Job 3:18

[There] the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

There the prisoners {H615} rest {H7599} together {H3162}; they hear {H8085} not the voice {H6963} of the oppressor {H5065}.

prisoners live at peace together without hearing a taskmaster's yells.

The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

Commentary

Job 3:18 is part of Job's profound lament, where he expresses his deep despair and wishes he had never been born. In this verse, he paints a picture of death as the ultimate escape from life's relentless suffering, imagining a place where even the most afflicted find peace.

Context

Following immense personal tragedy—the loss of his children, wealth, and health—Job finally breaks his silence in Job chapter 3. His opening words are a curse upon the day of his birth, reflecting a desire for non-existence rather than continued agony. Throughout this chapter, he contrasts his present misery with the tranquility he imagines in death. Verse 18 specifically focuses on the universal relief that death brings, particularly for those who suffer greatly in life.

Key Themes

  • Rest from Suffering: The primary theme is the cessation of pain and trouble. For Job, death represents a profound rest, a release from the physical and emotional torment he endures (Job 2:7).
  • Equality in Death: Job envisions a place where distinctions of earthly status vanish. "The prisoners rest together," implying that both the oppressed and the free, the powerful and the downtrodden, ultimately share the same quiet end.
  • Silence from Oppression: The phrase "they hear not the voice of the oppressor" highlights the liberation from tyrannical control and demanding taskmasters. It speaks to a deep longing for freedom from external pressures and cruel authority.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "rest" here is nuakh (נוּחַ), which signifies quietness, stillness, and cessation of activity or trouble. It conveys a deep sense of peace and relief. The "oppressor" translates from nogesh (נוֹגֵשׂ), a term often used for a taskmaster or one who drives others with harsh demands, like the Egyptian taskmasters over the Israelites. This emphasizes the harsh realities of life from which death offers an escape.

Practical Application

While Job's lament reflects a deep, human cry for relief from overwhelming pain, it also offers insights for us today:

  • Empathy for the Suffering: Job's raw honesty reminds us to have compassion for those who are enduring immense suffering, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.
  • The Reality of Oppression: The verse acknowledges the harsh reality of oppression and injustice in the world, validating the pain of those who are exploited or controlled.
  • Longing for Peace: It speaks to a universal human desire for ultimate peace and freedom from life's burdens, a longing that ultimately finds its complete fulfillment in God's eternal plan for those who trust in Him (Revelation 21:4).
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Cross-References

  • Job 39:7

    He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

  • Judges 4:3

    And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

  • Isaiah 14:3

    And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

  • Isaiah 14:4

    ¶ That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

  • Exodus 5:6

    And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

  • Exodus 5:8

    And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God.

  • Exodus 5:15

    ¶ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?