Job 3 6

Job 3:6 kjv

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

Job 3:6 nkjv

As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months.

Job 3:6 niv

That night?may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.

Job 3:6 esv

That night ? let thick darkness seize it! Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

Job 3:6 nlt

Let that night be blotted off the calendar,
never again to be counted among the days of the year,
never again to appear among the months.

Job 3 verses

Job 3 6 Meaning

Job 3:6 expresses Job's intense anguish and desire to annul the very night of his conception or birth, wishing it were obliterated from the calendar and from existence. He longs for that moment in time to be swallowed by an impenetrable darkness, never to be recalled or acknowledged as part of any year or month. This curse on a specific point in time signifies his profound sorrow and despair, reaching a level where he wishes he had never existed or been conceived, as life has brought him unbearable suffering.

Job 3 6 Context

Job 3 opens a new section of the book, shifting from the narrative of Job's trials and silence (chapters 1-2) to his extended lament. After seven days and seven nights of silence with his three friends, Job breaks his silence by cursing the day of his birth and, as seen in this verse, the night of his conception. This expression of profound agony and despair marks the beginning of the poetic dialogue between Job and his friends. Job's curses are not directed at God (though they verge on it later), but rather at his own existence and the moment it began. He expresses a desire for non-existence, revealing the overwhelming nature of his suffering which leads him to view his very life as a curse. This sets the stage for the complex theological debates that follow regarding suffering, justice, and the nature of God.

Job 3 6 Word analysis

• That night (הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא - ha-laylah ha-hu): Refers to the specific night Job believes was pivotal to his beginning, likely the night of his conception or birth. The demonstrative pronoun "that" (הַהוּא - ha-hu) gives it a precise, almost condemned identity. It emphasizes the direct, focused nature of his curse, wishing for the complete annihilation of this specific point in time.
• let thick darkness seize it! (יִקָּחֵהוּ אֹפֶל - yiqqāḥēhu ’ōpel):
  • let... seize (יִקָּחֵהוּ - yiqqāḥēhu): A strong imperative, meaning "let it be taken," "let it lay hold of." It expresses an forceful desire for an active agent (darkness) to conquer and possess the night.
  • thick darkness (אֹפֶל - ’ōpel): More than mere absence of light. It denotes deep, dense, oppressive gloom, often associated with chaos, judgment, or death. It suggests a primeval, disorienting void, reflecting Job's inner state. This evokes the darkness of primeval chaos before creation (Gen 1:2) or the darkness of the grave (Job 10:21-22), an ultimate cessation of existence or activity.
• Let it not be counted among the days of the year (אַל יֶחַדְּ בִּימֵי שָׁנָה - ʾal yeḥad bīmey shānāh):
  • Let it not be counted (אַל יֶחַדְּ - ʾal yeḥad): An emphatic negative command ("let it not be joined," "let it not be united"). Job desires for this night to be excluded, severed from the progression of time.
  • among the days of the year (בִּימֵי שָׁנָה - bīmey shānāh): The "days of the year" represent the orderly, sequential progression of time and human history. Job wishes this specific moment to be ripped from its place within this ordered structure, effectively erasing it from memory and existence. This reflects a desire for non-existence through obliteration of the beginning.
• nor enter into the number of the months (בְּמִסְפַּר יְרָחִים אַל יָבֹא - bĕmispār yĕrāḥîm ʾal yāvōʾ):
  • nor enter (אַל יָבֹא - ʾal yāvōʾ): Another emphatic negative imperative, reinforcing the desire for complete exclusion.
  • into the number of the months (בְּמִסְפַּר יְרָחִים - bĕmispār yĕrāḥîm): Months are smaller, yet fundamental, units of the calendar year. By wishing for its exclusion from both years and months, Job covers all aspects of calendrical time, making his desire for obliteration absolute and exhaustive. This emphasizes the comprehensive scope of his wish for non-being for this particular moment.
• "Let thick darkness seize it" (יִקָּחֵהוּ אֹפֶל) and "Let it not be counted among the days of the year" (אַל יֶחַדְּ בִּימֵי שָׁנָה) and "nor enter into the number of the months" (בְּמִסְפַּר יְרָחִים אַל יָבֹא): These phrases collectively demonstrate a powerful and comprehensive desire for un-creation of a specific temporal point. Job invokes the most destructive form of darkness to consume this "night," simultaneously wishing for its total eradication from the memory and progression of chronological time, leaving no trace of its existence. This three-fold curse amplifies the depth of his suffering and despair, mirroring a primal scream against the moment of his own beginning.

Job 3 6 Bonus section

The poetic parallelism in verse 6, where Job mentions "days of the year" and "number of the months," creates emphasis through repetition, intensifying his wish for erasure from time. This type of lament resonates with other ancient Near Eastern literature where individuals facing great adversity would curse their origins. However, unlike some pagan myths where fate is irrevocably tied to a birth moment and planetary alignments, Job's lament in the biblical context is directed as a cry against his perceived destiny, yet without a polemic against a system of astrology or fatalism. It is a desperate human expression within a theological framework where God, not fate, controls time and existence.

Job 3 6 Commentary

Job 3:6 powerfully conveys Job's utter despondency through a dramatic curse. It is not simply a wish for death but for a retrospective un-making of his very origin. This curse reflects the magnitude of suffering, pushing Job to express desires that defy the natural order and divine creation. His longing for darkness to "seize" and swallow that specific night is an inversion of the Genesis creation narrative where God brings order and light out of darkness. Job wishes for chaos to reclaim a piece of time that brought forth his painful existence. This verse sets the tone for Job's radical complaint, demonstrating how severe trials can drive an otherwise righteous man to question fundamental aspects of reality, expressing profound grief through hyperbole.