Job 7:17
in Job 7What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,
KJV
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
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This verse in Job 7
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Job ought rather to have reasoned from God's condescending so far to notice man as to try him, that there must be a wise and loving purpose in trial. David uses the same words, in their right application, to express wonder that God should do so much as He does for insignificant man. Christians who know God manifest in the man Christ Jesus may use them still more.
This site's exposition
What is man that You should exalt him
on Job 7:17-19
Job takes the question of Psalm 8:4 and turns it against itself: "What is man that You should exalt him". The visitation the psalm blesses, Job feels as a watch kept on a prisoner. To "swallow my spittle" is proverbial for the shortest respite, and Job cannot get even that.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
It is necessary, actually, to call that time "morning," because it is entirely light and drives the night away from this life. "You judge them for the time of rest," that is, not for the torments but for the delights and the reward. He, who …
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book VIII · Written before 604.
proposed
What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him? and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him? God magnifieth man, in that He enriches him with the bountiful gift of reason, visits him with the inspiration of grace, exalts him with the greatness of imparted virtue; and whereas he is nothing in himself, yet through the bounty of His lovingkindness He vouchsafes to him to be a partaker of the knowledge of Himself.
Consequently he pursues both points. First he says of his weakness, "What is man," that is, how small a thing and frail in body, "that you lift him up," by honoring him among the other creatures or "that you turn your heart towards him," by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What, &c. - What is there in that poor, mean, creature called man, miserable man, as this word signifies, which can induce thee to take any notice of him, or to make such account of him? Man is not worthy of thy favour, and he is below thy anger; that thou shouldest concern thyself so much about him, as one near and dear to thee?
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. Job is here excusing what he could not justify, even his inordinate desire of death.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:31w-of-46
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
As a pious admiration of the condescensions of divine grace, like that, Ps. viii. He owns God's favour to man in general, even when he complains of his own particular troubles. " What is man, miserable man, a poor, mean, weak creature, that thou, the great and glorious God, shouldst deal with him as thou dost?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
What is man that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? - Two different ideas have been drawn from these words: - 1. Man is not worth thy notice; why therefore dost thou contend with him? 2. How astonishing is thy kindness that thou shouldest fix thy heart - thy strongest affections, on such a poor, base, vile, impotent creature as man, (אנוש enosh), that thou shouldest so highly exalt him beyond all other creatures, and mark him with the most particular notice of thy providence and grace! The paraphrase of Calmet is as follows: “Does man, such as he at present is, merit thy attention! What is man that God should make it his business to examine, try, prove, and afflict him? Is it not doing him too much honor to think thus seriously about him? O Lord! I am not worthy that thou shouldest concern thyself about me!”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? - That thou shouldst make him great, or that thou shouldst regard him as of so great importance as to fix thine eye attentively upon him. The idea here is, that it was unworthy the character of so great a being as God to bestow so much time and attention on a creature so insignificant as man; and especially that man could not be of so much importance that it was necessary for God to watch all his defects with vigilance, and take special pains to mark and punish all his offences.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מָֽה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֱ֭נוֹשׁ | ʾenoosh | [is] humankind | H582 → | 566 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ | tegaddelenu | you will make great him | H1431 → | 117 times |
| וְכִי־ | vekhi- | and that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תָשִׁ֖ית | tashit | you will set | H7896 → | 83 times |
| אֵלָ֣יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
מָֽה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
אֱ֭נוֹשׁ[is] humankind
ʾenooshH582 →566 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּyou will make great him
tegaddelenuH1431 →117 times
וְכִי־and that
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
תָשִׁ֖יתyou will set
tashitH7896 →83 times
אֵלָ֣יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
לִבֶּֽךָ׃heart your
libekhaH3820 →595 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 8:4what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
it leads to
- Psalms 144:3
O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 2:6–9
But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
- Psalms 146:3
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
- Luke 1:68
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.
- Psalms 144:3
Through
Hebrews 2:6But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
it leads to
- Psalms 8:4–8
what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
- Job 7:17–18
What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,
- Psalms 8:4–8
Through
Psalms 144:3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
it leads to
- Psalms 8:4
what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
- Job 15:14
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 8:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Job
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book VIII; Hesychius of Jerusalem, HOMILIES ON JOB 10.7.18; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.