Job 10 18

Job 10:18 kjv

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

Job 10:18 nkjv

'Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

Job 10:18 niv

"Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.

Job 10:18 esv

"Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me

Job 10:18 nlt

"'Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother's womb?
Why didn't you let me die at birth?

Job 10 verses

Job 10 18 Meaning

Job 10:18 conveys Job’s deep anguish and despair, as he questions the very reason for his birth. In the throes of his immense suffering, he wishes that he had either died in his mother’s womb or been stillborn, to escape the agonizing torment he currently endures. His plea reflects a profound sense of abandonment and a preference for oblivion over his present existence, believing that not having lived would have spared him this unbearable pain and public spectacle of misery.

Job 10 18 Context

Job 10:18 is part of Job's continued lament directly to God, following his initial curse of his birth in chapter 3. In chapter 10, Job continues to protest his innocence while desperately pleading with God to cease His perceived attack upon him. He questions God's motives and actions, feeling as though the Creator who formed him in the womb is now actively destroying him. This verse expresses the nadir of his despair, where the pain is so profound that non-existence seems preferable. It fits within a broader argument where Job struggles to reconcile God's power and justice with his innocent suffering, and the seeming arbitrariness of his affliction.

Job 10 18 Word analysis

• "Why then" (לָמָּה - lāmmâ): This interrogative particle is not merely a question but a profound cry of lament and accusation. It expresses intense distress and a questioning of God's rationale, conveying Job's spiritual anguish and sense of bewilderment. It implies that from Job's perspective, God's action of bringing him to life has led to nothing but suffering.
• "did you bring me out" (הוֹצֵאתַ֫נִי - hôtse'tanî): From the verb יָצָא (yatsa), meaning "to go out, come out," here in the Hiphil stem, which denotes causation. Thus, it means "You caused me to come out" or "You brought me out." This firmly places the responsibility for his birth squarely on God's shoulders in Job’s mind, making God the direct agent of his existence and, by extension, his suffering.
• "of the womb" (מִבֶּטֶן - mibbeṭen): Refers to the mother's womb, symbolizing the very beginning of life and God's sovereign hand in the formation of an individual. Job recalls this divine act of creation only to bitterly regret it. It contrasts with Ps 139, where divine involvement in the womb is a source of wonder, not lament.
• "Would that I had perished" (וָאֶגְוַע - wa'egwa): From the verb גָּוַע (gāwaʿ), "to expire, to die, to cease." This expresses a fervent, almost desperate wish for immediate and absolute non-existence, emphasizing death at the moment of birth before awareness of suffering could develop.
• "and no eye had seen me!" (וְעַיִן לֹא תִרְאֵנִי - weʿayin lo tir'ēnî): This phrase adds another layer to Job's death wish. He doesn't merely wish to die, but to have vanished without a trace, unobserved by anyone. This indicates not only a desire to avoid pain but also to escape the shame, humiliation, and the public scrutiny of his suffering. To be unseen means to be forgotten, to have no record of his existence or his agonizing plight. It suggests a profound feeling of isolation and that no one truly comprehends or empathizes with his predicament.

• "Why then did you bring me out of the womb?": This is a direct, rhetorical challenge to God's providence, accusing God of an act that, from Job's perspective, led only to suffering and regret. It is a profound expression of a crisis of faith and purpose, questioning divine intention behind creation.
• "Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!": This pairing of desires illustrates Job's total despair. He seeks complete obliteration and anonymity, as if to say his life, filled with such unbearable pain and shame, should never have left any impression or memory on the world. This is an ultimate escape from reality and its suffering.

Job 10 18 Bonus section

This verse exemplifies a crucial theme in the Book of Job: the problem of suffering, particularly innocent suffering. Job's words highlight the human struggle to reconcile divine omnipotence and goodness with personal experience of immense pain and injustice. From an Ancient Near Eastern perspective, Job's lament would have been deeply unsettling, as life itself was considered a divine gift. His outright rejection of his existence is a testament to the unparalleled nature of his anguish. The irony lies in that God intimately formed Job, but now Job, unable to comprehend his pain, wishes that foundational act had never occurred. This verse foreshadows later theological questions about God's sovereignty and purpose in human life, especially during times of trial.

Job 10 18 Commentary

Job 10:18 powerfully articulates Job’s existential agony. It's a raw lament, a bitter rhetorical question hurled at God, accusing Him of initiating a life that has led only to unimaginable pain. Job's desire to have perished at birth or to have remained unseen speaks to a suffering so deep that non-existence becomes a desired refuge. He perceives God, the very giver of life, as the orchestrator of his current torment, leading him to question the benevolence of his own creation. This verse captures the desperate longing for oblivion that can arise from extreme physical and emotional affliction, illustrating a deep spiritual struggle to reconcile faith in a good God with overwhelming evil experienced personally.