Job 3:1-11

1 After this, Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 And he said:

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

4 Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the light shine upon it.

5 Let darkness, and the shadow of death, cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.

6 Let a darksome whirlwind seize upon that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.

7 Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.

8 Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to raise up a leviathan:

9 Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light, and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.

11 Why did I not die in the womb? why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

Job 3:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 3

In this chapter we have an account of Job's cursing the day of his birth, and the night of his conception; Job 3:1-3; first the day, to which he wishes the most extreme darkness, Job 3:4,5; then the night, to which he wishes the same and that it might be destitute of all joy, and be cursed by others as well as by himself, Job 3:6-9; The reasons follow, because it did not prevent his coming into the world, and because he died not on it, Job 3:10-12; which would, as he judged, have been an happiness to him; and this he illustrates by the still and quiet state of the dead, the company they are with, and their freedom from all trouble, oppression, and bondage, Job 3:13-19; but however, since it was otherwise with him, he desires his life might not be prolonged, and expostulates about the continuance of it, Job 3:20-23; and this by reason of his present troubles, which were many and great, and came upon him as he feared they would, and which had made him uneasy in his prosperity, Job 3:24-26.