Blog 9-14-2026
Man Born of a Woman—Only occurs in Job and Galatians
Today’s text is from the first section of Job, chapter 14.
1 “Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2 “Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3 “You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4 “Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 “Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
6 “Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man. (Job 14:1-6, NASB).
We learned earlier, in Job 7 that man is vulnerable:
To Man (enosh) on earth, exposes man’s vulnerability. The first occurrence of enosh: “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, ‘God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.’ To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men (Literally, he) began to call upon the name of the Lord.” (see Genesis 4:25-26). Able was murdered in Paradise by his brother. A young boy was murdered by Lamech. Does this not demonstrate man’s vulnerability?
In Job 14, however, the Hebrew term is Adam, also translated “man,” and its prominence is evident: it is the chapter’s opening word.
“The expression “born of woman” is unique to Job in the Hebrew Bible…”Clines, D. J. A. (1989). Job 1-20 (Vol. 17, p. 324). Word, Incorporated.
The first occurrence of “his days”: “Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3, NASB). Also, there are two more uses of “his days” in the book of Job. One refers to Job’s days; the other to the Almighty. “Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.” (Job 14:5). This use of “his days” aligns with Genesis 6.
The phrase “like a hired man” appears again in Job: “Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.” (Job 14:6). This alone gives the reader a good understanding of the meaning. The other eight occurrences in the Hebrew Bible are: Exodus 22:14; Leviticus 19:13; 26:50; Deuteronomy 15:18; 24:14; Isaiah 16:14, 21:16; and Malachi 3:5. “Hireling” is the image presented in Exodus. “Hired man” is the meaning reflected elsewhere. The meaning in Job 7:1 is “hired man”.
Here are all three occurrences of “Born of a woman” in Job:
Job 14:1אָ֭דָם יְל֣וּד אִשָּׁ֑ה קְצַ֥ר יָ֝מִ֗ים וּֽשְׂבַֽע־רֹֽגֶז׃“Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. [A flashback to Job 3:26 “Turmoil comes”.
[Geneology of Jesus:the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:380]
Job 15:14מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃“What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? “Man” translates “Enosh” which portrays the frailty of man. Eliphaz is throwing these words at Job to discourage him.
Job 25:4וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֣ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵ֑ל וּמַה־יִּ֝זְכֶּ֗ה יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃“How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? Eliphaz again is hurling words at Job to dissuade him from thinking or believing anyone born of a woman can be just or clean.
New Testament – 1x
Galatians 4:4 brings these things together for the readers of the book of Job.
4 אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר מָלְאָה הָעֵת שָׁלַח אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹ, יְלוּד אִשָּׁה וְכָפוּף לַתּוֹרָה,
Chapter 4
Sonship in Christ
1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,
2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Can you see the perfection and beauty of the poetic text of Job .
What to do with this confined use of the expression “Born of a Woman”.
Remember, we are reading and hearing the living Word of God. What are you understanding at this point?
