Job 14:6
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
Job 14:6 (KJV)
Context
This verse is part of Job’s monologue in the Book of Job, where he expresses deep anguish and longs for relief from suffering. Job, a righteous man, has lost his wealth, health, and children. In Job 14, he contemplates the brevity of human life and the inevitability of death, using powerful metaphors. His words build toward the plea in verse 6, where he asks God for a reprieve from the intensity of his affliction.
Meaning
Job pleads directly with God for relief. His request is not a desire for God to withdraw His gracious presence, which Job would deprecate, but a plea for respite from the pressure of divine scrutiny. Job’s complaint elsewhere in Job 13:24 is that God hides His face, yet here he asks for a reprieve from the weight of God’s attention.
“Turn from him“: Job asks God to turn His attention away, desiring respite from afflictions and a break from the intensity of his trial.
“That he may rest“: Job longs for a period of rest and relief, an intermission from his labor under the Master’s eye.
“Till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day“: Job compares his life to a hired worker’s fixed, toilsome day under a master’s eye. If the master’s eye is off him, he can slacken his hand and get some intermission. Job asks God to grant this advantage, acknowledging the finite nature of human life and wishing to endure until his appointed time ends.
The phrase “accomplish his day” carries a dual sense. It can mean to do the work of the day, as every man has work to do and a good man desires to finish it, encouraged by the reward that comes not of debt but of grace. Alternatively, it can mean to desire with delight that his day would end, as a hireling longs for the end of labor to receive wages. Both readings connect to Job 7:1, where Job says his days are like those of a hireling, and to Job 14:5, which states that man’s days are determined and his months appointed by God, with bounds he cannot pass.
Biblical connections
Job’s plea acknowledges divine sovereignty. He desires relief but recognizes that the determination of his days lies in God’s hands. The verse reflects Job’s deep weariness and longing for relief, while also recognizing the transitory nature of earthly life and the hope of a reward beyond the appointed time of labor.
Application
Like Job, we may face trials. This verse reminds us to endure, trusting that God’s purposes will be accomplished in His perfect timing. In suffering, we can find solace and rest in God’s presence, knowing that He sees our struggles and hears our pleas. The transient nature of our existence should inspire us to live with purpose, making the most of our time and focusing on eternal values.
Reflection
Job’s words invite us to bring our weariness honestly before God. His prayer models a faith that does not hide pain but speaks it plainly, trusting that the One who appoints our days also hears our cries for rest. The hireling’s hope is not in escaping the work but in the reward that comes when the day is finished. Job’s plea encourages us to persevere through our appointed labor, looking beyond the present struggle to the grace of God who sustains us until our day is accomplished.
