Job 10:3

KJV

[Is it] good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

KJV (with Strong's)

Is it good {H2895} unto thee that thou shouldest oppress {H6231}, that thou shouldest despise {H3988} the work {H3018} of thine hands {H3709}, and shine {H3313} upon the counsel {H6098} of the wicked {H7563}?

Complete Jewish Bible

Do you gain some advantage from oppressing, from spurning what your own hands made, from shining on the schemes of the wicked?

Berean Standard Bible

Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?

American Standard Version

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 10:3 captures the raw intensity of Job's profound lament and desperate interrogation of God's justice amidst his inexplicable suffering. Through a poignant rhetorical question, Job challenges the Almighty, asking if it truly pleases Him to oppress His own creation, to treat with contempt the very work of His hands, and seemingly to favor or illuminate the schemes of the wicked while afflicting the righteous. This verse powerfully articulates the ancient and enduring human struggle to reconcile a good and sovereign God with the harsh realities of innocent suffering and perceived cosmic injustice.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 10:3 is situated within Job's second major soliloquy, a direct and impassioned address to God that follows the initial cycle of dialogues with his three friends. Having endured their accusatory and theologically rigid arguments (chapters 4-7), Job shifts his focus from defending himself to directly confronting the perceived source of his torment—God Himself. Chapter 10, in particular, showcases Job's profound bewilderment and pain, as he moves from expressing his desire for vindication to questioning God's very character and motives. This verse, therefore, serves as a central expression of Job's anguish, challenging God's actions toward him in light of his perceived innocence and setting a critical stage for the eventual divine response from the whirlwind in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - God Answers Job from the Whirlwind").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The narrative of Job is set in the land of Uz, a region likely located in Edom or northern Arabia, placing Job outside the immediate Israelite covenant community but dealing with universal themes. The societal and theological framework reflected in the book is that of a patriarchal culture where prosperity, health, and well-being were generally understood as indicators of divine favor, while suffering was almost universally attributed to sin. This prevailing ancient Near Eastern retribution theology is precisely what Job's experience profoundly challenges. Job's complaint in this verse is deeply rooted in this cultural expectation that God, as the supreme and just ruler, would uphold order by rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked. His lament is not merely a personal outburst but a cosmic challenge to the perceived breakdown of divine justice within the established cultural understanding.
* **Key Themes:** Job 10:3 serves as a powerful articulation of several core themes woven throughout the Book of Job. Foremost, it directly confronts the **problem of suffering**, particularly the inexplicable suffering of the righteous, thereby dismantling the simplistic retribution theology advocated by Job's friends. It raises profound questions concerning **divine justice and sovereignty**, as Job grapples with the apparent contradiction between God's omnipotence and goodness on one hand, and his own agonizing pain on the other. The verse also underscores the intimate **relationship between Creator and creation**, as Job pleads with God not to "despise the work of thine hands," echoing the profound connection between God and humanity as seen in passages like [Psalm 139:13-16](/psalm/139-16 "Psalm 139:13-16 - God's Intimate Creation of Man"). Furthermore, Job's unsettling observation that God seems to "shine upon the counsel of the wicked" introduces the perennial theological dilemma of **the prosperity of the wicked**, a theme explored extensively elsewhere in Scripture, most notably in [Psalm 73](/psalm/73 "Psalm 73 - The Prosperity of the Wicked"), where the psalmist wrestles with this very same unsettling reality.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Oppress (Hebrew, _ʻâshaq'_):** This verb (תִּעֲשֹׁק, *tiʿăšōq*) carries the strong connotation of violent, unjust, or wrongful exploitation, crushing, or extortion. It describes the act of treating someone harshly, often by taking advantage of their vulnerability or weakness. Job uses this term to convey his perception of God's actions towards him: not merely a passive allowance of suffering, but an active, forceful, and unjust imposition of pain, as if God were a human oppressor taking advantage of His creation. This word choice underscores the depth of Job's feeling of being wronged and exploited by the very one who should protect him.
* **Despise (Hebrew, _mâʼaç'_):** The verb (תִּמְאַס, *timʾas*) signifies rejection, abhorrence, loathing, or a strong refusal. It implies a deliberate act of casting off or treating with contempt. When Job asks if God would "despise the work of thine hands," he is expressing his profound anguish over feeling utterly rejected and disregarded by his Creator, despite being God's own unique and intricate handiwork. This term highlights the perceived contradiction in God's actions: how could the Artist reject His own masterpiece, especially one made with such care and purpose?
* **Shine upon (Hebrew, _yâphaʻ'_):** The verb (וְהוֹפַעְתָּ, *wəhōfaʿtā*), derived from *yâphaʻ*, literally means "to shine forth," "to appear," or "to cause to shine." In this context, it implies granting favor, approval, or success, as if God's divine light or countenance is illuminating and thus endorsing the plans and actions of the wicked. Job's use of this phrase is deeply ironic and challenging, suggesting that God, who should be the fount of justice, appears to be actively supporting or enabling evil, while simultaneously afflicting the innocent. It reflects Job's bewilderment at the apparent reversal of divine order.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress,"**: This opening phrase functions as a rhetorical question, not seeking information but expressing Job's profound disbelief, pain, and indignation. "Is it good unto thee" challenges God's character and moral nature, implying that God's actions (as perceived by Job) are fundamentally at odds with what is considered "good" or just. The term "oppress" conveys Job's feeling of being unjustly crushed and exploited by God's hand, a direct and audacious accusation of divine malevolence or indifference.
* **"that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands,"**: This clause intensifies Job's complaint by appealing to the intimate Creator-creation relationship. Job views himself as God's personal handiwork, intricately fashioned and brought into being by divine power (cf. [Psalm 139:13-16](/psalm/139-16 "Psalm 139:13-16 - God's Intimate Creation of Man")). To "despise" this work implies a rejection or abandonment of His own creation, a seemingly illogical and cruel act for a loving and wise Creator. This highlights Job's deep sense of personal betrayal and worthlessness in the face of his suffering.
* **"and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?"**: This final clause broadens Job's complaint from his personal suffering to a cosmic observation about divine justice. "Shine upon" suggests divine favor, approval, or even enablement. Job perceives a world where God appears to endorse or grant success to the schemes ("counsel") of those who are morally corrupt ("the wicked"), while simultaneously afflicting the righteous. This observation is a classic expression of the problem of evil and the prosperity of the ungodly, which has troubled believers throughout history (cf. [Jeremiah 12:1](/jeremiah/12-1 "Jeremiah 12:1 - Why do the wicked prosper?")). Job is essentially asking why God's light, which should expose and condemn evil, seems instead to illuminate and bless it.

#### Literary Devices
Job 10:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey Job's anguish and challenge. The verse opens with a **Rhetorical Question**, "Is it good unto thee...?", which is not meant to elicit an answer but to express Job's incredulity, indignation, and profound bewilderment at God's perceived actions. This device underscores the depth of his emotional turmoil and the perceived paradox of God's character. **Anthropomorphism** is evident as Job attributes human-like actions and motivations—oppressing, despising, and shining upon—to God, allowing him to articulate his pain in terms relatable to human experience, even while challenging the divine. There is also a strong sense of **Irony** in Job's questioning: he implies that God, the source of all goodness and justice, is acting in ways that are fundamentally unjust and contradictory to His own nature. The phrase "the work of thine hands" functions as a powerful **Metonymy** for Job himself, emphasizing his direct connection to and dependence on God as his Creator. The overall structure of the verse presents a form of **Parallelism**, where each clause builds upon the previous one, intensifying Job's accusation and expanding its scope from personal affliction to a broader cosmic injustice.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 10:3 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of divine justice and the human experience of suffering. It articulates the raw, honest lament that questions God's character when circumstances seem to contradict His goodness and power. Job's struggle to reconcile God as a loving Creator with God as an apparent oppressor highlights the tension between divine sovereignty and human suffering, a tension that the book of Job ultimately does not fully resolve with simple answers but rather with an invitation to trust in God's incomprehensible wisdom. This verse underscores that true faith is not the absence of doubt or questioning, but the courage to bring those deepest struggles directly to God, even in accusation. It also introduces the enduring theological problem of the prosperity of the wicked, a challenge to conventional understandings of divine retribution.

* [Psalm 73:3](/psalm/73-3 "Psalm 73:3 - The Prosperity of the Wicked")
* [Habakkuk 1:13](/habakkuk/1-13 "Habakkuk 1:13 - God's Purity and the Problem of Evil")
* [Lamentations 3:33](/lamentations/3-33 "Lamentations 3:33 - God's Reluctance to Afflict")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 10:3 offers a powerful validation for those who find themselves in the crucible of suffering, grappling with profound questions about God's role and character. It grants permission for honest lament, demonstrating that God is vast enough to receive our rawest emotions, our deepest doubts, and even our accusations without being diminished. Job's bold questioning reminds us that faith is not a simplistic acceptance of all circumstances, but an active, often painful, wrestling with the divine. In our own moments of inexplicable pain, when God's actions seem contradictory or His presence distant, this verse encourages us to bring our whole selves—our confusion, anger, and despair—before Him. It challenges us to trust in God's ultimate goodness and justice, even when our immediate experience suggests otherwise, and to remember that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. The book of Job ultimately teaches us that while we may not receive all the answers we seek, we can find solace in the character of God Himself, who is revealed to be both just and compassionate, even in the midst of mystery.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways do you find yourself resonating with Job's raw honesty and questioning of God amidst suffering?**
* **How does Job's lament encourage or challenge your own approach to prayer when facing difficult circumstances?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the nature of God's relationship with His creation, even when His actions are mysterious?**
* **How can we reconcile the apparent prosperity of the wicked with the biblical teaching of God's justice?**

### FAQ

**Does Job accuse God of evil in this verse?**

Answer: Job 10:3 presents a rhetorical question that comes very close to an accusation of malevolence or indifference on God's part. Job is not necessarily stating that God *is* evil, but he is desperately asking if God *finds good* in actions that Job perceives as oppressive, despising, and favoring the wicked. This is a bold and dangerous question from a human perspective, yet it reflects the depth of Job's pain and his struggle to reconcile his understanding of a just God with his unjust suffering. The book of Job ultimately shows that God allows such questions and does not condemn Job for his honesty, even while correcting his limited perspective through His majestic revelation in [Job 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38 - God Answers Job from the Whirlwind").

**How can God be good if He allows suffering, especially for the righteous?**

Answer: This is the central theological dilemma that Job 10:3 and the entire Book of Job address. The Bible consistently affirms God's goodness, justice, and love (e.g., [Psalm 100:5](/psalm/100-5 "Psalm 100:5 - God's Goodness and Mercy") or [1 John 4:8](/1_john/4-8 "1 John 4:8 - God is Love")). However, it also acknowledges the reality of suffering in a fallen world. The Book of Job does not provide a simple, propositional answer to *why* the righteous suffer, but it does affirm God's sovereign control, His infinite wisdom (as seen in [Job 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38 - God Answers Job from the Whirlwind")), and His ultimate vindication of the righteous. It challenges the simplistic cause-and-effect theology that suffering always equates to sin, inviting us to trust God's character even when His purposes are beyond our comprehension.

**What does "shine upon the counsel of the wicked" mean?**

Answer: This phrase, "shine upon the counsel of the wicked," implies that God appears to grant favor, approval, or success to the plans and schemes ("counsel") of those who are unrighteous ("the wicked"). Job observes that while he, an innocent man, is suffering profoundly, it seems as though the wicked are prospering and their intentions are being blessed or illuminated by divine light. It's an expression of the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked, where divine justice seems inverted in the earthly realm. This observation is a common theme in wisdom literature (e.g., [Psalm 73](/psalm/73 "Psalm 73 - The Prosperity of the Wicked")) and reflects the human struggle to understand God's temporal dealings with good and evil.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 10:3, with its raw lament and questioning of God's justice in the face of suffering, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's cry, "Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands," resonates most deeply with the experience of the Son of God on the cross. There, Jesus, the perfect and innocent "work of God's hands" (cf. [Colossians 1:15](/colossians/1-15 "Colossians 1:15 - Christ, the Image of the Invisible God")), was indeed "oppressed" and "despised" by God, not for His own sin, but for the sins of humanity (cf. [Isaiah 53:4-6](/isaiah/53-4-6 "Isaiah 53:4-6 - The Suffering Servant")). The Father "shone upon the counsel of the wicked" in a horrific sense, allowing the evil schemes of men to crucify His Son, yet this very act was part of God's sovereign plan for redemption (cf. [Acts 2:23](/acts/2-23 "Acts 2:23 - God's Predetermined Plan and Christ's Crucifixion")). On the cross, Jesus himself cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ([Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")), echoing Job's desperate sense of abandonment. Yet, through Christ's suffering and resurrection, the problem of suffering, the apparent prosperity of the wicked, and the perceived injustice of God are ultimately addressed. God did not despise His work permanently; rather, through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son, He redeemed His creation, demonstrating His perfect justice and unfathomable love, turning the greatest act of oppression into the greatest act of salvation (cf. [Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "Romans 5:8 - God's Love Demonstrated")). In Christ, we see that God enters into our suffering, understands our lament, and ultimately triumphs over all evil, making "all things new" ([Revelation 21:5](/revelation/21-5 "Revelation 21:5 - God Makes All Things New")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.

Job 14:15

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

Psalms 138:8

The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Jeremiah 12:1

¶ Righteous [art] thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of [thy] judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? [wherefore] are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Jeremiah 12:3

But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

Psalms 69:33

For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

1 Peter 4:19

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.