8 Let them curse H5344 it that curse H779 the day, H3117 who are ready H6264 to raise up H5782 their mourning. H3882
Canst thou draw out H4900 leviathan H3882 with an hook? H2443 or his tongue H3956 with a cord H2256 which thou lettest down? H8257
None is so fierce H393 that dare stir him up: H5782 H5782 who then is able to stand H3320 before H6440 me?
And Jeremiah H3414 lamented H6969 for Josiah: H2977 and all the singing men H7891 and the singing women H7891 spake H559 of Josiah H2977 in their lamentations H7015 to this day, H3117 and made H5414 them an ordinance H2706 in Israel: H3478 and, behold, they are written H3789 in the lamentations. H7015
When he raiseth up H7613 himself, the mighty H352 are afraid: H1481 by reason of breakings H7667 they purify H2398 themselves.
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 Consider H995 ye, and call H7121 for the mourning women, H6969 that they may come; H935 and send H7971 for cunning H2450 women, that they may come: H935 And let them make haste, H4116 and take up H5375 a wailing H5092 for us, that our eyes H5869 may run down H3381 with tears, H1832 and our eyelids H6079 gush out H5140 with waters. H4325
Therefore the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of hosts, H6635 the Lord, H136 saith H559 thus; Wailing H4553 shall be in all streets; H7339 and they shall say H559 in all the highways, H2351 Alas! H1930 alas! H1930 and they shall call H7121 the husbandman H406 to mourning, H60 and such as are skilful H3045 of lamentation H5092 to wailing. H4553
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 3
Commentary on Job 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
"You have heard of the patience of Job,' says the apostle, Jam. 5:11. So we have, and of his impatience too. We wondered that a man should be so patient as he was (ch. 1 and 2), but we wonder also that a good man should be so impatient as he is in this chapter, where we find him cursing his day, and, in passion,
In this it must be owned that Job sinned with his lips, and it is written, not for our imitation, but our admonition, that he who thinks he stands may take heed lest he fall.
Job 3:1-10
Long was Job's heart hot within him; and, while he was musing, the fire burned, and the more for being stifled and suppressed. At length he spoke with his tongue, but not such a good word as David spoke after a long pause: Lord, make me to know my end, Ps. 39:3, 4. Seven days the prophet Ezekiel sat down astonished with the captives, and then (probably on the sabbath day) the word of the Lord came to him, Eze. 3:15, 16. So long Job and his friends sat thinking, but said nothing; they were afraid of speaking what they thought, lest they should grieve him, and he durst not give vent to his thoughts, lest he should offend them. They came to comfort him, but, finding his afflictions very extraordinary, they began to think comfort did not belong to him, suspecting him to be a hypocrite, and therefore they said nothing. But losers think they may have leave to speak, and therefore Job first gives vent to his thoughts. Unless they had been better, it would however have been well if he had kept them to himself. In short, he cursed his day, the day of his birth, wished he had never been born, could not think or speak of his own birth without regret and vexation. Whereas men usually observe the annual return of their birth-day with rejoicing, he looked upon it as the unhappiest day of the year, because the unhappiest of his life, being the inlet into all his woe. Now,
Job 3:11-19
Job, perhaps reflecting upon himself for his folly in wishing he had never been born, follows it, and thinks to mend it, with another, little better, that he had died as soon as he was born, which he enlarges upon in these verses. When our Saviour would set forth a very calamitous state of things he seems to allow such a saying as this, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the paps which never gave suck (Lu. 23:29); but blessing the barren womb is one thing and cursing the fruitful womb is another! It is good to make the best of afflictions, but it is not good to make the worst of mercies. Our rule is, Bless, and curse not. Life is often put for all good, and death for all evil; yet Job here very absurdly complains of life and its supports as a curse and plague to him, and covets death and the grave as the greatest and most desirable bliss. Surely Satan was deceived in Job when he applied that maxim to him, All that a man hath will he give for his life; for never any man valued life at a lower rate than he did.
Job 3:20-26
Job, finding it to no purpose to wish either that he had not been born or had died as soon as he was born, here complains that his life was now continued and not cut off. When men are set on quarrelling there is no end of it; the corrupt heart will carry on the humour. Having cursed the day of his birth, here he courts the day of his death. The beginning of this strife and impatience is as the letting forth of water.