But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
It describes a person still alive before death, whose living body feels pain and whose inner self mourns within him. Soul here means the person within, the inner mental and spiritual nature, the heart and mind as the seat of affections such as sorrow, and the verb is present, describing present trouble that closes the picture of human life as short, frail and full of trouble. It does not describe a disembodied soul conscious after death, but belongs to the teaching that death is a sleep in the dust of darkness, silence and unconsciousness, where the dead know nothing of earth, not even the honor or humiliation of their own children. The mention of flesh shows a conscious whole of suffering body together with mourning mind, which is impossible in death where dead flesh feels nothing, so it means either the pains of dying before dissolution for righteous and wicked alike, or the suffering of the wicked when raised to answer for their sins, in neither case teaching consciousness during death. It stands within the hope of being raised to see the living Redeemer and being brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality and reunion, and so brings comfort at death and at funerals while acknowledging deep mourning.
Living Suffering Described
Job 14:22 pictures a human being while still alive before death, yet in the flesh, whose body feels pain and whose inner self mourns within him. It does not picture the state after death but the pain and mourning experienced in the flesh during this life, before death's change comes. Its mention of flesh shows the person is alive as a whole, not a disembodied spirit conscious apart from the body.
Soul here means the person within, the inner or mental and spiritual nature, the heart or mind mourning over the wasting body. It is the rational soul as the seat of the passions, emotions, and affections belonging to a rational being, such as love, joy, fear, sorrow, hope, hatred, revenge, and contempt, and here the affection at work is inward mourning and sorrow. The whole person is therefore conscious together, with suffering flesh joined to a grieving mental nature.
The verb is present, hath as in the Revised Version rather than shall have, and the saying looks backward as a summary statement about human trouble. It repeats the opening thought of Job 14:1 that human life is of few days and full of trouble, and it closes the chapter's picture of human weakness and frailty. The physical nature suffers pain while the mental and spiritual nature grieves.
The setting is a person while still here, waiting for his change to come and contemplating death, unsatisfied in this life. While still in the flesh his body wastes away and feels pain, and his soul mourns over it. This expresses the trouble of life's few days, which led Job to regard the grave as desirable, and death ends this suffering.
The saying belongs to Job's own account of human suffering and grief. His pain is no proof that he sinned, for his friends wrongly blamed his suffering on sin while God was disciplining him through affliction.
No Consciousness in Death
The verse does not describe the condition of a person sleeping in death, nor a disembodied soul conscious after death, nor an immortal soul mourning within the body. It belongs to Job's teaching that death is sleep in the dust marked by darkness, silence and unconsciousness. After death a person knows nothing of earth, including what happens to his children in their honor or humiliation, as verses 20-21 state. The dead rest in the grave without knowing what is happening until God's appointed time.
The mention of flesh proves the person is alive and conscious as a whole, with suffering body together with mourning mind. Such a state is impossible in the sleep of death, where dead flesh feels nothing and the dead know nothing of earth. The verse therefore means either the pains of dying before dissolution, which may apply to the righteous and the wicked alike, or the suffering of the wicked when raised from the dead to answer for their sins. In neither case does it apply to man while sleeping in death or teach consciousness during death.
The verse is included among the texts used to show that the dead are unconscious. Job 14 shows Job praying to be hidden in Sheol, which proves that hell is the place of the dead for righteous and wicked alike, the common receptacle of all mankind in death rather than the punishment of the wicked. By contrast, those who held the funeral use taught that the verse describes the dead as experiencing pain in the body and mourning within.
Resurrection Hope and Comfort
Job 14:22 belongs to the teaching that death is a sleep in the dust marked by silence and darkness, with hope resting in being raised to see the living Redeemer rather than in any conscious life after death. That hope is that the dead will be brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality, and in that setting the verse brings comfort in the face of death. It gives comfort to those mourning the death of a faithful believer fallen asleep in Jesus, acknowledging deep mourning while pointing forward to the glorious reunion at the first resurrection. The chapter as a whole thus points beyond present pain and inward mourning to resurrection and reunion.
The verse brings comfort at funerals to those mourning a faithful believer fallen asleep in Jesus, acknowledging deep mourning while pointing forward. That comfort in the face of death rests on the hope of being brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality and of glorious reunion at the first resurrection. As held by some, the verse itself describes the dead as experiencing pain in the body and mourning within, and in that sense was cited as a source of comfort at a funeral.
It describes a person still alive before death, whose living body feels pain and whose inner self mourns within him. Soul here means the person within, the inner mental and spiritual nature, the heart and mind as the seat of affections such as sorrow, and the verb is present, describing present trouble that closes the picture of human life as short, frail and full of trouble. It does not describe a disembodied soul conscious after death, but belongs to the teaching that death is a sleep in the dust of darkness, silence and unconsciousness, where the dead know nothing of earth, not even the honor or humiliation of their own children. The mention of flesh shows a conscious whole of suffering body together with mourning mind, which is impossible in death where dead flesh feels nothing, so it means either the pains of dying before dissolution for righteous and wicked alike, or the suffering of the wicked when raised to answer for their sins, in neither case teaching consciousness during death. It stands within the hope of being raised to see the living Redeemer and being brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality and reunion, and so brings comfort at death and at funerals while acknowledging deep mourning.
Living Suffering Described
Job 14:22 pictures a human being while still alive before death, yet in the flesh, whose body feels pain and whose inner self mourns within him. It does not picture the state after death but the pain and mourning experienced in the flesh during this life, before death's change comes. Its mention of flesh shows the person is alive as a whole, not a disembodied spirit conscious apart from the body.
Soul here means the person within, the inner or mental and spiritual nature, the heart or mind mourning over the wasting body. It is the rational soul as the seat of the passions, emotions, and affections belonging to a rational being, such as love, joy, fear, sorrow, hope, hatred, revenge, and contempt, and here the affection at work is inward mourning and sorrow. The whole person is therefore conscious together, with suffering flesh joined to a grieving mental nature.
The verb is present, hath as in the Revised Version rather than shall have, and the saying looks backward as a summary statement about human trouble. It repeats the opening thought of Job 14:1 that human life is of few days and full of trouble, and it closes the chapter's picture of human weakness and frailty. The physical nature suffers pain while the mental and spiritual nature grieves.
The setting is a person while still here, waiting for his change to come and contemplating death, unsatisfied in this life. While still in the flesh his body wastes away and feels pain, and his soul mourns over it. This expresses the trouble of life's few days, which led Job to regard the grave as desirable, and death ends this suffering.
The saying belongs to Job's own account of human suffering and grief. His pain is no proof that he sinned, for his friends wrongly blamed his suffering on sin while God was disciplining him through affliction.
No Consciousness in Death
The verse does not describe the condition of a person sleeping in death, nor a disembodied soul conscious after death, nor an immortal soul mourning within the body. It belongs to Job's teaching that death is sleep in the dust marked by darkness, silence and unconsciousness. After death a person knows nothing of earth, including what happens to his children in their honor or humiliation, as verses 20-21 state. The dead rest in the grave without knowing what is happening until God's appointed time.
The mention of flesh proves the person is alive and conscious as a whole, with suffering body together with mourning mind. Such a state is impossible in the sleep of death, where dead flesh feels nothing and the dead know nothing of earth. The verse therefore means either the pains of dying before dissolution, which may apply to the righteous and the wicked alike, or the suffering of the wicked when raised from the dead to answer for their sins. In neither case does it apply to man while sleeping in death or teach consciousness during death.
The verse is included among the texts used to show that the dead are unconscious. Job 14 shows Job praying to be hidden in Sheol, which proves that hell is the place of the dead for righteous and wicked alike, the common receptacle of all mankind in death rather than the punishment of the wicked. By contrast, those who held the funeral use taught that the verse describes the dead as experiencing pain in the body and mourning within.
Resurrection Hope and Comfort
Job 14:22 belongs to the teaching that death is a sleep in the dust marked by silence and darkness, with hope resting in being raised to see the living Redeemer rather than in any conscious life after death. That hope is that the dead will be brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality, and in that setting the verse brings comfort in the face of death. It gives comfort to those mourning the death of a faithful believer fallen asleep in Jesus, acknowledging deep mourning while pointing forward to the glorious reunion at the first resurrection. The chapter as a whole thus points beyond present pain and inward mourning to resurrection and reunion.
The verse brings comfort at funerals to those mourning a faithful believer fallen asleep in Jesus, acknowledging deep mourning while pointing forward. That comfort in the face of death rests on the hope of being brought forth by Christ to glorious immortality and of glorious reunion at the first resurrection. As held by some, the verse itself describes the dead as experiencing pain in the body and mourning within, and in that sense was cited as a source of comfort at a funeral.