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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 10:14–22. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here we have,
I.Job's passionate complaints.
On this harsh and unpleasant string he harps much, in which, though he cannot be justified, he may be excused. He complained not for nothing, as the murmuring Israelites, but had cause to complain. If we think it looks ill in him, let it be a warning to us to keep our temper better.
1.He complains of the strictness of God's judgment and the rigour of his proceedings against him, and is ready to call it summum jus - justice bordering on severity.
(1.)That he took all advantages against him: "If I sin, then thou markest me, Job 10:14.(1.) If I do but take one false step, misplace a word, or cast a look awry, I shall be sure to hear of it. Conscience, thy deputy, will be sure to upbraid me with it, and to tell me that this gripe, this twitch of pain, is to punish me for that." If God should thus mark iniquities, we should be undone; but we must acknowledge the contrary, that, though we sin, God does not deal in extremity with us.
(2.)That he prosecuted those advantages to the utmost: Thou wilt not acquit me from my iniquity. While his troubles he could not take the comfort of his pardon, nor hear that voice of joy and gladness; so hard is it to see love in God's heart when we see frowns in his face and a rod in his hand.
(3.)That, whatever was his character, his case at present was very uncomfortable, Job 10:15. [1.] If he be wicked, he is certainly undone in the other world: If I be wicked, woe to me. Note, A sinful state is a woeful state. This we should each of us believe, as Job here, with application to ourselves: "If I be wicked, though prosperous and living in pleasure, yet woe to me." Some especially have reason to dread double woes if they be wicked. "I that have knowledge, that have made a great profession of religion, that have been so often under strong convictions, and have made so many fair promises - I that was born of such good parents, blessed with a good education, that have lived in good families, and long enjoyed the means of grace - if I be wicked, woe, and a thousand woes, to me." [2.] If he be righteous, yet he dares not lift up his head, dares not answer as before, Job 9:15. He is so oppressed and overwhelmed with his troubles that he cannot look up with any comfort or confidence. Without were fightings, within were fears; so that, between both, he was full of confusion, not only confusion of face for the disgrace he was brought down to and the censures of his friends, but confusion of spirit; his mind was in a constant hurry, and he was almost distracted, Psa 88:15.
2.He complains of the severity of the execution. God (he thought) did not only punish him for every failure, but punish him in a high degree, Job 10:16, Job 10:17. His affliction was,
(1.)Grievous, very grievous, marvellous, exceedingly marvellous. God hunted him as a lion, as a fierce lion hunts and runs down his prey. God was not only strange to him, but showed himself marvellous upon him, by bringing him into uncommon troubles and so making him prodigy, a wonder unto many. All wondered that God would inflict and that Job could bear so much. That which made his afflictions most grievous was that he felt God's indignation in them; it was this that made them taste so bitter and lie so heavy. They were God's witnesses against him, tokens of his displeasure; this made the sores of his body wounds in his spirit.
(2.)It was growing, still growing worse and worse. This he insists much upon; when he hoped the tide would turn, and begin to ebb, still it flowed higher and higher. His affliction increased, and God's indignation in the affliction. He found himself no better, no way better. These witnesses were renewed against him, that, if one did not reach to convict him, another might. Changes and war were against him. If there was any change with him, it was not for the better; still he was kept in a state of war. As long as we are here in this world we must expect that the clouds will return after the rain, and perhaps the sorest and sharpest trials may be reserved for the last. God was at war with him, and it was a great change. He did not use to be so, which aggravated the trouble and made it truly marvellous. God usually shows himself kind to his people; if at any time he shows himself otherwise, it is his strange work, his strange act, and he does in it show himself marvellous.
3.He complains of his life, and that ever he was born to all this trouble and misery (Job 10:18, Job 10:19): "If this was designed for my lot, why was I brought out of the womb, and not smothered there, or stifled in the birth?" This was the language of his passion, and it was a relapse into the same sin he fell into before. He had just now called life a favour (Job 10:12), yet now he calls it a burden, and quarrels with God for giving it, or rather laying it upon him. Mr. Caryl gives this a good turn in favour of Job. "We may charitably suppose," says he, "that what troubled Job was that he was in a condition of life which (as he conceived) hindered the main end of his life, which was the glorifying of God. His harp was hung on the willow-tress, and he was quite out of tune for praising God. Nay, he feared lest his troubles should reflect dishonour upon God and give occasion to his enemies to blaspheme; and therefore he wishes, O that I had given up the ghost! A godly man reckons that he lives to no purpose if he do not live to the praise and glory of God." If that was his meaning, it was grounded on a mistake; for we may glorify the Lord in the fires. But this use we may make of it, not to be over-fond of life, since the case has been such sometimes, even with wise and good men, that they have complained of it. Why should we dread giving up the ghost, or covet to be seen of men, since the time may come when we may be ready to wish we had given up the ghost and no eye had seen us? Why should we inordinately lament the death of our children in their infancy, that are as if they had not been, and are carried from the womb to the grave, when perhaps we ourselves may sometimes wish it had been our own lot?
II.Job's humble requests. He prays,
1.That God would see his affliction (Job 10:15), take cognizance of his case, and take it into his compassionate consideration. Thus David prays (Psa 25:18), Look upon my affliction and my pain. Thus we should, in our troubles, refer ourselves to God, and may comfort ourselves with this, that he knows our souls in adversity.
2.That God would grant him some ease. If he could not prevail for the removal of his trouble, yet might he not have some intermission? "Lord, let me not be always upon the rack, always in extremity: O let me alone, that I may take comfort a little! Job 10:20. Grant me some respite, some breathing-time, some little enjoyment of myself." This he would reckon a great favour. Those that are not duly thankful for constant ease should think how welcome one hour's ease would be if they were in constant pain. Two things he pleads: - (1.) That life and its light were very short: "Are not my days few? Job 10:20. Yes, certainly they are, very few. Lord, let them not be all miserable, all in the extremity of misery. I have but a little time to live; let me have some comfort of life while it does last." This plea fastens on the goodness of God's nature, the consideration of which is very comfortable to an afflicted spirit. And, if we would use this as a plea with God for mercy ("Are not my days few? Lord, pity me"), we should use it as a plea with ourselves, to quicken us to duty: "Are not my days few? Then it concerns me to redeem time, to improve opportunities, what my hand finds to do to do it with all my might, that I may be ready for the days of eternity, which shall be many." (2.) That death and its darkness were very near and would be very long (Job 10:21, Job 10:22): "Lord, give me some ease before I die," that is, "lest I die of my pain." Thus David pleads (Psa 13:3), "Lest I sleep the sleep of death, and then it will be too late to expect relief; for wilt thou show wonders to the dead?" Psa 88:10. "Let me have a little comfort before I die, that I may take leave of this world calmly, and not in such confusion as I am now in." Thus earnest should we be for grace, and thus we should plead, "Lord, renew me in the inward man; Lord, sanctify me before I die, for otherwise it will never be done." See how he speaks here of the state of the dead. [1.] It is a fixed state, whence we shall not return ever again to live such a life as we now live, Job 7:10. At death we must bid a final farewell to this world. The body must then be laid where it will lie long, and the soul adjudged to that state in which it must be for ever. That had need be well done which is to be done but once, and done for eternity. [2.] It is a very melancholy state; so it appears to us. Holy souls, at death, remove to a land of light, where there is no death; but their bodies they leave to a land of darkness and the shadow of death. He heaps up expressions here of the same import to show that he has as dreadful apprehensions of death and the grave as other men naturally have, so that it was only the extreme misery he was in that made him wish for it. Come and let us look a little into the grave, and we shall find, First, That there is no order there: it is without any order, perpetual night, and no succession of day. All there lie on the same level, and there is no distinction between prince and peasant, but the servant is there free from his master, Job 3:19. No order is observed in bringing people to the grave, not the eldest first, not the richest, not the poorest, and yet every one in his own order, the order appointed by the God of life. Secondly, That there is no light there. In the grave there is thick darkness, darkness that cannot be felt indeed, yet cannot but be feared by those that enjoy the light of life. In the grave there is no knowledge, no comfort, no joy, no praising God, no working out our salvation, and therefore no light. Job was so much ashamed that others should see his sores, and so much afraid to see them himself, that the darkness of the grave, which would hide them and huddle them up, would upon that account be welcome to him. Darkness comes upon us; and therefore let us walk and work while we have the light with us. The grave being a land of darkness, it is well we are carried thither with our eyes closed, and then it is all one. The grave is a land of darkness to man; our friends that have gone thither we reckon removed into darkness, Psa 88:18. But that it is not so to God will appear by this, that the dust of the bodies of the saints, though scattered, though mingled with other dust, will none of it be lost, for God's eye is upon every grain of it and it shall be forth-coming in the great day.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Someone could think that Job’s statement comes from desperation, but that is proven wrong by what God has said: “Do you believe I treated you like this for any other reason than to reveal your righteousness?” Job, who previously had said, “If I am wicked, woe to me,” does not contradict this assumption but reveals the bitterness of life. An evil person would not do that, for he rejoices in this [life]. Above all, Job wants to reveal to his friends the reason why he did not die at the moment of his birth, namely, because he was to be an example of energy and strength. According to a different interpretation, even the life in the flesh is indicated, about which Paul writes, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Job experiences the pleasant as well as the bitter sides of life; no one who has rid himself of the flesh rejoices in wealth or excess, nor is he plagued by hardship. Job has tasted this life and its pleasures, for he was blessed with many good children and was rich and healthy. But since his situation turned into its opposite, he also experienced the reverse of his previous life and acknowledged in real life the vanity of these things. This is why Job teaches us not to long for them by saying, “Why did you bring me forth from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me, and were as though I had not been.”Job expresses this in the form of a prayer, for his burdens were not light and he endured the pains not without feeling them. For it would not have been manful had he not felt his sufferings. But he teaches that he endured the pain with the help of God’s power, by praying in gratefulness. Paul also expresses this: “It was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
Job wants to find relief before he has to go from where he cannot return. Therefore, he does not pray for himself, but to teach the friends who think that those who suffer hardship are evil but those who are free from hardship are righteous. He desired that they should gain certainty regarding the divine resolutions about him. One should not assume that Job denies the resurrection of the dead. Rather, Job says, “From where I will not return to lead a mortal life.” Job knows that he will rise as immortal.
Although the brave one was in pain, he talked about the coming age. So he says—not to deny the resurrection—“Before I go from where I will not return.” Job calls the land “a land of gloom and deep darkness, where light is like darkness,” since the holy one ascribes only little to himself. For it would not have been suitable to say, “Before I am in the kingdom of the heavens and in the land of our promises, my God.” Job wants his listener to be instructed about the divine judgment. There has not yet been restitution for deeds done.
In order to avoid scandalizing many who see his life end in affliction and sadness, it is not without reason that the righteous man asks for the termination of his ordeals. That is why [Job] said, “Before I go, never to return,” evidently, to his human life, as if to say “In fact, if I return down here and receive here the reward of my toils, I will not be worn out and will not renounce the fight to the death in my ordeals. Those who are here, knowing my justice, will see that I receive my reward by coming back here. But if they see me die now in my ordeals, they will either think that Job is wicked or will believe that nothing useful comes from justice.”
91. Which same sentiment he had already uttered in his first speech, saying, Why died I not from the womb? [Job 3, 11] and whilst he subjoins that which he adds here, I should have been as though I had not been, I should have been carried from the womb to the grave; he adds in other words, but no other sense, saying, Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants which never saw light. [Book IV, §48 &c.] But forasmuch as we have made out these particulars very much at length above, to avoid wearying the reader we forbear to unfold points already explained.
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Summary
Job 10:19 encapsulates the patriarch's profound despair and his ultimate wish for non-existence. Amidst inexplicable suffering and intense questioning of God's ways, Job expresses a longing to have never been born, or to have died immediately after birth, thereby bypassing the immense pain and sorrow that now define his life. This verse powerfully conveys the depth of human anguish when confronted with overwhelming and seemingly meaningless affliction, highlighting the desperate desire for an escape from an unbearable reality.
Context
Literary Context
Job 10:19 is situated within Job's second major lament, following the initial exchanges with his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar). In chapter 10, Job directly addresses God, shifting from a general lament about his suffering (as seen in Job 3) to an impassioned plea and accusation. He feels relentlessly pursued and scrutinized by God, yet simultaneously crushed and without hope. This specific verse follows Job's bitter reflection on God's seemingly arbitrary power and his desire for respite from divine attention, echoing his earlier wish for death in Job 10:18. His words here intensify the wish for non-existence first articulated in Job 3:11-16, demonstrating a persistent, deepening despair that permeates his dialogue with the divine.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, likely in the Edomite region, a crossroads of ancient Near Eastern cultures. While the exact historical period is debated, the book reflects a patriarchal, pre-Mosaic society, characterized by a deep reverence for God and a strong belief in divine justice, often understood as a direct correlation between righteousness and prosperity. Job's suffering challenges this conventional wisdom, pushing the boundaries of theological understanding within his cultural framework. The prevailing cultural expectation was that suffering indicated sin, a premise Job vehemently denies. The imagery of the "womb" and "grave" would have been universally understood as the bookends of human existence, with a swift transition from one to the other signifying a life utterly devoid of experience, a state considered preferable to Job's current agony.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes woven throughout the Book of Job. It highlights the profound theme of unjust suffering, as Job, a righteous man, experiences extreme pain without apparent cause, directly contradicting the retribution theology of his friends. It underscores the fragility of human life and the profound mystery of divine providence, as Job grapples with a God who seems distant, inscrutable, or even hostile. The longing for non-existence also emphasizes the theme of lament and protest within biblical faith, demonstrating that honest, even agonizing, questioning of God is permissible and indeed part of a genuine relationship with the divine. Ultimately, Job's lament serves as a stark counterpoint to the simplistic retribution theology espoused by his friends, paving the way for a deeper, more nuanced understanding of God's sovereignty and wisdom, as revealed later in Job 38-41.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root means "to flow" or "to bring," often with a sense of procession or being led forth. In this context, "carried" implies a passive action, suggesting that Job wishes he had been moved, without his own agency or experience, directly from one state of non-being to another. It underscores his desire for an immediate, seamless transition that bypasses any conscious experience of life's trials and tribulations.
This word refers to the belly, specifically the womb, the place of conception and initial formation of life. In biblical thought, the womb is often associated with divine creation and intimate knowledge, as seen in Psalm 139:13. For Job to wish to be carried directly from the womb implies a desire to negate the very act of his creation and birth, seeking to avoid the entire process of life as a means to escape his unbearable suffering.
This term denotes a sepulchre or burying place, representing the finality of death and the ultimate end of earthly existence. The imagery of being "carried from the womb to the grave" paints a stark picture of a life utterly bypassed. It expresses a wish for an immediate, seamless transition from potential existence to complete oblivion, without any intervening experience of consciousness, joy, or, most importantly for Job, suffering.
Verse Breakdown
"I should have been as though I had not been;"
This initial clause articulates Job's fundamental wish: a complete absence of existence. It is a desperate cry for nullification, a desire to undo his very being. The Hebrew perfect tense implies a completed action, suggesting a longing for a state that should have been true, a past that should have been different. This is the ultimate expression of despair, where life itself is perceived as a mistake or a burden to be undone, a profound yearning for absolute nothingness.
"I should have been carried from the womb to the grave."
This second clause functions as a poetic parallel and an amplification of the first, providing vivid imagery. It describes the desired non-existence as a direct, uninterrupted journey from the point of origin (the womb) to the point of ultimate cessation (the grave). The passive voice "should have been carried" implies an external force, perhaps fate or divine will, orchestrating this immediate transition, bypassing any conscious experience of life's trials. It underscores the desire for a life utterly devoid of lived experience, pain, or memory.
Literary Devices
Job 10:19 is rich with Imagery that vividly conveys the patriarch's profound despair. The image of being "carried from the womb to the grave" is a striking visual Metaphor for a life unlived, a seamless transition from potentiality to oblivion. This is also a form of Hyperbole, an exaggeration used to emphasize the extreme depth of Job's suffering and his desperate longing for an end to it; he doesn't just want to die, he wants to have never existed. The two clauses of the verse also exhibit strong Parallelism, where the second clause ("I should have been carried from the womb to the grave") rephrases and intensifies the sentiment of the first ("I should have been as though I had not been"), creating a powerful rhetorical effect that underscores the totality of his wish for non-existence. This entire verse functions as a profound Lament, a common biblical literary form where an individual expresses sorrow, grief, and often a complaint to God.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 10:19 stands as a stark biblical testament to the reality of profound human despair, even to the point of wishing for non-existence. Theologically, it challenges simplistic notions of divine justice and the meaning of suffering, demonstrating that even the righteous can experience inexplicable and overwhelming pain that pushes them to the brink of utter hopelessness. It affirms that the Bible does not sanitize human experience but honestly portrays the full spectrum of human emotion, including the darkest moments of lament and protest against perceived divine abandonment. This verse also implicitly raises questions about the value of life itself when it is dominated by affliction, prompting deeper theological reflection on God's purposes in suffering and the ultimate hope that transcends earthly pain, even when that hope feels distant or impossible to grasp.
Reflection and Application
Job's raw and unfiltered lament in this verse offers profound pastoral insights for navigating human suffering. It grants permission for those in deep pain to voice their most desperate thoughts, acknowledging that such feelings are a valid, albeit agonizing, part of the human experience. We are reminded that faith does not always mean immediate understanding or stoic endurance; it often involves wrestling honestly with God in the midst of incomprehensible trials. This verse calls us to cultivate profound empathy and compassion for those who are overwhelmed by despair, recognizing that their longing for an end to suffering, even a wish for non-existence, stems from an unbearable burden. It encourages us to listen without judgment, to bear witness to their pain, and to offer presence and support, trusting that God can meet individuals even in their darkest moments of questioning and despair, ultimately leading them towards a hope that transcends their immediate circumstances and offers a path forward.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job's wish for non-existence imply a rejection of God or a sinful attitude?
Job's wish for non-existence, while extreme, is presented within the biblical narrative not as a rejection of God's existence, but as a profound expression of his human anguish and bewilderment. It is a desperate cry from a man who feels utterly overwhelmed by suffering and perceives his life as a burden. The Book of Job ultimately portrays Job as righteous, even in his complaints, demonstrating that honest lament and even questioning of God's ways are not necessarily sinful but can be part of a genuine, if painful, relationship with the divine. His words reflect the depth of his despair, not necessarily a theological rebellion, and God ultimately vindicates Job, not condemns him for his raw honesty (see Job 42:7-8).
How does this verse relate to modern discussions about mental health and suicidal ideation?
Job 10:19 offers a powerful biblical precedent for understanding the depth of human despair that can lead to thoughts of non-existence or an end to suffering. While not a direct commentary on clinical mental health conditions, it illustrates that such profound anguish is not new and is acknowledged within sacred texts. It underscores the importance of empathy, compassion, and support for those experiencing extreme emotional pain. The text validates the raw emotions of those who feel life is unbearable, reminding us that the Bible does not shy away from depicting the full spectrum of human suffering. It implicitly calls for a compassionate response, recognizing that such expressions are cries for help and relief from overwhelming burdens, much like Job's own desperate plea in Job 7:15-16. This verse encourages a pastoral approach that listens without judgment and offers hope and support.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 10:19 expresses a profound longing for non-existence to escape suffering, the Christian understanding finds its ultimate answer not in oblivion, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's desperate cry for an end to pain foreshadows the ultimate solution to humanity's suffering found in the cross. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, fully entered into human suffering, experiencing abandonment, injustice, and physical agony far beyond Job's imagination, culminating in His cry of dereliction on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Yet, His suffering was not for naught; it was redemptive, conquering sin and death. Through His resurrection, Christ offers not the escape of non-existence, but the promise of a new, eternal existence where suffering is ultimately abolished. Believers are given the hope of a future where God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain, fulfilling Job's deepest longing for an end to affliction, not through oblivion, but through glorious, resurrected life in Christ. This transformation from despair to eternal hope is the ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment of Job's lament.