh  for [the reward of] his work: 

What does Job 7:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 7:1-21 - Longing For The Evening
The servant eagerly longs for the lengthening shadow, which tells him that his day of labor is at an end, and we may allow ourselves to anticipate the hour of our reward and deliverance.
In plaintive words, which have so often been on the lips of heavy sufferers, Job tells the story of his sorrow and bitterness. The sufferer addresses God directly-almost suggesting at first that God was persecuting him without cause. Let those who have been disposed to think God unmindful and hard in His dealings, ponder these words. Even this saint of patience has trodden that path before them, and he came out right at last. But a softer tone follows; Job realizes that he has sinned, pleads to be forgiven, and asks that the word of forgiving love may not tarry, lest it be too late. The psalmist uses expressions similar to Job 7:17-18, but with a more wholesome application, Psalms 8:4; Psalms 144:3.
Notice that wonderful name for God-the watcher of men, Job 7:20, r.v. Not to discover their sins, but to learn their sorrows and needs with the intent of helping them with His saving strength. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 7

1  Job excuses his desire of death
12  He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God

What do the individual words in Job 7:2 mean?

Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade and like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages
כְּעֶ֥בֶד יִשְׁאַף־ צֵ֑ל וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר יְקַוֶּ֥ה פָעֳלֽוֹ

כְּעֶ֥בֶד  Like  a  servant 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יִשְׁאַף־  who  earnestly  desires 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַף 
Sense: to gasp, pant, pant after, long for, breathe heavily.
צֵ֑ל  the  shade 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר  and  like  a  hired  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שָׂכִיר  
Sense: hired.
יְקַוֶּ֥ה  who  eagerly  looks  for 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָוָה 
Sense: to wait, look for, hope, expect.
פָעֳלֽוֹ  his  wages 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.