Introduction to Job 7:1
Job 7:1 employs military imagery and time-based expressions to describe human existence. The phrase “הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־אָ֑רֶץ” (“Is not man’s life a struggle on earth?”) draws on the metaphor of a soldier’s service, equating life with hardship and labor. Additionally, the phrase “וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו” (“and like the days of a hired worker are his days”) compares human life to that of a hired laborer, emphasizing its transience and toil.
הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
- הֲלֹא (halo)
- Form: Interrogative particle
- Translation: “Is it not?”
- Notes: Used for rhetorical questions, implying an obvious answer.
- צָבָ֣א (tsava)
- Root: צָבָא (“army, service, struggle”)
- Form: Noun, masculine singular
- Translation: “Military service” or “hard labor”
- Notes: This term often denotes compulsory service, metaphorically applied here to human life.
- לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ (le’enosh)
- Root: אֱנוֹשׁ (“man, mortal”)
- Form: Noun, singular, preceded by לְ (preposition “for”)
- Translation: “For man”
- Notes: אֱנוֹשׁ typically refers to human frailty, emphasizing mortality and weakness.
- עַל־אָ֑רֶץ (al-aretz)
- Prepositional phrase: “On the earth”
- Notes: Expresses human existence in the material world, reinforcing the contrast between divine sovereignty and earthly struggle.
- וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר (vekhimei sakhir)
- כִי + יְמֵי: “Like the days of”
- שָׂכִ֣יר: “A hired laborer”
- Notes: The simile compares human life to temporary employment, emphasizing toil, hardship, and limited duration.
- יָמָֽיו (yamav)
- Root: יָמִים (“days”)
- Form: Plural, possessive (“his days”)
- Translation: “His days”
- Notes: Reinforces the fleeting nature of human life.
Explanation of Grammatical Function
The Rhetorical Question Introduced by הֲלֹא
The interrogative particle הֲלֹא signals a rhetorical question, implying an expected agreement. In this verse, Job questions the nature of human suffering, expecting the answer to be “Yes, indeed, human life is a struggle.”
The Metaphor of צָבָא as Life’s Hardship
- The noun צָבָא typically refers to military service.
- Here, it metaphorically represents life’s difficulties, implying a burdensome, unavoidable duty.
- Similar usage appears in Isaiah 40:2, where צָבָא describes a period of hardship.
Simile: Human Life as a Hired Worker’s Time
The phrase “וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו” (“like the days of a hired laborer”) is a simile, where:
- כִי introduces a comparison (“like”).
- שָׂכִ֣יר means a hired worker, someone whose time is fixed and temporary.
- This phrase stresses the fleeting nature of human existence, much like a worker counting down days until his contract ends.
How Biblical Hebrew Expresses Life’s Hardship and Transience
This verse demonstrates key Hebrew structures for expressing existential struggles:
- Rhetorical questions using הֲלֹא.
- Metaphors, such as life compared to military service.
- Similes, like a worker counting his limited days.
- Temporal markers, emphasizing life’s brevity.
By combining military and labor imagery, Job 7:1 presents a profound reflection on human suffering, highlighting themes of toil, limitation, and anticipation of relief.
