en_tn/tNotes/Job/Job_03.md

Job 3

Job 3:1

opened his mouth

This idiom means he began to speak. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)

Job 3:2

General Information:

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Job 3:3

May the day on which I was born perish, the night

Job speaks of that day and night as if they were people. Alternate translation: "I wish that I had never been born" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.'

This expression intensifies the statement of Job's grief by going even further back in time from his birth to his conception. Alternate translation: "the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived' perish." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-ellipsis)

the night that said

Here the night is spoken of as if it were a person who could speak. The translator may choose, however, to translate it in a less metaphorical way. Alternate translation: "the night on which people said" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

A boy has been conceived

This may be put into active form. Alternate translation: "his mother has conceived a male child"

Job 3:4

General Information:

The expressions in these verses are all wishes that the day of Job's birth would no longer exist. This may imply that the day, although in the past, still existed somehow.

May that day be dark ... nor light shine on it

These two clauses describe the darkness of the day of Job's birth, thus repeating Job's regret that he had been born. "Dark" describes night: the sun does not shine, so people cannot see. "Light" describes day: the sun shines, and people can see. If your language does not have words to describe day and night, you might use the sun as a metonym for the light that it brings and the darkness that happens when it is not shining. Alternate translation: "May that day be like the night ... nor may the sun shine during it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

May that day be dark

This is a wish for that day to not exist any longer. Alternate translation: "May that day disappear" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Job 3:5

May darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own

Here darkness and the shadow of death are spoken of as if they were people who could claim something as their own possession. The word "it" refers to the day of Job's birth. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

the shadow of death

Here a shadow represents death itself. Alternate translation: "death like a shadow" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

May a cloud live over it

Here a cloud is spoken of as if it were a person who could live over the day of Job's birth. Alternate translation: "May a cloud cover it so no one can see it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

everything that makes the day black

This refers to things that block out the sun's light and create darkness. Here "black" represents darkness. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

terrify it

"terrify that day." The day is spoken of as if it were a person who could be terrified by the darkness. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

Job 3:6

may thick darkness seize it

This darkness is again spoken of as if it were a person who could grasp and hold the night. Alternate translation: "may thick darkness make it disappear" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

thick darkness

"deep darkness" or "complete darkness"

May it not rejoice

The word "it" refers to the night of Job's birth or conception. The night of Job's conception is spoken of as if it were a person who should not rejoice. Alternate translation: "May that night vanish from the calendar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

may it not come into the number

That night is spoken of as if it were a person who could walk. Alternate translation: "may no one count it in the number" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

Job 3:7

may that night be barren

The night of Job's birth is spoken of as if it were a woman. Alternate translation: "may no child be born on that night" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

may no joyful voice come into it

Here that the night of Job's birth is spoken of as if it were a time when it was still possible for someone to be happy. Alternate translation: "may no one hear the happy cry at the birth of a son" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

joyful voice come

Here the voice stands for a person who is happy. Alternate translation: "may no one be happy in it ever again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)

Job 3:8

those who know how to wake up Leviathan

Job is probably referring here to sorcerers and magicians, who he believes might be able to even provoke Leviathan in spreading chaos. Leviathan was an animal well known in Ancient Near Eastern mythology, which was thought to be responsible for all kinds of destruction, disorder, and chaos.

Job 3:9

May the stars of that day's dawn be dark

This refers to the planets that are often visible just before dawn. Alternate translation: "May the stars that appear before that day's first light be dark"

May that day look for light, but find none

The day of Job's birth is spoken of as if it were a person looking for something. Alternate translation: "May that day hope for light, but have none" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

neither may it see the eyelids of the dawn

The dawn is spoken of as if it had eyelids as a person has. Alternate translation: "nor see the first light of the dawn" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

Job 3:10

because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb

A woman's womb is spoken of as if it were a container with doors. Alternate translation: "because that day did not close my mother's womb" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

because it did not hide trouble from my eyes

The day of Job's birth is spoken of here as if it were a person who could hide something. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

from my eyes

Here "eyes" represents the person who sees with them. Alternate translation: "from me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

Job 3:11

General Information:

Verses 11 and 12 contain four rhetorical questions, which Job asks in order to show how said he was about being born.

Why did I not die when I came out from the womb?

"Why did I not die at birth?" Job poses this question in order to curse the day of his birth and to express his anguish. Alternate translation: "I wish I had died the day I was born" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

Why did I not give up my spirit when my mother bore me?

Job means to say that he should not have been born alive. Alternate translation: "I wish I had died when I came out of the womb." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

give up my spirit

This refers to dying. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)

Job 3:12

Why did her knees welcome me?

This perhaps refers to the lap of Job's mother. His mother's knees are spoken of as if they were people who could welcome a newborn baby. Alternate translation: "I wish there had been no lap to receive me." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

Why did her breasts receive me so that I should suck?

Job's mother's breasts are spoken of as if they also were people who could welcome a newborn baby. Alternate translation: "I wish there had been no breasts for me to nurse." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)

Job 3:13

For now I would have been lying down quietly. I would have slept and been at rest

Job begins talking about what would have been true if he had died at birth. He is sad that these things are not true. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hypo)

lying down quietly

"asleep, resting peacefully"

been at rest

Here the word "rest" means to sleep peacefully in death, but also that Job would not be experiencing the pain that he does. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)

Job 3:14

with kings and counselors of the earth

"with kings and their advisers"

Job 3:15

General Information:

Job continues talking about what would have been true if he had never been born. He is sad that these things are not true. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hypo)

I would have been lying with princes

"I would be resting with princes." In this phrase, the words "lying" and "resting" are a polite way of saying "no longer alive." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)

who once had gold, who had filled their houses with silver

Job uses parallelism to emphasize how wealthy the princes were. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

Job 3:16

General Information:

Job continues talking about what would have been true if the day of his birth had been barren and cursed as he spoke of in [verses 7 and 8] (./7/md) (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hypo)

I would have been stillborn

"I would have died in my mother's womb"

like infants that never see the light

"like babies who have never been born"

infants

"babies"

Job 3:17

General Information:

Job changes his talk from dying to life after death.

There the wicked cease from trouble; there the weary are at rest

Job uses parallelism to emphasize that the lowly will find rest from those causing them hardship. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

There the wicked cease from trouble

Job is talking about the place where people go after they stop living. Alternate translation: "In that place, evil people stop causing trouble" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)

Job 3:18

the voice of the slave driver

Here "voice" is a metonym for the power that the slave drivers have over the slaves. Alternate translation: "They are no longer under the control of the slave drivers" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

Job 3:19

small and great people

This is a figure of speech which means "all people, both poor people and rich people." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)

the servant is free from his master

A servant is no longer obligated to serve his master.

Job 3:20

Why is light given to him who is in misery? Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul

Job's two questions mean basically the same thing. He is wondering why those who face hardship continue to live. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

Why is light given to him who is in misery?

Here Job is wondering why people must stay alive and suffer. Alternate translation: "I do not understand why God gives life to a person who is suffering" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

light

Here light represents life. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul

"why does God give life to a miserable person?" Alternate translation: "I do not understand why God gives life to a person who is very unhappy" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

Job 3:21

to one who longs ... for hidden treasure

This is the end of the question that Job begins asking with the words "Why is life given ... bitter in soul" (verse 20).

to one who longs for death without it coming

Here death is spoken of as if it were an object coming toward someone. Alternate translation: "to a person who no longer wants to be alive, but is still alive" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

to one who digs for death more than for hidden treasure

A person hoping to die is spoken of as if he were digging for buried treasure. Alternate translation: "to a person who wants to stop living more than he wants to look for hidden riches" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Job 3:22

Why is light given to one who rejoices very much and is glad when he finds the grave

Here Job uses a question to make a statement. Alternate translation: "I do not understand why God allows a person to keep living when the person would be very happy to be buried in the ground" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

one who rejoices very much and is glad

The phrase "rejoices very much" means basically the same thing as "is glad." Together, the two phrases emphasize the intensity of gladness. Alternate translation: "one who is extremely happy" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-doublet)

when he finds the grave

This is a polite way of referring to dying. Alternate translation: "when he is dead and can be buried" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)

the grave

Here the grave represents death. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

Job 3:23

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

Job asks this question in order to make a statement. Alternate translation: "God should not give life to a man and then take away his future and confine him." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)

Why is light given to a man

Here light represents life. Alternate translation: "Why does God keep a man alive" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

whose way is hidden

Here Job speaks of his future, which he does not know in advance, as if God had hidden it from him. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

a man whom God has hedged in

Here being in difficulties and dangers is spoken of as if it were being confined within narrow limits. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Job 3:24

For my sighing happens instead of eating; my groaning is poured out like water

Job expresses his anguish in two ways. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

my sighing happens instead of eating

"Instead of eating, I mourn"

my groaning is poured out like water

Moral qualities and emotions such as grief are often spoken of as if they were water. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Job 3:25

the thing that I feared has come on me; what I was afraid of has come to me

These two phrases mean the same thing. Alternate translation: "what I feared most has happened to me" or "my worst fear has come true" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

Job 3:26

I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I have no rest

Job expresses his anguish in three separate phrases. Alternate translation: "I am very anxious" or "I am emotionally and physically tormented" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)