Matthew Henry Commentary Job 7:7-16

"Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more. Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than [these] my bones. I loathe [my life]; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity." — Job 7:7-16 (ASV)

Plain truths concerning the shortness and vanity of human life, and the certainty of death, do us good when we think and speak of them, applying them to ourselves. Dying is done only once, and therefore it needs to be done well. An error here is irretrievable.

Other clouds arise, but the same cloud never returns: so a new generation of people is raised up, but the former generation vanishes away. Glorified saints will return no more to the cares and sorrows of their homes; nor condemned sinners to the gaieties and pleasures of their homes. It concerns us to secure a better place when we die.

From these reasons Job might have drawn a better conclusion than this: I will complain. When we have only a few breaths to draw, we should spend them in the holy, gracious breathings of faith and prayer; not in the offensive, harmful breathings of sin and corruption. We have much reason to pray that He who keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, may keep us when we slumber and sleep.

Job covets to rest in his grave. Doubtless, this was his infirmity; for though a good man would choose death rather than sin, yet he should be content to live as long as God pleases, because life is our opportunity of glorifying Him, and preparing for heaven.