Job 18:3

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, [and] reputed vile in your sight?

Complete Jewish Bible:

Why are we thought of as cattle, stupid in your view?

Berean Standard Bible:

Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight?

American Standard Version:

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, Andare become unclean in your sight?

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Wherefore are we counted^{H2803} as beasts^{H929}, and reputed vile^{H2933} in your sight^{H5869}?

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Job 18:3

Job 18:3 is a part of the dialogue between Job and his friends, who have come to "comfort" him in his suffering. The verse reflects the sentiments of Bildad, one of Job's friends, who responds to Job's lamentations. In the broader context of the Book of Job, Job has lost everything—his wealth, his children, and his health—and is grappling with the reasons for his unbearable suffering. His friends, including Bildad, are traditionalists who believe that Job's misfortunes are a punishment for some hidden sin.

In Job 18:3, Bildad is essentially questioning why Job and his companions are being regarded as lesser beings, as if they were mere animals or something base and contemptible in Job's eyes. The verse captures the tension between Job and his friends, highlighting the friends' frustration with Job's refusal to admit to sinning and their perception that Job's attitude suggests he sees them as inferior, perhaps because of their inability to provide satisfactory answers to his anguished questions.

The historical context of this verse is the ancient Near East, where the Book of Job is set. The dialogue reflects the wisdom literature tradition of the time, which often dealt with theodicy—the question of why a good God permits the existence of evil and suffering. The Book of Job as a whole challenges the simplistic notions of retributive justice, where good is rewarded and evil is punished, and instead delves into the complexities of human suffering and divine justice. Job 18:3 specifically captures the emotional and theological struggle that is central to the book, as Job's friends grapple with his intense suffering and the implications it has for their understanding of God's relationship with humanity.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H2803
   There are 122 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָשַׁב
   Transliteration: châshab
   Pronunciation: khaw-shab'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute; (make) account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work, workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine, impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made), regard, think.
   
2. Strong's Number: H929
   There are 172 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בְּהֵמָה
   Transliteration: bᵉhêmâh
   Pronunciation: be-hay-maw'
   Description: from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective); beast, cattle.
   
3. Strong's Number: H2933
   There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: טָמָה
   Transliteration: ṭâmâh
   Pronunciation: taw-maw'
   Description: a collateral form of טָמֵא; to be impure in a religious sense; be defiled, be reputed vile.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5869
   There are 830 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עַיִן
   Transliteration: ʻayin
   Pronunciation: ah'-yin
   Description: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves).