Job 3

1 After these things Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 and he said,

3 Perish the day in which I was born, and the night in which it was said, A man is conceived.

4 That day be turned into darknesses; God seek not it [from] above, and be it not in mind, neither be it lightened with light. (Let that day be turned into darkness; let God not seek it out from above, and be it forgotten, and let no light shine upon it.)

5 Darkness make it dark, and the shadow of death and of mist occupy it; and be it wrapped with bitterness. (Let darkness make it dark, and the shadow of death and mist fill it full; and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.)

6 Dark whirlwind hold that night; be it not reckoned among the days of the year, neither be it numbered among the months (Let a dark whirlwind hold that night; be it not reckoned among the days of the year, nor let it be counted among the months.)

7 (Let) That night be sullen, and not worthy of praising.

8 Curse they it, that curse the day, that be ready to raise Leviathan . (Curse they it, who curse the day, yea, they who be ready to raise up even Leviathan.)

9 [The] Stars of that night be they made dark with the darkness thereof; abide it light, and see it not, neither see it the beginning of the morrowtide rising up. (Let the stars of that night be made dark in its darkness; let it wait for the light, but not see it, nor let it see the beginning of the morning rising up.)

10 For it closed not (up) the doors of the womb, that bare me, neither it took away evil from mine eyes.

11 Why was not I dead in the womb? why went I out of the womb, and perished not anon? (Why was I not dead in the womb? why did I not go out of the womb, and perish at once?)

12 Why was I taken on knees? why was I given suck with teats?

13 For now I sleeping should be still, and I should rest in my sleep, (For then, now sleeping, I would be silent, and I would be resting in my sleep,)

14 with kings and counsellors of the earth, which build to them sullen places; (with kings and counsellors of the earth, who built palaces for themselves;)

15 either with princes that have gold in possession, and fill their houses with silver; (and with princes who had a great deal of gold, and filled their houses with silver;)

16 either as a child, or a beast, born before the time, and hid, I should not have been; either as they that be conceived, and saw not light. (or like a child, or a beast, born early, or still-born, and then hidden, or buried, I should not have been; or like they who be conceived, but never saw the light.)

17 There wicked men ceased of (making) noise, and there men made weary of strength rested. (There the wicked cease making noise, and there the strong, made weary, rest.)

18 And sometime men bound together (now be) without dis-ease, they heard not the voice of the wrongful asker. (And those who before were bound together, now be without unease, or distress; they hear no more their taskmaster's voice.)

19 A little man and (a) great man be there, and a servant (is) free from his lord.

20 Why is light given to the wretch, and life to them that be in bitterness of soul? (Why is light given to the wretch, and life to those who have a bitter soul?)

21 Which abide death, and it cometh not; as men that dig out treasure, (They who wait for death, but it cometh not; like men who dig out treasure,)

22 and joy greatly, when they have found a sepulchre? (and greatly rejoice, when they have found a tomb, or a grave?)

23 Why is light given to a man, whose way is hid, and God hath (en)compassed him with darknesses? (Why is light given to a man, whose way forward is hidden, or obscured, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?)

24 Before that I eat, I sigh; and as of water flowing, so is my roaring. (Before that I eat, I sigh; and my roaring floweth out, like the water.)

25 For the dread, which I dreaded, hath come to me; and that thing, that I shamed [of], hath befallen to me. (For the fear, which I feared, hath come to me; and what I was afraid of, hath befallen me.)

26 Whether I dissembled, or feigned, not? whether I was not still? (was I not silent?) whether I rested not? and yet indignation hath come [up]on me.

Job 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

Job complains that he was born. (1-10) Job complaining. (11-19) He complains of his life. (20-26)

Verses 1-10 For seven days Job's friends sat by him in silence, without offering consolidation: at the same time Satan assaulted his mind to shake his confidence, and to fill him with hard thoughts of God. The permission seems to have extended to this, as well as to torturing the body. Job was an especial type of Christ, whose inward sufferings, both in the garden and on the cross, were the most dreadful; and arose in a great degree from the assaults of Satan in that hour of darkness. These inward trials show the reason of the change that took place in Job's conduct, from entire submission to the will of God, to the impatience which appears here, and in other parts of the book. The believer, who knows that a few drops of this bitter cup are more dreadful than the sharpest outward afflictions, while he is favoured with a sweet sense of the love and presence of God, will not be surprised to find that Job proved a man of like passions with others; but will rejoice that Satan was disappointed, and could not prove him a hypocrite; for though he cursed the day of his birth, he did not curse his God. Job doubtless was afterwards ashamed of these wishes, and we may suppose what must be his judgment of them now he is in everlasting happiness.

Verses 11-19 Job complained of those present at his birth, for their tender attention to him. No creature comes into the world so helpless as man. God's power and providence upheld our frail lives, and his pity and patience spared our forfeited lives. Natural affection is put into parents' hearts by God. To desire to die that we may be with Christ, that we may be free from sin, is the effect and evidence of grace; but to desire to die, only that we may be delivered from the troubles of this life, savours of corruption. It is our wisdom and duty to make the best of that which is, be it living or dying; and so to live to the Lord, and die to the Lord, as in both to be his, ( Romans 14:8 ) . Observe how Job describes the repose of the grave; There the wicked cease from troubling. When persecutors die, they can no longer persecute. There the weary are at rest: in the grave they rest from all their labours. And a rest from sin, temptation, conflict, sorrows, and labours, remains in the presence and enjoyment of God. There believers rest in Jesus, nay, as far as we trust in the Lord Jesus and obey him, we here find rest to our souls, though in the world we have tribulation.

Verses 20-26 Job was like a man who had lost his way, and had no prospect of escape, or hope of better times. But surely he was in an ill frame for death when so unwilling to live. Let it be our constant care to get ready for another world, and then leave it to God to order our removal thither as he thinks fit. Grace teaches us in the midst of life's greatest comforts, to be willing to die, and in the midst of its greatest crosses, to be willing to live. Job's way was hid; he knew not wherefore God contended with him. The afflicted and tempted Christian knows something of this heaviness; when he has been looking too much at the things that are seen, some chastisement of his heavenly Father will give him a taste of this disgust of life, and a glance at these dark regions of despair. Nor is there any help until God shall restore to him the joys of his salvation. Blessed be God, the earth is full of his goodness, though full of man's wickedness. This life may be made tolerable if we attend to our duty. We look for eternal mercy, if willing to receive Christ as our Saviour.

Chapter Summary

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.