1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spake, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves;
15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
1 After H310 this opened H6605 Job H347 his mouth, H6310 and cursed H7043 his day. H3117
2 And Job H347 spake, H6030 and said, H559
3 Let the day H3117 perish H6 wherein I was born, H3205 and the night H3915 in which it was said, H559 There is a man child H1397 conceived. H2029
4 Let that day H3117 be darkness; H2822 let not God H433 regard H1875 it from above, H4605 neither let the light H5105 shine H3313 upon it.
5 Let darkness H2822 and the shadow of death H6757 stain H1350 it; let a cloud H6053 dwell H7931 upon it; let the blackness H3650 of the day H3117 terrify H1204 it.
6 As for that night, H3915 let darkness H652 seize H3947 upon it; let it not be joined H2302 unto the days H3117 of the year, H8141 let it not come H935 into the number H4557 of the months. H3391
7 Lo, let that night H3915 be solitary, H1565 let no joyful voice H7445 come H935 therein.
8 Let them curse H5344 it that curse H779 the day, H3117 who are ready H6264 to raise up H5782 their mourning. H3882
9 Let the stars H3556 of the twilight H5399 thereof be dark; H2821 let it look H6960 for light, H216 but have none; neither let it see H7200 the dawning H6079 of the day: H7837
10 Because it shut not up H5462 the doors H1817 of my mother's womb, H990 nor hid H5641 sorrow H5999 from mine eyes. H5869
11 Why died H4191 I not from the womb? H7358 why did I not give up the ghost H1478 when I came out H3318 of the belly? H990
12 Why did the knees H1290 prevent H6923 me? or why the breasts H7699 that I should suck? H3243
13 For now should I have lain still H7901 and been quiet, H8252 I should have slept: H3462 then had I been at rest, H5117
14 With kings H4428 and counsellors H3289 of the earth, H776 which built H1129 desolate places H2723 for themselves;
15 Or with princes H8269 that had gold, H2091 who filled H4390 their houses H1004 with silver: H3701
16 Or as an hidden H2934 untimely birth H5309 I had not been; as infants H5768 which never saw H7200 light. H216
17 There the wicked H7563 cease H2308 from troubling; H7267 and there the weary H3019 H3581 be at rest. H5117
18 There the prisoners H615 rest H7599 together; H3162 they hear H8085 not the voice H6963 of the oppressor. H5065
19 The small H6996 and great H1419 are there; and the servant H5650 is free H2670 from his master. H113
20 Wherefore is light H216 given H5414 to him that is in misery, H6001 and life H2416 unto the bitter H4751 in soul; H5315
21 Which long H2442 for death, H4194 but it cometh not; and dig H2658 for it more than for hid treasures; H4301
22 Which rejoice H8056 exceedingly, H1524 and are glad, H7797 when they can find H4672 the grave? H6913
23 Why is light given to a man H1397 whose way H1870 is hid, H5641 and whom God H433 hath hedged in? H5526
24 For my sighing H585 cometh H935 before H6440 I eat, H3899 and my roarings H7581 are poured out H5413 like the waters. H4325
25 For the thing which I greatly H6343 feared H6342 is come H857 upon me, and that which I was afraid H3025 of is come H935 unto me.
26 I was not in safety, H7951 neither had I rest, H8252 neither was I quiet; H5117 yet trouble H7267 came. H935
1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job answered and said:
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it: Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Lo, let that night be barren; Let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark: Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my `mother's' womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?
13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves;
15 Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver:
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul;
21 Who long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 `Why is light given' to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.
26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.
1 After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day.
2 And Job answereth and saith: --
3 Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: `A man-child hath been conceived.'
4 That day -- let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.
6 That night -- let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come.
7 Lo! that night -- let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it.
8 Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.
10 Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.
11 Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!
12 Wherefore have knees been before me? And what `are' breasts, that I suck?
13 For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept -- then there is rest to me,
14 With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves.
15 Or with princes -- they have gold, They are filling their houses `with' silver.
16 (Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants -- they have not seen light.)
17 There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power.
18 Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,
19 Small and great `are' there the same. And a servant `is' free from his lord.
20 Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?
21 Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.
22 Who are glad -- unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.
23 To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up?
24 For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters `are' my roarings.
25 For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me.
26 I was not safe -- nor was I quiet -- Nor was I at rest -- and trouble cometh!
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.
2 And Job answered and said,
3 Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.
4 That day -- let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it:
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.
6 That night -- let gloom seize upon it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;
9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Wherefore did I not die from the womb, -- come forth from the belly and expire?
12 Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?
13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.
18 The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, and it [cometh] not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave? --
23 To the man whose way is hidden, and whom +God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.
25 For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.
1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 Job answered:
3 "Let the day perish in which I was born, The night which said, 'There is a man-child conceived.'
4 Let that day be darkness; Don't let God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine on it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it who curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Let the stars of the twilight of it be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, Neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
10 Because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
11 "Why didn't I die from the womb? Why didn't I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?
13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
14 With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves;
15 Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver:
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants who never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together. They don't hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
20 "Why is light given to him who is in misery, Life to the bitter in soul,
21 Who long for death, but it doesn't come; Dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 Who rejoice exceedingly, Are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, Whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat, My groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.
26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble comes."
1 Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,
2 Job made answer and said,
3 Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.
4 That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;
5 Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.
6 That night--let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.
7 As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;
8 Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.
9 Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.
10 Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.
11 Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?
12 Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?
13 For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,
14 With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;
15 Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;
16 Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.
17 There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.
18 There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.
19 The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
20 Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;
21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;
22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;
23 To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?
24 In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.
25 For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.
26 I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 3
Commentary on Job 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
THE POEM OR DEBATE ITSELF (Job 3:2-42:6).
FIRST SERIES IN IT (Job 3:1-14:22).
JOB FIRST (Job 3:1-26).
Job 3:1-19. Job Curses the Day of His Birth and Wishes for Death.
1. opened his mouth—The Orientals speak seldom, and then sententiously; hence this formula expressing deliberation and gravity (Ps 78:2). He formally began.
cursed his day—the strict Hebrew word for "cursing:" not the same as in Job 1:5. Job cursed his birthday, but not his God.
2. spake—Hebrew, "answered," that is, not to any actual question that preceded, but to the question virtually involved in the case. His outburst is singularly wild and bold (Jer 20:14). To desire to die so as to be free from sin is a mark of grace; to desire to die so as to escape troubles is a mark of corruption. He was ill-fitted to die who was so unwilling to live. But his trials were greater, and his light less, than ours.
3. the night in which—rather "the night which said." The words in italics are not in the Hebrew. Night is personified and poetically made to speak. So in Job 3:7, and in Ps 19:2. The birth of a male in the East is a matter of joy; often not so of a female.
4. let not God regard it—rather, more poetically, "seek it out." "Let not God stoop from His bright throne to raise it up from its dark hiding-place." The curse on the day in Job 3:3, is amplified in Job 3:4, 5; that on the night, in Job 3:6-10.
5. Let … the shadow of death—("deepest darkness," Isa 9:2).
stain it—This is a later sense of the verb [Gesenius]; better the old and more poetic idea, "Let darkness (the ancient night of chaotic gloom) resume its rights over light (Ge 1:2), and claim that day as its own."
a cloud—collectively, a gathered mass of dark clouds.
the blackness of the day terrify it—literally, "the obscurations"; whatever darkens the day [Gesenius]. The verb in Hebrew expresses sudden terrifying. May it be suddenly affrighted at its own darkness. Umbreit explains it as "magical incantations that darken the day," forming the climax to the previous clauses; Job 3:8 speaks of "cursers of the day" similarly. But the former view is simpler. Others refer it to the poisonous simoom wind.
6. seize upon it—as its prey, that is, utterly dissolve it.
joined unto the days of the year—rather, by poetic personification, "Let it not rejoice in the circle of days and nights and months, which form the circle of years."
7. solitary—rather, "unfruitful." "Would that it had not given birth to me."
8. them … curse the day—If "mourning" be the right rendering in the latter clause of this verse, these words refer to the hired mourners of the dead (Jer 9:17). But the Hebrew for "mourning" elsewhere always denotes an animal, whether it be the crocodile or some huge serpent (Isa 27:1), such as is meant by "leviathan." Therefore, the expression, "cursers of day," refers to magicians, who were believed to be able by charms to make a day one of evil omen. (So Balaam, Nu 22:5). This accords with Umbreit's view (Job 3:7); or to the Ethiopians and Atlantes, who "used to curse the sun at his rising for burning up them and their country" [Herodotus]. Necromancers claimed power to control or rouse wild beasts at will, as do the Indian serpent-charmers of our day (Ps 58:5). Job does not say they had the power they claimed; but, supposing they had, may they curse the day. Schuttens renders it by supplying words as follows:—Let those that are ready for anything, call it (the day) the raiser up of leviathan, that is, of a host of evils.
9. dawning of the day—literally, "eyelashes of morning." The Arab poets call the sun the eye of day. His early rays, therefore, breaking forth before sunrise, are the opening eyelids or eyelashes of morning.
12. Why did the knees prevent me?—Old English for "anticipate my wants." The reference is to the solemn recognition of a new-born child by the father, who used to place it on his knees as his own, whom he was bound to rear (Ge 30:3; 50:23; Isa 66:12).
13. lain … quiet … slept—a gradation. I should not only have lain, but been quiet, and not only been quiet, but slept. Death in Scripture is called "sleep" (Ps 13:3); especially in the New Testament, where the resurrection-awakening is more clearly set forth (1Co 15:51; 1Th 4:14; 5:10).
14. With kings … which built desolate places for themselves—who built up for themselves what proved to be (not palaces, but) ruins! The wounded spirit of Job, once a great emir himself, sick of the vain struggles of mortal great men, after grandeur, contemplates the palaces of kings, now desolate heaps of ruins. His regarding the repose of death the most desirable end of the great ones of earth, wearied with heaping up perishable treasures, marks the irony that breaks out from the black clouds of melancholy [Umbreit]. The "for themselves" marks their selfishness. Michaelis explains it weakly of mausoleums, such as are found still, of stupendous proportions, in the ruins of Petra of Idumea.
15. filled their houses with silver—Some take this to refer to the treasures which the ancients used to bury with their dead. But see Job 3:26.
16. untimely birth—(Ps 58:8); preferable to the life of the restless miser (Ec 6:3-5).
17. the wicked—the original meaning, "those ever restless," "full of desires" (Isa 57:20, 21).
the weary—literally, "those whose strength is wearied out" (Re 14:13).
18. There the prisoners rest—from their chains.
19. servant—The slave is there manumitted from slavery.
Job 3:20-26. He Complains of Life because of His Anguish.
20. Wherefore giveth he light—namely, God; often omitted reverentially (Job 24:23; Ec 9:9). Light, that is, life. The joyful light ill suits the mourners. The grave is most in unison with their feelings.
23. whose way is hid—The picture of Job is drawn from a wanderer who has lost his way, and who is hedged in, so as to have no exit of escape (Ho 2:6; La 3:7, 9).
24. my sighing cometh before I eat—that is, prevents my eating [Umbreit]; or, conscious that the effort to eat brought on the disease, Job must sigh before eating [Rosenmuller]; or, sighing takes the place of good (Ps 42:3) [Good]. But the first explanation accords best with the text.
my roarings are poured out like the waters—an image from the rushing sound of water streaming.
25. the thing which I … feared is come upon me—In the beginning of his trials, when he heard of the loss of one blessing, he feared the loss of another; and when he heard of the loss of that, he feared the loss of a third.
that which I was afraid of is come unto me—namely, the ill opinion of his friends, as though he were a hypocrite on account of his trials.
26. I was not in safety … yet trouble came—referring, not to his former state, but to the beginning of his troubles. From that time I had no rest, there was no intermission of sorrows. "And" (not, "yet") a fresh trouble is coming, namely, my friends' suspicion of my being a hypocrite. This gives the starting-point to the whole ensuing controversy.