Job laments an endless struggle that leaves no room for relief, feeling overwhelmed by unending sorrow.
Job 9:18 reads as follows: “He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.” (v.18) Here, Job highlights the unrelenting nature of his suffering. Though he is striving to cope with his calamities, he feels as though God’s hand continues to press upon him so intensely that he cannot find even a moment of respite. This verse paints a picture of exhaustion and deep anguish. Job, often believed to have lived around 2000-1800 BC during the era of the patriarchs, voices his turmoil in poetic language, acknowledging both the physical and emotional price of suffering. Some scholars place Job’s homeland in the region of Uz, possibly east of the land of Canaan, though the exact location remains uncertain.
When Job exclaims, “He will not allow me to get my breath” (v.18), we see a man who yearns for relief from his afflictions, yet finds little hope in the moment. The phrase depicts a sense of suffocation by trouble, almost as if he is drowning in sorrow. The words also suggest that God, in Job’s perspective, is orchestrating this ongoing hardship. This verse resonates with the broader biblical theme that human beings often wrestle with God’s sovereignty, questioning why afflictions persist and why respite remains distant (Romans 8:28). Throughout the Bible, believers are called to trust God’s higher purposes, even when the reasons for ongoing suffering remain unclear.
By saying God “saturates me with bitterness” (v.18), Job expresses how thoroughly he feels consumed by despair. Bitterness, mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, can grow when pain is left unchecked (Hebrews 12:15). Job is on a journey of lament—one that foreshadows many future scriptural instances of faith tested through trials. Ultimately, this lament underscores a greater longing for redemption and hope, pointing forward to the assurance found in Christ, who Himself suffered and sympathizes with human weakness (Hebrews 4:15).
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Job 9:18 meaning
Job 9:18 reads as follows: “He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.” (v.18) Here, Job highlights the unrelenting nature of his suffering. Though he is striving to cope with his calamities, he feels as though God’s hand continues to press upon him so intensely that he cannot find even a moment of respite. This verse paints a picture of exhaustion and deep anguish. Job, often believed to have lived around 2000-1800 BC during the era of the patriarchs, voices his turmoil in poetic language, acknowledging both the physical and emotional price of suffering. Some scholars place Job’s homeland in the region of Uz, possibly east of the land of Canaan, though the exact location remains uncertain.
When Job exclaims, “He will not allow me to get my breath” (v.18), we see a man who yearns for relief from his afflictions, yet finds little hope in the moment. The phrase depicts a sense of suffocation by trouble, almost as if he is drowning in sorrow. The words also suggest that God, in Job’s perspective, is orchestrating this ongoing hardship. This verse resonates with the broader biblical theme that human beings often wrestle with God’s sovereignty, questioning why afflictions persist and why respite remains distant (Romans 8:28). Throughout the Bible, believers are called to trust God’s higher purposes, even when the reasons for ongoing suffering remain unclear.
By saying God “saturates me with bitterness” (v.18), Job expresses how thoroughly he feels consumed by despair. Bitterness, mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, can grow when pain is left unchecked (Hebrews 12:15). Job is on a journey of lament—one that foreshadows many future scriptural instances of faith tested through trials. Ultimately, this lament underscores a greater longing for redemption and hope, pointing forward to the assurance found in Christ, who Himself suffered and sympathizes with human weakness (Hebrews 4:15).