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Job 3

26 verses

TL;DR

Job laments bitterly, wishing for the destruction of his birth and the silence of death, expressing deep despair over his suffering.

Summary

In chapter 3, Job opens his mouth in anguish, cursing the day he was born and the night he entered the world. He calls for darkness, a day of no light, and a night bereft of joy or hope. Job questions why he was not killed before birth, why he could not simply die and rest. He imagines a state of peace where the wicked rest, prisoners are free, and all are equal. Yet he laments that even in such imagined peace, the longing for death remains unfulfilled, and he continues to suffer. The chapter is a raw, poetic expression of Job’s sorrow and yearning for release from his misery.

Outline
  1. Job curses his birth and the day of his life
  2. He laments the impossibility of death before birth and his desire for peace
  3. He imagines an ideal state where suffering ends but remains unfulfilled
Themes
despair and sorrowyearning for deathhuman questioning of divine justice
Keywords
despaircursebirthwombdeathlightdarknesssorrowGod
People
Job
Places
Things
daynightdarknesslightwombbirthdeathgoldsilverprisonerskingsprinces
Key Verses
  • Job 3:1: Job’s initial curse, setting the tone of lamentation.
  • Job 3:10: Job’s lament over birth, a central motif.
  • Job 3:20: Imagined peace that still fails to satisfy the longing for death.
Questions
  • Why does Job wish for the destruction of his own birth?
  • What does the repeated motif of darkness and light reveal about his state of mind?
  • How does Job's lament reflect the broader theme of suffering in the book?
  • In what ways does Job’s yearning for death challenge traditional notions of divine justice?
  • What hope, if any, does Job find in the possibility of peace for the wicked?
Sentiment

negative
The chapter expresses deep sorrow and despair.