Job 7 3

Job 7:3 kjv

So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

Job 7:3 nkjv

So I have been allotted months of futility, And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.

Job 7:3 niv

so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me.

Job 7:3 esv

so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

Job 7:3 nlt

I, too, have been assigned months of futility,
long and weary nights of misery.

Job 7 verses

Job 7 3 Meaning

Job 7:3 describes Job's profound and prolonged suffering. He articulates that his current existence is one where he is passively subjected to an extended period characterized by futility and desolation. Each month is empty of joy or purpose, filled only with the void of his misery. Furthermore, the nights, which should bring rest, are instead appointed as times of continuous weariness, pain, and inner turmoil, signifying that even sleep offers no escape from his affliction. He perceives this condition as something deliberately imposed upon him, lacking understanding or apparent end.

Job 7 3 Context

Job 7:3 is part of Job's deeply emotional response to Eliphaz's speech in Job chapter 4 and 5. Eliphaz, a friend, had subtly suggested Job's suffering must be due to hidden sin, implying that God only punishes the wicked and helps the righteous. In Job chapter 7, Job bitterly expresses the unbearable nature of his suffering, challenging the conventional wisdom of his friends. He compares his life to that of a weary servant or hired hand longing for rest after difficult labor (Job 7:1-2), a desire for death (Job 7:15-16), and laments the swift, painful, and seemingly futile passage of his days. Verse 3 specifically emphasizes the persistent and pervasive nature of his affliction, highlighting both its duration (months) and its unyielding presence day and night. Job views his suffering not as accidental, but as decreed or appointed to him, reflecting his feeling of being targeted by divine forces he cannot comprehend or resist.

Job 7 3 Word analysis

• So am I made to possess (Hebrew: כֵּן נָחַלְתִּי, ken nakhal-ti):
  • `כֵּן (ken)`: "So" or "thus." It connects this verse back to his earlier laments (Job 7:1-2), reinforcing the consequence or state he is describing.
  • `נָחַלְתִּי (nakhal-ti)`: This comes from the root `נָחַל (nakhal)`, meaning "to inherit," "to possess," "to receive as an allotment." Job uses this verb in a way that suggests a passive receipt of a dreadful inheritance or portion. It conveys that his current state is not one he actively sought or caused, but one "appointed" to him, like an inheritance, but an undesirable one. This word emphasizes his feeling of powerlessness; his suffering is his apportioned lot.
• months (Hebrew: יַרְחֵי, yar-khei):
  • `יַרְחֵי (yar-khei)`: The plural of `יֶרַח (yerakh)`, meaning "month" or "moon." The use of the plural implies an extended duration, not just days or weeks, but a succession of calendar periods. This emphasizes the longevity and continuity of his suffering, which stretches on relentlessly, seemingly without end. It highlights the passage of time without any relief.
• of emptiness (Hebrew: שָׁוְא, shav):
  • `שָׁוְא (shav)`: This powerful Hebrew term translates to "vanity," "emptiness," "futility," "worthlessness," "deceit," or "nothingness." It carries strong connotations beyond mere absence; it speaks to the lack of substance or purpose. When applied to "months," it describes periods devoid of joy, meaning, productivity, or any positive experience. His time is filled with nothing but void and despair. This word is famously used in Ecclesiastes (`הֶבֶל, hevel`) to describe the ultimate futility of worldly pursuits, and here Job applies it directly to the quality of his present life. It also resonates with its usage in the Ten Commandments against taking God's name `בַשָּׁוְא (ba-shav)`, emphasizing its seriousness.
• and wearisome nights (Hebrew: וְלֵילֽוֹת־עָמָל, v'lei-lot-a-mal):
  • `וְלֵילֽוֹת (v'lei-lot)`: "And nights," plural of `לַיְלָה (laylah)`, "night." Nights are typically a time for rest, renewal, and escape from daily toil. By extending his suffering to the nights, Job highlights the complete absence of relief; his affliction is ceaseless.
  • `עָמָל (a-mal)`: This noun means "toil," "labor," "trouble," "misery," "hardship," or "calamity." It often describes severe physical or mental suffering. It's the burdensome outcome of arduous work (e.g., Ecc 4:8) and severe distress. For Job, his nights are not peaceful but characterized by this painful "toil" or "misery." His sleep, if it comes, is not restorative but fraught with torment, dread, and lack of true rest, perhaps even plagued by nightmares (Job 7:14).
• are appointed to me (Hebrew: יְמֻנוּ לִי, ye-mun-nu li):
  • `יְמֻנוּ (ye-mun-nu)`: This verb comes from the root `מָנָה (manah)`, meaning "to count," "to number," "to assign," or "to appoint." It's in the Pual stem, indicating a passive action, implying "they are numbered/appointed." This grammatical form further stresses that this state is not of his own making; it is something decreed or allocated to him by an external power.
  • `לִי (li)`: "To me." This dative suffix emphatically places Job as the recipient and target of this appointment. He feels singled out, that these painful experiences are his specific, assigned lot.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "months of emptiness": This phrase captures the prolonged futility of Job's life. His time is passing by, but it yields nothing meaningful, only a desolate void. It’s an existence stripped of purpose and joy, where time itself is characterized by its emptiness.
  • "wearisome nights": This expression conveys the relentless and pervasive nature of his suffering. Even the expected refuge of night offers no escape. Instead of rest, the darkness brings only deeper anguish, toil, and a constant, fatiguing misery. This is a common motif for deep suffering where even sleep is elusive or tormented.
  • "are appointed to me": This crucial phrase speaks to Job's perception of divine sovereignty over his suffering. He sees his condition not as random misfortune but as a fixed, divinely determined assignment. From his limited perspective, this pain has been numbered or decreed specifically for him by God, which raises profound questions about God's justice and purposes. He feels chosen for this particular, bitter destiny.

Job 7 3 Bonus section

• Inversion of Experience: Job 7:3 highlights an agonizing inversion of normal human experience. Time, which is often measured by fruitful work and restful repose, is for Job defined by an empty, unproductive succession of "months" and nights that bring only further "toil" instead of peace. His existence has become antithetical to how life should naturally unfold, reflecting his utter despair.
• Psychological Dimension: The verse vividly portrays the psychological toll of chronic suffering. The "months of emptiness" speak to depression, apathy, and a profound lack of motivation, where time simply drags on without engaging his will or spirit. The "wearisome nights" hint at anxiety, sleeplessness, or tormented sleep, illustrating how mental and emotional anguish extends even into unconsciousness, preventing any form of escape or recovery. This paints a picture of spiritual and physical exhaustion that cannot be alleviated by typical means.

Job 7 3 Commentary

Job 7:3 powerfully articulates the sheer pervasiveness and crushing weight of Job's suffering. It's a testament to a spirit utterly worn down by persistent anguish. Job laments not merely individual bouts of pain, but a life now characterized by a sustained period ("months") of sheer meaninglessness ("emptiness"). This "emptiness" (Hebrew shav) isn't just absence, but a desolate void that mocks any former sense of purpose or fulfillment. The agony isn't confined to daylight; his nights, traditionally a time of respite, are equally burdensome ("wearisome nights"), robbed of their restorative power by constant misery. This complete absence of peace, day and night, emphasizes the unyielding nature of his trial. Crucially, Job perceives this torment as deliberately "appointed" to him. This indicates a deeply held belief, albeit from his suffering perspective, that God, or a higher decree, has orchestrated his fate. It removes his suffering from the realm of mere chance and places it firmly in the hands of divine appointment, a terrifying and incomprehensible reality for him as he grapples with why a just God would assign such an unbearable inheritance of suffering. This perception is key to understanding the subsequent debates in Job: is suffering always due to sin, or can it be appointed for reasons unknown to the afflicted? Job here feels assigned a bitter lot, compelling him to lament God's perceived targeting of him.