In this melancholic lament Job bewailed the brevity of life (vv. 1-6), the finality of death (vv. 7-17), and the absence of hope (vv. 18-22).
"Born of woman"(v. 1) reflects man's frailty since woman who bears him is frail. Verse 4 means, "Who can without God's provision of grace make an unclean person clean?"(cf. 9:30-31; 25:4). God has indeed determined the life span of every individual (v. 5).
It seemed unfair to Job that a tree could come back to life after someone had cut it down, but a person could not (vv. 7-10). As I mentioned before, Job gives no evidence of knowing about divine revelation concerning what happens to a human being after death. He believed in life after death (v. 13) but he did not know that there would be resurrection from Sheol, the place of departed spirits (v. 12). He longed for the opportunity to stand before God after he entered Sheol (v. 14) to get the answers from God that God would not give him on earth. God later revealed that everyone, righteous and unrighteous, will stand before Him someday (Acts 24:15). God will resurrect the dead to enable them to do so (Heb. 9:27; et al.). Job believed he would have this opportunity, though he had no assurance from God that he would (v. 16). Evidently Job believed as he did because it seemed to him that such an outcome would be right. He evidently believed in the possibility of resurrection.71When he finally had his meeting with God, Job was confident that God would clear him of the false charges against him.
The final section (vv. 18-22) contains statements that reflect the despair Job felt as he contemplated the remainder of his life without any changes or intervention by God. All he could look forward to with hope and confidence was death.
This reply by Job was really his answer to the major argument and several specific statements all three of his companions had made so far. Job responded to Zophar (12:3), but his words in this reply (chs. 12-14) responded to statements his other friends had made as well.
