Job 3


FIRST SERIES IN IT (Job 3:1-14:22').
JOB FIRST ( Job 3:1-26 ).


1. opened his mouth--The Orientals speak seldom, and then sententiously; hence this formula expressing deliberation and gravity ( Psalms 78:2 ). He formally began.


3. the night in which--rather "the night which said." The words in italics are not in the Hebrew. Night is personified and poetically made to speak. So in Job 3:7 , and in Psalms 19:2 . The birth of a male in the East is a matter of joy; often not so of a female.

4. let not God regard it--rather, more poetically, "seek it out." "Let not God stoop from His bright throne to raise it up from its dark hiding-place." The curse on the day in Job 3:3 , is amplified in Job 3:4 Job 3:5 ; that on the night, in Job 3:6-10 .

5. Let . . . the shadow of death--("deepest darkness," Isaiah 9:2 ).
stain it--This is a later sense of the verb [GESENIUS]; better the old and more poetic idea, "Let darkness (the ancient night of chaotic gloom) resume its rights over light ( Genesis 1:2 ), and claim that day as its own."

6. seize upon it--as its prey, that is, utterly dissolve it.


8. them . . . curse the day--If "mourning" be the right rendering in the latter clause of this verse, these words refer to the hired mourners of the dead ( Jeremiah 9:17 ). But the Hebrew for "mourning" elsewhere always denotes an animal, whether it be the crocodile or some huge serpent ( Isaiah 27:1 ), such as is meant by "leviathan." Therefore, the expression, "cursers of day," refers to magicians, who were believed to be able by charms to make a day one of evil omen. (So Balaam, Numbers 22:5 ). This accords with UMBREIT'S view ( Job 3:7 ); or to the Ethiopians and Atlantes, who "used to curse the sun at his rising for burning up them and their country" [HERODOTUS]. Necromancers claimed power to control or rouse wild beasts at will, as do the Indian serpent-charmers of our day ( Psalms 58:5 ). Job does not say they had the power they claimed; but, supposing they had, may they curse the day. SCHUTTENS renders it by supplying words as follows:--Let those that are ready for anything, call it (the day) the raiser up of leviathan, that is, of a host of evils.


12. Why did the knees prevent me?--Old English for "anticipate my wants." The reference is to the solemn recognition of a new-born child by the father, who used to place it on his knees as his own, whom he was bound to rear ( Genesis 30:3 , 50:23 , Isaiah 66:12 ).

13. lain . . . quiet . . . slept--a gradation. I should not only have lain, but been quiet, and not only been quiet, but slept. Death in Scripture is called "sleep" ( Psalms 13:3 ); especially in the New Testament, where the resurrection-awakening is more clearly set forth ( 1 Corinthians 15:51 , 1 Thessalonians 4:14 , 5:10 ).



16. untimely birth--( Psalms 58:8 ); preferable to the life of the restless miser ( Ecclesiastes 6:3-5 ).

17. the wicked--the original meaning, "those ever restless," "full of desires" ( Isaiah 57:20 Isaiah 57:21 ).
the weary--literally, "those whose strength is wearied out" ( Revelation 14:13 ).

18. There the prisoners rest--from their chains.

19. servant--The slave is there manumitted from slavery.


20. Wherefore giveth he light--namely, God; often omitted reverentially ( Job 24:23 , Ecclesiastes 9:9 ). Light, that is, life. The joyful light ill suits the mourners. The grave is most in unison with their feelings.

23. whose way is hid--The picture of Job is drawn from a wanderer who has lost his way, and who is hedged in, so as to have no exit of escape ( Hosea 2:6 , Lamentations 3:7 Lamentations 3:9 ).

24. my sighing cometh before I eat--that is, prevents my eating [UMBREIT]; or, conscious that the effort to eat brought on the disease, Job must sigh before eating [ROSENMULLER]; or, sighing takes the place of good ( Psalms 42:3 ) [GOOD]. But the first explanation accords best with the text.



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