Job 10 3

Job 10:3 kjv

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Job 10:3 nkjv

Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?

Job 10:3 niv

Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

Job 10:3 esv

Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?

Job 10:3 nlt

What do you gain by oppressing me?
Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands,
while smiling on the schemes of the wicked?

Job 10 verses

Job 10 3 Meaning

Job 10:3 represents a poignant cry from Job to God, questioning the very nature of divine justice and purpose in his suffering. Job rhetorically asks God if it is beneficial or pleasing to Him to oppress His own creation, specifically Job, whom He meticulously made. He perceives God as despising the work of His hands, while simultaneously appearing to validate or act in accordance with the counsel of the wicked, who would advocate for the suffering of the righteous. This verse expresses Job's deep anguish, confusion, and perception of divine contradiction.

Job 10 3 Context

Job 10:3 falls within Job's extended lament and rhetorical address to God in response to the counsel of his friends. Chapters 3-14 record the first cycle of dialogues between Job and his three companions. In Job 10, following Zophar's harsh judgment, Job continues to wrestle with God's perceived injustice and hidden ways. He desires an open court hearing with God (Job 9:32-35) but then fears God's overwhelming power. This verse specifically highlights Job's profound internal conflict: how can a just and good God, who meticulously created him, then oppress him as if He despises His own work, especially when such actions seemingly affirm the very principles of the wicked (that the righteous suffer unjustly while the wicked prosper)? Job is expressing his bewilderment at a divine plan that appears to contradict His nature as a benevolent Creator. His words are not blasphemy but a raw outpouring of a desperate heart that feels betrayed by the one he trusts most.

Job 10 3 Word analysis

• Is it good for You... (כִּי־טוֹב לְךָ - kî-ṭōḇ lə·ḵā)

  • כִּי־טוֹב (kî-ṭōḇ): Literally "is it good," but used here as a rhetorical question expressing profound bewilderment, pain, and implied accusation. It conveys: "Does it please You?" or "Is this acceptable to You?" It challenges God's ethical integrity and divine disposition towards Job. The nuance suggests that from Job's suffering perspective, God's actions appear incongruous with goodness.
  • לְךָ (lə·ḵā): "for You." Emphasizes the direct accountability to God; Job directly questions God's motives and benefits from his suffering.

• ...that You oppress... (כִּי תְּדַכֵּא - kî tə·ḏak·kê)

  • תְּדַכֵּא (tə·ḏak·kê): From the verb דָּכָא (dakâ), meaning "to crush," "to break in pieces," "to oppress," "to bruise." The intensive form (Piel) signifies a persistent, thorough, and active process of subjugation or severe affliction. Job feels utterly pulverized by God's power, not merely chastened but thoroughly broken. It conveys a sense of overwhelming, relentless pressure.

• ...that You despise... (כִּי תִּמְאַס - kî tim·’as)

  • תִּמְאַס (tim·’as): From the verb מָאַס (ma’as), meaning "to reject," "to spurn," "to abhor," "to treat with contempt." It implies a conscious act of disregard or disdain. Job feels not just punished but personally rejected and devalued by God. This challenges God's commitment to His covenant people and His creation.

• ...the labor of Your hands? (יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ - yə·ḡî·a‘ kap·pe·ḵā)

  • יְגִיעַ (yə·ḡî·a‘): "labor," "toil," "work," "produce of labor." It highlights the creative effort and investment. It points to Job himself as God's personal handiwork.
  • כַּפֶּיךָ (kap·pe·ḵā): "Your hands." A strong anthropomorphic reference to God's direct creative agency and power, as seen in passages like Ps 119:73 and Isa 64:8. This phrase deepens Job's anguish: how can the Divine Artist destroy or disdain His own masterpiece? It is an appeal to God's responsibility as Creator for His creation.

• And shine on the counsel of the wicked? (וְעַל עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים הוֹפָעְתָּ - wə·‘al ‘ă·ṣaṯ rə·šā·‘îm hô·p̄ā·‘tā)

  • וְעַל (wə·‘al): "and upon" or "and concerning." Introduces the second part of the parallel accusation.
  • עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים (‘ă·ṣaṯ rə·šā·‘îm): "counsel of the wicked." This refers to the worldview, advice, or scheme of those who reject God's ways, typically believing that injustice pays or that the righteous suffer for secret sins. Job feels God's actions validate this perspective.
  • הוֹפָעְתָּ (hô·p̄ā·‘tā): From the verb יָפַע (yapha’), meaning "to shine," "to appear," "to show oneself," "to cause to shine forth." In this context, it implies "to make to appear favorably," "to give approval to," or "to manifest in a way that confirms." It suggests that God's current dealings with Job (and with the general order of the world, from Job's perspective) align with, or even seem to approve, the wicked's contention that divine justice is not truly just or that it is okay for the righteous to suffer and the wicked to prosper. Job sees a seeming endorsement of the wicked's worldview through his own suffering.

Job 10 3 Bonus section

• The Audacity of Lament: Job's direct address and accusation ("Is it good for You?") is extraordinary within ancient Near Eastern thought, where mortals generally did not challenge divine actions so directly. This verse shows the unique permission given in biblical faith for radical honesty and questioning, even while still engaging with God.
• Echoes of Creation: The phrase "the labor of Your hands" profoundly contrasts God as a benevolent Creator (Gen 1-2, Ps 139) with His perceived destructive actions towards Job. This underscores Job's sense of existential paradox: his Maker seems to be unmaking him.
• Divine Hiddenness vs. Manifestation: While Job accuses God of "shining" on the wicked's counsel, throughout the book, God is largely "hidden" from Job, silent regarding his suffering's true cause. This verse expresses Job's confusion stemming from what he perceives God is manifesting, even while remaining hidden from direct communication about his ordeal.

Job 10 3 Commentary

Job 10:3 is a stark articulation of a sufferer's bewildered protest against God. Job, innocent yet crushed, frames his suffering not as discipline, but as divine oppression and disdain for His own creation. The profound rhetorical questions "Is it good for You...?" expose Job's inability to reconcile his profound suffering with a just and benevolent Creator. His perception that God seems to endorse or validate the "counsel of the wicked" —the very belief system that righteous suffering is justified and wickedness can prosper—highlights the deep theological and ethical crisis he faces. This is a bold and dangerous assertion in his cultural context, but it emanates from an honest, despairing heart clinging to God while questioning His actions. Job feels God has abandoned His creative and redemptive work in him and, in doing so, seemingly sided with a morally inverted world view. It encapsulates the core tension of the book: the inscrutability of divine action when juxtaposed with human understanding of justice and God's own declared character.