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Job 3

Job 3 marks the beginning of Job's lament after seven days of silence with his friends. Overwhelmed by his suffering, he curses the day of his birth and expresses his anguish, wishing he had never been born or had died at birth. His sorrow is profound, and he struggles to comprehend why such immense pain has befallen him. This chapter introduces Job’s inner turmoil and sets the stage for the dialogues that follow.

Job 3:1-5 (NKJV)
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job spoke, and said:
3 “May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, Nor the light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it."

After remaining silent for days, Job can no longer contain his sorrow and curses the day of his birth. He wishes the day had never existed, desiring that it be swallowed by darkness. His deep despair is evident as he longs for the removal of any memory of his birth, reflecting the intensity of his pain. Job feels so afflicted that he sees no meaning in his existence.

Job 3:6-10 (NKJV)
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day, Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light, but have none, And not see the dawning of the day;
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes."

Job continues his lament, cursing not just the day of his birth but also the night of his conception. He wishes that night had been barren, void of any celebration. He even invokes a mythical curse, calling on those who rouse Leviathan, a symbol of chaos. His grief is so overwhelming that he wishes the stars of that night had never shone, and the day had never dawned, because it led to his current suffering.

Job 3:11-15 (NKJV)
11 “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver."

Job now questions why he didn’t die at birth. He feels that death would have been a release from his suffering, allowing him to rest in peace. Job imagines that if he had died, he would be resting with the great figures of the past—kings, princes, and counselors. Their earthly wealth and status seem irrelevant in death, offering the same rest Job now craves.

Job 3:16-19 (NKJV)
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master."

Job longs for the peace of the grave, comparing himself to a stillborn child who never experienced the sorrows of life. In death, Job imagines a place where suffering, oppression, and social distinctions no longer exist. Both the small and the great are equal in the grave, free from the troubles of life, and Job wishes for that release from his torment.

Job 3:20-23 (NKJV)
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden 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 hidden, And whom God has hedged in?"

Job asks why life and light are given to those in misery, like himself, who long for death but cannot find it. He compares the longing for death to the pursuit of hidden treasures, viewing the grave as a source of great joy for those in anguish. Job feels trapped, as if God has blocked his path, leaving him to suffer without understanding the purpose of his pain.

Job 3:24-26 (NKJV)
24 For my sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes."

In his closing words, Job laments the constant nature of his suffering. His groaning and sighing dominate his life, even before he eats. He reflects on his worst fears becoming a reality—his life now filled with unrelenting trouble. Job feels no peace or rest, only persistent turmoil, which compounds his sense of hopelessness.

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