The Meaning of Job 7:20 Explained

Job 7:20

KJV: I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

YLT: I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?

Darby: Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

ASV: If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have sinned;  what shall I do  unto thee, O thou preserver  of men?  why hast thou set  me as a mark  against thee, so that I am a burden  to myself? 

What does Job 7:20 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 7:20 mean?

have I sinned what have I done to You watcher of men why have You set me as target Your so that I am to myself a burden
חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֪ר ؟ הָאָ֫דָ֥ם לָ֤מָה שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי לְמִפְגָּ֣ע לָ֑ךְ וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה עָלַ֣י לְמַשָּֽׂא

חָטָ֡אתִי  have  I  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀  have  I  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּעַל  
Sense: to do, make.
לָךְ֮  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
נֹצֵ֪ר  watcher 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נְצוּרִים 
Sense: to guard, watch, watch over, keep.
؟ הָאָ֫דָ֥ם  of  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לָ֤מָה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי  have  You  set  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לְמִפְגָּ֣ע  as  target 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִפְגָּע  
Sense: thing hit, mark, target, object of assault.
לָ֑ךְ  Your 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה  so  that  I  am 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עָלַ֣י  to  myself 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְמַשָּֽׂא  a  burden 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.