Job 3: Job curses the day of his birth
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What happens?
After the seven days of silence Job opens his mouth and curses his day. He wishes that the day and the night of his birth had perished, and asks why he did not die at birth, saying that in the grave the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. He asks why light is given to the bitter, who long for death, and says that the thing he feared has come on him.
Who is speaking?
Job speaks in this whole chapter. The narrator introduces him in verses 1 and 2, and then every verse from 3 to 26 is Job's own speech. In verse 3 Job gives words to the night: "There is a boy conceived." God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
In plain English: After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day (the WEB says: the day of his birth).
The Hebrew word: "Cursed" is qalal, which the dictionary gives as "to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)". It is in 5 verses of Job, and the WEB says "cursed" in 2 of them. It is not the word of and , which is barak.
Good to know: The Hebrew says that Job cursed "his day". This is the same Hebrew word, "his day", as in , where the WEB says "birthday". Here the WEB says "the day of his birth".
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2Job answered:
In plain English: Job answered and said:
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3“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’
In plain English: "Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night which said, 'A boy (or: a man) has been conceived.'
The Hebrew word: "Boy" is geber, which the dictionary gives as "properly, a valiant man or warrior; generally, a person simply". It is in 15 verses of Job, and the WEB says "man" in 14 and "boy" in 1, this one.
Good to know: says: "Cursed is the day in which I was born. Don't let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed." says: "Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, 'A boy is born to you,' making him very glad." Each is a different line from Job's.
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4Let that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.
In plain English: Let that day be darkness. Do not let God from above seek for it (or: care for it), and do not let daylight shine on it.
The Hebrew word: "God" here is Eloah, which the dictionary gives as "a deity or the Deity". It is in 41 verses of Job. The word of is Elohim, which is in 17 verses of Job. The WEB says "God" for both.
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5Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black terrify it.
In plain English: Let darkness and the shadow of death (or: deep darkness) claim it for their own. Let a cloud settle down over it. Let whatever darkens the day terrify it.
The Hebrew word: "Shadow of death" is tsalmavet, which the dictionary gives as "shade of death, i.e. the grave (figuratively, calamity)". It is in 9 verses of Job, and in 5 of them the WEB has the word "shadow". The word-by-word meaning of the Hebrew here is "deep darkness".
What changes: With "shadow of death", the line names death. With "deep darkness", the line speaks of darkness alone. The text does not say which.
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6As 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.
In plain English: As for that night, let thick darkness take it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
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7Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
In plain English: Look, let that night be barren. Let no cry of joy come into it.
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8Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
In plain English: Let those who curse the day (the Hebrew says: a day) curse it, those who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.
The Hebrew words: Two Hebrew words are printed "curse" here: qavav ("let them curse it"), which the dictionary gives as "to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. stab with words)" and is in 9 verses of the Bible, and arar ("cursers"), which the dictionary gives as "to execrate" and is in 52. "Leviathan" is in 5 verses of the Bible, 2 of them in Job: this one and .
What changes: The line says that some are ready to rouse up Leviathan and that they curse a day (the Hebrew has no word for "the"). The text does not say who they are or what rousing Leviathan means, and does not say what Leviathan is here.
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9Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
In plain English: Let the stars of its twilight grow dark. Let it wait for light and have none, and let it not see the eyelids of the dawn,
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10because it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
In plain English: because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, and did not hide trouble from my eyes.
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11“Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
In plain English: Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not expire when I came out of the belly?
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12Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?
In plain English: Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
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13For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
In plain English: For now I would have lain down and been at peace. I would have slept, and then it would have been rest for me,
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14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
In plain English: with kings and counselors of the earth, who rebuilt ruins for themselves (see the note),
The Hebrew word: "Waste places" is chorbah, which the dictionary gives as "properly, drought, i.e. (by implication) a desolation". It is in this verse only in Job. The word-by-word meaning is "ruins" and the verb is "rebuilt".
What changes: The line can read that the kings and counselors rebuilt ruined places for themselves, or built waste places for themselves. The text does not say what they built.
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15or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
In plain English: or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
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16or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.
In plain English: or like a hidden miscarriage I would not have been, like children who never saw light.
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17There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.
In plain English: There the wicked cease from turmoil. And there the weary ones rest.
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18There the prisoners are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.
In plain English: Together the prisoners are at ease. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
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19The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
In plain English: The small and the great are there. And the slave is free from his master.
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20“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
In plain English: Why does someone give light to the one who suffers, and life to those who are bitter in soul,
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21who long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
In plain English: who long for death, and it is not there, and who dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
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22who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
In plain English: who are joyful, who rejoice and exult, if they find the grave?
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23Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
In plain English: Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
Good to know: "Hedged in" is sakak, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to entwine as a screen; by implication, to fence in, cover over, (figuratively) protect". It is in 4 verses of Job, and the WEB says "hedge" in 1, this one. The satan's "hedge" in is a different Hebrew word, suk, which is in 1 verse of Job. The WEB says "hedge" for both.
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24For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.
In plain English: For my sighing comes before my food (or: before I eat), and my cries of distress are poured out like water.
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25For the thing which I fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.
In plain English: For a fear I feared has come to me, and what I dreaded has come to me.
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26I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”
In plain English: I am not at ease, and I am not at peace, and I am not at rest, and turmoil has come."
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