Job 3 10

Job 3:10 kjv

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

Job 3:10 nkjv

Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

Job 3:10 niv

for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.

Job 3:10 esv

because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.

Job 3:10 nlt

Curse that day for failing to shut my mother's womb,
for letting me be born to see all this trouble.

Job 3 verses

Job 3 10 Meaning

Job laments the day of his birth, expressing a fervent wish that he had never come into existence. He states that the reason for his present suffering and sorrow is that his mother's womb did not prevent his birth, thereby allowing him to experience the intense "trouble" that now plagues him. In his profound despair, he views his very life as the gateway to affliction.

Job 3 10 Context

Job 3 marks a pivotal shift in the narrative. After seven days and nights of silent mourning alongside his friends (Job 2:13), Job breaks his silence, not to praise God or ask for understanding, but to vocalize an intense, deeply personal lament. This verse, along with the surrounding passage (Job 3:3-19), expresses his ultimate despair by cursing the day of his birth and wishing he had died at birth or remained unborn. He longs for the peaceful non-existence that he perceives follows death, seeing it as freedom from the suffering that has consumed him. This profound emotional outburst establishes the intensity of Job's suffering and sets the stage for the extensive dialogues between him and his friends, which attempt to reconcile his righteousness with his undeserved pain. Historically and culturally, children were a blessing, and not having children could be a great sorrow. Job's curse on his own birth thus flies in the face of normative cultural expectations, highlighting the depth of his grief.

Job 3 10 Word analysis

• "because" (כִּי - ki): A conjunctive particle meaning "for," "indeed," "surely," or "that." Here, it introduces the reason or explanation for Job's earlier wish that the day of his birth perish (Job 3:3). It connects his desire for non-existence directly to the failure of his birth to be prevented.

• "it did not shut" (לֹא סָגַר - lo sagar):

  • "did not" (לֹא - lo): A simple negative particle.
  • "shut" (סָגַר - sagar): Meaning "to shut," "to close," "to lock," or "to seal up." It implies a decisive action of preventing entry or exit. The subject of "sagar" is implicitly "the day" (mentioned in earlier verses) or more directly, divine agency/fate governing the womb. Job laments that a preventative action was not taken.

• "the doors" (דַּלְתֵי - daltei): The plural construct of דֶּלֶת (delet), meaning "door," "gate," or "leaf" (of a door). It is a striking metaphor for the opening of the womb. It conveys a tangible, architectural image of a sealed entrance that failed to remain closed.

• "of my mother's womb" (בִטְנִי - bitni): The construct form of בֶּטֶן (beten), meaning "belly," "womb," "body," or "interior." While literally "my womb," in this context, it clearly refers to the womb from which Job was born. It points to the very origin of his existence.

• "nor hide" (וְלֹא הִסְתֵּר - w'lo histir):

  • "nor" (וְלֹא - w'lo): "And not," connecting this second reason to the first.
  • "hide" (הִסְתֵּר - histir): The Hiphil imperfect of סָתַר (satar), meaning "to hide," "to conceal," or "to be hidden." The Hiphil stem indicates a causative action: "to cause to be hidden" or "to conceal." It mirrors "shut" by expressing the failure of something to be kept out of sight.

• "trouble" (עָמָל - amal): Meaning "toil," "misery," "hardship," "vexation," "grievous labor," or "affliction." It encompasses the severe suffering Job is experiencing. This word frequently appears in wisdom literature and expresses a deep sense of arduous, fruitless exertion or sorrow.

• "from my eyes" (מֵעֵינָי - me'einay): Composed of מִן (min), "from," and עֵינַיִם (enayim), "eyes." This signifies perception and experience. Job wished that trouble had been kept unseen by him, which would equate to it remaining unexperienced by him, as if he had never been born to see it.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb": This phrase personifies the womb (or perhaps a divine power controlling it) and expresses a desire for its non-function in Job's case. The imagery of "doors" underscores the finality of closure that Job yearns for, the barrier that, in his view, tragically failed to hold back his entry into existence. It's a profound "if only" statement, revealing Job's deepest regret about having been born at all.
  • "nor hide trouble from my eyes": This second parallel clause highlights the consequence of his birth. His existence is inextricably linked to his experience of "trouble." The "eyes" are the organ of perception, making the suffering personal and visible. Job is saying that if he had never been born, then trouble would have remained concealed, unknown, and unexperienced by him. This reflects a state of unbearable distress where existence itself is viewed as the origin of all agony.

Job 3 10 Bonus section

The concept of cursing the day of one's birth or wishing one had never been born is a recurring motif in human literature and deeply resonates with periods of profound despair. In the biblical narrative, we see a similar sentiment expressed by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 20:14-18), underscoring its universality as an expression of extreme grief and hardship. Job's words, however, precede and perhaps amplify such later expressions within the Old Testament, showcasing an archetype of innocent suffering. While Job is despairing here, it is important to note that he still does not curse God directly, setting his suffering apart from the sinful despair of those who utterly abandon faith. His anger is directed at his circumstances, not at the Giver of life. This intense poetic language reflects the literary genius of the book of Job, capable of articulating the inexpressible anguish of the human condition when confronted with overwhelming, seemingly meaningless pain.

Job 3 10 Commentary

Job's words in Job 3:10 are a raw and agonizing cry from the depths of human suffering. They are not a theological argument but a desperate outpouring of a man overwhelmed by physical and emotional pain. Job wishes for non-existence because existence itself, for him, has become synonymous with unrelenting "trouble" (amal). The imagery of the "womb's doors" is deeply evocative, signifying the moment of life's threshold. His lament implies that a simple failure to close this metaphorical door has resulted in a lifetime of anguish. This deeply personal outburst reveals a pivotal moment in the book: the collapse of Job's stoic patience and the commencement of his struggle to reconcile his faith with his incomprehensible suffering. It starkly contrasts with later biblical wisdom that sees birth as a divinely orchestrated miracle (Ps 139) or offers solace in tribulation (Rom 8:28, John 16:33), illustrating the unique, profound crisis of faith and understanding that Job faces. This verse establishes the tragic arc of Job's earthly existence from his own tormented perspective, challenging the simplistic retribution theology that his friends later champion.