Job 7:9 vs. John 5:28-29

Does Job 7 & John 5 Contradict?

According to some, the Bible contradicts itself on whether the dead will rise; however, this belief comes from a misreading of the text.

“When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up," (Job 7:9 NASB1995).

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment," (John 5:28-29 NASB1995).

There are two common answers to this question. In the first, we must understand what is happening to Job. Job lost his animals and his children (Job 1:13-19), and he possessed sores all over his body (Job 2:7-8; Job 7:5). Here, Job is doubting God's judgment, he is scared and in pain (Job 6:2-4; Job 7:4, 14) and it must be remembered, merely because the Bible states something, it does not mean it endorses the action. It can report what happened, but not always endorse what happened.

For example, Sodom and Gomorrah was condemned for their sin (Genesis 19). The Bible reported this event, but it does not endorse others to follow this event. The same is here with Job, merely because he says it to be, it might not be as man is not omniscient but God alone.

Another possible answer here is that Job is not saying that people cannot resurrect, but that when they die they will not generally return to live with mankind (Poole). They "... will not return again to his house ..." (Job 7:10b NASB1995) but go down to Sheol.

"Job does not, in these words, abandon all hope after death, but merely states a well-known truth that the dead do not return to their houses, nor are they seen any more by their contemporaries," (Coffman).

References:

Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Job 7:9". "Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/job-7.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

Image by Touann Gatouillat Vergos

Jamieson, Robert, et al. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary. United States, Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.

Poole, Matthew. Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible. United States, Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, 1990.