DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2015 January 4
Gorge (1878)
Gustave Dore (1832-1883)
Romanticism Style
Private Collection
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: In Job 14 Job concludes his reply to Zophar. In this portion of his reply, Job makes several references to water in its positive and its negative effects -- sustaining and restoring life, on the one hand, and eroding and washing away, on the other. These powers are visible, explicitly or implicitly, in the painting above.
[ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Job 11. Job 12. Job 13. ]
[ CHRONOLOGY: General. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]
[ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble," says Job. He compares man (including himself) to a flower that is cut down and to a passing shadow. And he asks God why he looks in judgment upon such an ephemeral man as himself. He confesses that no one (including himself) can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. So he asks God to turn from him that he may rest before he dies, since God has set the limits of his life and his time is short (1-6). Even a tree which has been cut down my sprout again, says Job, if it finds water; but man dies and is nowhere to be found. He is like the waters which dry up, even from the sea or from the flood. Likewise man lies down and does not rise again until the heavens are no more. He therefore begs God to hide him in the grave until his wrath has passed; and he asks that God would appoint him a set time and remember him. He does not expect to live again, so he waits for his appointed time to die. He asks God to appoint him a set time (to be judged) before he dies and to once again find him desirable in his eyes. He laments that God is numbering his steps and setting a watch over his sin, his transgression, and his iniquity and retaining it as if it were sealed up and sown into a bag (7-17). As mountains fall and crumble, as rocks are moved from their place, as waters wear away the stones and wash away growing things, so God destroys the hope of man. Always, God prevails against man, and he passes away. God changes man's countenance (as in the pallor of death); and God sends him away. If his sons come to honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low he also does not know of it. In contrast, his closing statement begins with the word "But," which sets up an antithetical parallelism. He has just said that in death man perceives nothing. Here he speaks of the feelings of the flesh without and of the soul within, indicating that he is speaking of someone who is alive and suffering. In his body, says Job, man has pain; and in his soul he mourns (18-22).
Job 14
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
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