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Texts -- Job 3:9-26 (NET)

Context
3:9 Let its morning stars be darkened ; let it wait for daylight but find none , nor let it see the first rays of dawn , 3:10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb on me, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes !
Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth
3:11 “Why did I not die at birth , and why did I not expire as I came out of the womb ? 3:12 Why did the knees welcome me, and why were there two breasts that I might nurse at them? 3:13 For now I would be lying down and would be quiet , I would be asleep and then at peace 3:14 with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves places now desolate , 3:15 or with princes who possessed gold , who filled their palaces with silver . 3:16 Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant , like infants who have never seen the light ? 3:17 There the wicked cease from turmoil , and there the weary are at rest . 3:18 There the prisoners relax together ; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor . 3:19 Small and great are there , and the slave is free from his master .
Longing for Death
3:20 “Why does God give light to one who is in misery , and life to those whose soul is bitter , 3:21 to those who wait for death that does not come, and search for it more than for hidden treasures , 3:22 who rejoice even to jubilation , and are exultant when they find the grave ? 3:23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden , and whom God has hedged in ? 3:24 For my sighing comes in place of my food , and my groanings flow forth like water . 3:25 For the very thing I dreaded has happened to me, and what I feared has come upon me. 3:26 I have no ease , I have no quietness ; I cannot rest ; turmoil has come upon me.”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Death

    [isbe] DEATH - (maweth; thanatos): PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Gen 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Gen 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Ki 4:...
    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Despondency

    [nave] DESPONDENCY. Num. 17:12, 13; Deut. 28:65-67; Job 3:1-26; Job 17:13-16; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 77:7-9; Prov. 13:12; Isa. 2:19; Jer. 2:25; Jer. 8:20; Jer. 18:12; Lam. 3:1-21; Lam. 5:22; Hos. 10:8; Jonah 2:2-4; Mic. 7:1-7; Matt. 24:...

  • Complaint

    [nave] COMPLAINT of Israelites against Moses, Ex. 5:21; 15:24; 16:2, 3; Num. 16:2, 3, 13, 14, 41; 20:2-4. Against God Ex. 5:22, 23; Ex. 16:8, 12; Num. 14:26-37 Num. 17:10, 11. Job 15:11-13; Job 33:12, 13; Job 34:37; Psa. 37:1; Ps...

  • Birthday

    [nave] BIRTHDAY Celebrated by feasts, Gen. 40:20; Matt. 14:6. Cursed, Job 3; Jer. 20:14, 18.

  • Doubting

    [nave] DOUBTING. Job 4:3-6; Job 9:16-23; Job 30:20, 21 Job 3; 16; 17; 23:15-17. Psa. 22:2; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 42:5, 6; Psa. 49:5; Psa. 73:13-17; Psa. 77:3, 7-9; Prov. 24:10; Isa. 40:27, 28 Isa. 50:2. Isa. 49:14, 15; Jer. 8:18; Jer. ...

  • Life

    [nave] LIFE. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Brevity and Uncertainty of; Everlasting; From God; Long; Spiritual. Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics Breath of, Gen. 2:7. Called Spirit of God, Job 27:3. Tree of,...

  • Presumption

    [nave] PRESUMPTION. Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11, 12; Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30; Num. 16:41; Num. 21:5; Deut. 29:19, 20; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; Job 15:25; Psa. 19:13; Psa. 131:1; Prov. 18:12, 13; Prov. 25:6, 7; Isa. 5:18-25; Isa. 10:15; Isa...

  • Job

    [nave] JOB 1. A man who dwelt in Uz, Job 1:1. Righteousness of, Job 1:1, 5, 8; 2:3; Ezek. 14:14, 20. Riches of, Job 1:3. Trial of, by affliction of Satan, Job 1:13-19; 2:7-10. Fortitude of, Job 1:20-22; 2:10; Jas. 5:11. Visite...

  • Dead

    [nave] DEAD Raised to life, instances of: Son of the widow of Zarephath, 1 Kin. 17:17-23; Shunammite's son, 2 Kin. 4:32-37; young man laid in Elisha's sepulchre, 2 Kin. 13:21; widow's son, Luke 7:12-15; Jairus' daughter, Luke 8:49-...

  • SHEOL

    [isbe] SHEOL - she'-ol (she'ol): 1. The Name 2. The Abode of the Dead (1) Not a State of Unconsciousness (2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction (3) Relation to Immortality 3. Post-canonical Period 1. The Name: This word is often t...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • JOB, BOOK OF

    [isbe] JOB, BOOK OF - || I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Place in the Canon 2. Rank and Readers II. THE LITERARY FRAMEWORK 1. Setting of Time, Place and Scene 2. Characters and Personality 3. Form and Style III. THE COURSE OF THE STORY A) To Jo...

  • Grave

    [nave] GRAVE Prepared by Jacob, Gen. 50:5. Defilement from touching, Num. 19:16, 18. Weeping at, 2 Sam. 3:32; John 11:31; 20:11. Of parents, honored, 2 Sam. 19:37. Welcomed, Job 3:20-22. Resurrection from: Of Lazarus, John 11:...

  • REST

    [isbe] REST - (nuach, menuchah, "cessation from motion," "peace," "quiet," etc.; anapausis, [@katapausis): "Rest" in the above sense is of frequent occurrence, and is the translation of several words with various applications and s...

  • Prayer

    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • GHOST

    [ebd] an old Saxon word equivalent to soul or spirit. It is the translation of the Hebrew nephesh_ and the Greek _pneuma, both meaning "breath," "life," "spirit," the "living principle" (Job 11:20; Jer. 15:9; Matt. 27:50; John 19:...
    [isbe] GHOST - gost (nephesh; pneuma) : "Ghost," the middle-English word for "breath," "spirit," appears in the King James Version as the translation of nephesh ("breath," "the breath of life," animal soul or spirit, the vital prin...

  • Archaeology

    [nave] ARCHAEOLOGY The study of past human life, especially through the study of ancient artifacts or relics. References in the Bible are merely allusional Lev. 26:31, 33; Deut. 13:16; Josh. 8:28, 11:13; 1 Kin. 18:30; 1 Chr. 20:1; ...

  • Heaven

    [nave] HEAVEN. God's Dwelling Place Deut. 26:15 Zech. 2:13; Isa. 63:15. 1 Kin. 8:30 vs. 39,43,49;; 2 Chr. 6:18, 21, 27, 30, 33, 35, 39; Jer. 23:24. 1 Chr. 16:31; 1 Chr. 21:26 2 Chr. 7:14; Neh. 9:27. 2 Chr. 2:6; 2 Chr. 30:27; Job ...

  • Breast

    [nave] BREAST parts of a sacrifice: Ex. 29:26, 27; Lev. 7:30, 30, 31, 34; 8:29; 9:20, 21; 10:14, 15; Num. 6:20; 18:18 area of the lap, chest: Jer. 31:19; Ezek. 21:12; Luke 18:13; 23:48; John 13:25; 21:20; Rev. 1:13; 15:6 of women: ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • Satan again claimed that Job served God only because God had made it advantageous for Job to do so. Job still had his own life. Satan insinuated that Job had been willing to part with his own children and his animals (wealth)...
  • Really four men came to visit Job, though the writer did not mention Elihu's presence until chapter 32. Eliphaz seems to have been the eldest for several reasons. His name occurs first (2:11; 42:9), he spoke before the others...
  • The poetic body to the book begins with a soliloquy in which Job cursed the day of his birth. This introductory soliloquy corresponds to another one Job gave at the end of his dialogue with his three friends (chs. 29-31), esp...
  • Much of Job's suffering was intellectual. He asked, "Why?"frequently in this soliloquy (vv. 11, 12, 20, 23) and in the dialogue that follows (7:20, 21; 9:29; 13:24; 21:4; 24:1)."My groaning comes at the sight of my food"(v. 2...
  • The two soliloquies of Job (chs. 3 and 29-31) enclose three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Each cycle consists of speeches by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in that order interspersed with Job's reply to e...
  • "The rest of Job's speech is more like a soliloquy which turns into a remonstration against God Himself. His theme is once more the hard servicethat men have upon earth."47In this complaint (cf. ch. 3; 6:8-13) Job compared hi...
  • Throughout his sufferings Job did not turn away from God. Often people undergoing severe affliction do forsake Him. However, Job kept God in view and kept talking to God even though he did not know what to ask, which was a ma...
  • This whole chapter, another prayer (cf. 7:7-21), is a cry to God for answers: "Let me know why . . ."(v. 2). Notice the legal setting again, especially in verse 2. Job again claimed to be not guilty (v. 7)."It is a remarkable...
  • Job gave a soliloquy before his dialogue with his three friends began (ch. 3). Now he concluded that dialogue with another soliloquy (chs. 29-31). In this one, Job longed for his past state of blessedness (ch. 29), lamented h...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • This is the third Servant Song (cf. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12). Like the second song, this one is autobiographical, but unlike the first and second songs it contains no reference to the Servant. That it is the Servant who i...
  • This pericope contains two instances in which Jeremiah faced crushing discouragement in his ministry (vv. 10-14, 15-21). He confessed his frustration to the Lord, and the Lord responded with encouragement.15:10 Jeremiah addre...
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