Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
Parallel translations
- WEB Aren’t my days few? Cease then. Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,
- KJV Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
- NKJV Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
- NASB “Would He not leave my few days alone? Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
- NLT I have only a few days left, so leave me alone, that I may have a moment of comfort
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job pleads that since his days are few, God would relent and leave him alone for a little comfort. He begs for a brief respite before death.
Overview
Aware of life's brevity, Job asks God to turn away His afflicting gaze so he might find a moment of ease. The request reflects how heavy his suffering has become. While Job longs only for relief, the gospel offers more, an eternal comfort and rest secured by Christ for the weary (Matthew 11:28; Revelation 21:4).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Job 14:1“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
- Ps 39:13Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”
- Job 7:6–7My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
- Job 7:16–21I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
- Ps 39:5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
- Ps 103:15–16As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field;
- Job 13:21Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.
- Job 9:25–26My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
- Job 8:9For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 10:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.