job-3:1-10,job-42:1-6

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:7

Lo, let that night be solitary - Dr. Good, “O! that night! Let it be a barren rock!” Noyes, “O let that night be unfruitful!” Herder, “Let that night be set apart by itself.” The Hebrew word used here גלמוּד galmûd means properly “hard;” then sterile, barren, as of a hard and rocky soil. It does not mean properly solitary, but that which is unproductive and unfruitful. It is used of a woman who is barren, Isaiah 49:21, and also of that which is lean, famished, emaciated with hunger; Job 15:34;... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:8

Let them curse it who curse the day - This entire verse is exceedingly difficult, and many different expositions have been given of it. It seems evident that it refers to some well-known class of persons, who were accustomed to utter imprecations, and were supposed to have the power to render a day propitious or unpropitious - persons who had the power of divination or enchantment. A belief in such a power existed early in the world, and has prevailed in all savage and semi-barbarous nations,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:9

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark - That is, be extinguished, so that it shall be total darkness - darkness not even relieved by a single star. The word here rendered “twilight” נשׁף nesheph means properly a breathing; and hence, the evening, when cooling breezes “blow,” or gently breathe. It is used however, to denote both the morning and the evening twilight, though here probably it means the latter. He wishes that the evening of that night, instead of being in any way... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:10

Because it shut not up ... - That is, because the accursed day and night did not do it. Aben Ezra supposes that God is meant here, and that the complaint of Job is that he did not close his mother’s womb. But the more natural interpretation is to refer it to the Νυχθήμεροι Nuchthēmeroi - the night and the day which he had been cursing, on which he was born. Throughout the description the day and the night are personified, and are spoken of as active in introducing him into the world. He here... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:1

Job 3:1. After this Job opened his mouth The days of mourning being now over, and no hopes appearing of Job’s amendment, but his afflictions rather increasing, he bursts into a severe lamentation; he wishes he had never existed, or that his death had immediately followed his birth; life under such a load of calamity appearing to him the greatest affliction. Undoubtedly Satan, who had been permitted to bring the fore-mentioned calamities upon him, and to torment his body so dreadfully, had... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:3

Job 3:3. Here the metrical part of this book begins, which in the original Hebrew is broken into short verses, and is very beautiful, thus: שׂאבד יום אולד בו Jobad jom ivaled bo, והלילה אמר הרה גבר Vehalailah amar horah geber. Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, A man child is conceived. Let the day perish, &c. So far from desiring, according to the general and prevailing custom, that my birth-day should be celebrated; that any singular tokens of joy and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:4

Job 3:4. Let that day be darkness I wish the sun had never risen on that day; or, which is the same thing, that it had never been: and whensoever that day returns, instead of the cheering and refreshing beams of light arising upon it, I wish it may be covered with gross, thick darkness, and rendered black, gloomy, and uncomfortable; let not God regard it from above From heaven, by causing the light of heaven to visit it; or, let God make no more inquiry after it than if such a day had... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:5

Job 3:5 . Let darkness and the shadow of death Let the most dismal darkness, like that of the place of the dead, which is a land of darkness, and where the light is darkness, Job 10:21-22; or darkness so gross and palpable, that its horrors are insupportable; stain it Take away its beauty and glory, and render it abominable as a filthy thing; or, rather, challenge or claim it, as the word יגאלהו , jigaluhu, here used, may properly be rendered, the verb גאל , gaal, signifying,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:6

Job 3:6. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it Constant and extraordinary darkness, without the least glimmering of light from the moon or stars; darkness to the highest degree possible. Thus, as Job had thrown out his resentment against the day in which he was both, so now the severity of his censure falls on his birth-right; and his style, we find, increases and grows stronger. Our translation, indeed, makes no difference in the expression of darkness; namely, “Let that day be... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:7

Job 3:7. Let that night be solitary Destitute of all society of men, meeting and feasting together. Let it afford no entertainment or pleasure of any kind; let no joyful voice come therein No music, no harmony of sound be heard, no cheerful or pleasing voice admitted! Let no expressions of joy be so much as once attempted, however engaging and affecting they may be. read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:7

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 3:10

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:3

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:4

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:5

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:6

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 3:7

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