Job 3:11

¶ Why died I not from the womb? [why] did I [not] give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

Why died {H4191} I not from the womb {H7358}? why did I not give up the ghost {H1478} when I came out {H3318} of the belly {H990}?

"If I had been stillborn, if I had died at birth,

Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?

Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?

Commentary

Context

Job 3 marks a significant turning point in the Book of Job. After enduring immense personal tragedy—losing his children, livestock, and servants (Job 1:13-19), and then being afflicted with painful boils (Job 2:7)—Job, though initially maintaining his integrity and declaring, "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21), finally breaks his silence in this chapter. His lament, beginning in Job 3:1, expresses profound despair and a wish for non-existence rather than continued suffering. Verse 11 specifically highlights his desire to have died at birth, viewing it as a release from his current agony.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Profound Despair: This verse powerfully conveys the depth of Job's anguish. He is not merely sad or frustrated; he wishes he had never lived, or had died immediately after birth, to escape the unbearable pain he now experiences. This reflects a common human response to overwhelming suffering, where the cessation of existence seems preferable to enduring agony.
  • Questioning Life's Purpose in Suffering: Job's lament raises fundamental questions about the purpose of life when it is filled with inexplicable suffering. He sees no value in his current existence and yearns for the peace of death, contrasting his current state with the potential tranquility of the grave (Job 3:13).
  • The Sovereignty of God (Implied): Though Job is questioning, his lament implicitly acknowledges God's control over life and death. He doesn't question *if* God could have prevented his birth or caused his death at birth, but *why* He did not. This sets the stage for the theological discussions that follow between Job and his friends, as they seek to understand the nature of suffering and divine justice.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "give up the ghost" is a traditional King James Version rendering of the Hebrew verb גָּוַע (gava'), which simply means "to expire," "to die," or "to breathe one's last." It emphasizes the finality of death. Job's repetition of similar ideas ("Why died I not from the womb?", "why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?") underscores the intensity and singular focus of his wish for immediate non-existence, highlighting his absolute exhaustion and despair.

Practical Application

Job's raw honesty in this verse offers comfort and validation to those experiencing deep suffering. It reminds us that even righteous individuals can reach points of profound despair. We learn that:

  • It's Okay to Lament: The Bible does not shy away from depicting profound human grief and despair. Job's lament reminds us that it is acceptable to express our deepest pains and questions to God, even when they are dark and challenging.
  • Suffering Can Be Overwhelming: This verse illustrates how intense suffering can push individuals to the brink of despair, where the desire for release from pain overrides the will to live. It fosters empathy for those in such states and encourages a compassionate response.
  • Hope Beyond Despair: While Job expresses despair here, the broader narrative of the Book of Job ultimately points to God's faithfulness and restoration (Job 42:10). Even when we feel like Job, there is always a path to healing and renewed hope, often found in trusting God's mysterious plan and His presence in our suffering, as seen in Romans 5:3-5.
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Cross-References

  • Isaiah 46:3 (3 votes)

    Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

  • Job 10:18 (3 votes)

    Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

  • Job 10:19 (3 votes)

    I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

  • Hosea 9:14 (2 votes)

    Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

  • Psalms 58:8 (2 votes)

    As a snail [which] melteth, let [every one of them] pass away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, [that] they may not see the sun.

  • Psalms 71:6 (2 votes)

    By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee.

  • Jeremiah 15:10 (2 votes)

    ¶ Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them doth curse me.