Job 3:23

Job Laments His Birth · Job 3:1–26
Read Job 3

Translations

Modern
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
Traditional
Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
Literal
To a man for whom his path is hidden, and God has hedged around him?
Latin
…viro cujus abscondita est via et circumdedit eum Deus tenebris?

Original

Hebrew
English
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

Notes

Job's language shifts from wishing he was never born to grief. He goes from hating life towards an attraction for death. Job asks "why" seven times, as he has grief for his situation (3:11, 12, 16, 20, 23; see Psalms 10:1; 22:1; Jeremiah 20:18; Lamentations 5:20).

Job's outbreak of emotion did not mean his integrity failed under pressure (42:7–8; James 5:11). The prophets Elijah and Jeremiah, both men of God, exaggerated with similar language (1 Kings 19:4; Jeremiah 20:14–18).

Theme notes and profiles

Complaints

Events

Glossary

Book of Job

Topics

Afflictions and Adversities: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Despondency: General Scriptures Concerning God: Job's Hedges of Numerous Afflictions