Job 3:4

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

Let that day {H3117} be darkness {H2822}; let not God {H433} regard {H1875} it from above {H4605}, neither let the light {H5105} shine {H3313} upon it.

May that day be darkness, may God on high not seek it, may no light shine on it,

If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.

Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it.

Job 3:4 captures the raw, profound despair of Job as he curses the day of his birth. After enduring immense suffering—the loss of his children, wealth, and health—and seven days of silent mourning with his friends, this verse marks the beginning of his anguished lament. He wishes for the day he was born to be utterly erased, shrouded in perpetual darkness, and forgotten by God himself.

Context

This verse is part of Job's opening monologue in Chapter 3, which immediately follows the detailed accounts of his catastrophic losses in chapters 1 and 2. While Job initially responded to his calamities with worship and resignation to God's will (Job 1:21), the relentless physical pain and emotional torment have worn him down. His curse of his birth day is not a curse against God, but an expression of a wish for non-existence, a desire to escape the unbearable reality of his suffering. He longs for the day of his birth to be excluded from God's divine oversight and presence, effectively wishing it had never entered into time or creation.

Key Themes

  • Profound Despair: The verse vividly portrays the depths of human suffering and the overwhelming desire to escape unbearable pain, even through a wish for non-existence.
  • Rejection of Existence: Job's curse is a wish to undo his very beginning, reflecting a complete weariness with life under such circumstances.
  • Symbolism of Darkness vs. Light: Darkness (חשך - choshek) in biblical thought often signifies chaos, death, judgment, or the absence of God's blessing. Job's wish for darkness is a desire for the complete antithesis of life and divine favor, a stark contrast to the divine act of creation where God spoke light into existence.
  • Longing for Divine Non-Regard: "Let not God regard it from above" expresses a desperate plea for God to simply ignore or forget that day, removing it from His providential care and allowing it to remain in utter oblivion.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "darkness," choshek (חשך), carries connotations beyond mere absence of light; it can represent chaos, calamity, and a state of unformed void, similar to the pre-creation state in Genesis. The phrase "let not God regard it" uses the Hebrew verb darash (דרש), which means to seek, inquire, or care for. Job is asking God not to seek out, acknowledge, or even glance at that particular day, signifying a complete withdrawal of divine attention and blessing from it.

Practical Application

Job 3:4 reminds us that even righteous individuals can experience profound despair and express intense emotional pain. It validates the human experience of wishing to escape overwhelming suffering. While Job's words are extreme, they underscore the reality of human weakness and the depth of anguish that can accompany great trials. This passage offers comfort in showing that the Bible acknowledges such raw human emotion, even when it borders on rebellion or despair. It teaches us about the limits of human endurance and the necessity of divine grace and comfort in times of extreme distress, even when we cannot articulate our pain perfectly or righteously.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Revelation 16:10

    And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

  • Matthew 27:45

    Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

  • Acts 27:20

    And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

  • Amos 5:18

    Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light.

  • Exodus 10:22

    And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

  • Exodus 10:23

    They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

  • Joel 2:2

    A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.

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