Job 3:4-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 3:1-10

Long was Job's heart hot within him; and, while he was musing, the fire burned, and the more for being stifled and suppressed. At length he spoke with his tongue, but not such a good word as David spoke after a long pause: Lord, make me to know my end, Ps. 39:3, 4. Seven days the prophet Ezekiel sat down astonished with the captives, and then (probably on the sabbath day) the word of the Lord came to him, Ezek. 3:15, 16. So long Job and his friends sat thinking, but said nothing; they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:4

Let that day be darkness ,.... Not only dark, but darkness itself, extremely dark; and which is to be understood not figuratively of the darkness of affliction and calamity; this Job would not wish for, either for himself, who had enough of that, or for others; but literally of gross natural darkness, that was horrible and dreadful, as some F24 חשך "horrens", Caligo, Schultens. render it: this was the reverse of what God said at the creation, "let there be light", Genesis 1:3 , and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:5

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it ,.... Let there be such darkness on it as on persons when dying, or in the state of the dead; hence the sorest afflictions, and the state of man in unregeneracy, are compared unto it, Psalm 23:4 ; let there be nothing but foul weather, dirt, and darkness in it, which may make it very uncomfortable and undesirable; some render the word, "let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it" F26 יגאלהו "vindicassent", Junius & Tremellius;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:6

As for that night ,.... The night of conception; Job imprecated evils on the day he was born, now on the night he was conceived in, the returns of it: let darkness seize upon it ; let it not only he deprived of the light of the moon and stars, but let an horrible darkness seize upon it, that it may be an uncommon and a terrible one: let it not be joined unto the days of the year ; the solar year, and make one of them; or, "let it not be one among them" F3 אל יחד "non sit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:7

Lo, let that night be solitary ,.... Let there be no company for journeys, or doing any business; no meetings of friends, neighbours, or relations on it, for refreshment, pleasure, and recreation, after the business of the day is over, as is frequently done; let there be no associations of this kind, or any other: in the night it was usual to have feasts on various accounts, and especially on account of marriage; but now let there be none, let there be as profound a silence as if all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:8

Let them curse it that curse the day ,.... Their own day, either their birthday, or any day on which evil befalls them; and now such as are used to this, Job would have them, while they were cursing their own day, to throw some curses upon his; or that curse the daylight in general, as adulterers and murderers, who are said to rebel against the light, see Job 24:13 ; and as some Ethiopians, who lived near Arabia, and so known to Job, who supposed there was no God, and used to curse the sun... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 3:9

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark ,.... Either of the morning or evening twilight; both may be meant, rather the latter, because of the following clause; the sense is, let not these appear to adorn the heavens, and to relieve the darkness of the night, and make it more pleasant and delightful, as well as to be useful to travellers and sailors: let it look for light, but have none ; that is, either for the light of the moon and stars, to shine in the night till daybreak, or... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 3:4

Let that day be darkness - The meaning is exactly the same with our expression, "Let it be blotted out of the calendar." However distinguished it may have been, as the birthday of a man once celebrated for his possessions, liberality, and piety, let it no longer be thus noted; as he who was thus celebrated is now the sport of adversity, the most impoverished, most afflicted, and most wretched of human beings. Let not God regard it from above - ידרשהו אל al yidreshehu , "Let Him not... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 3:5

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it - יגאלהו yigaluhu , "pollute or avenge it," from גאל gaal , to vindicate, avenge, etc.; hence גאל goel , the nearest of kin, whose right it was to redeem an inheritance, and avenge the death of his relative by slaying the murderer. Let this day be pursued, overtaken, and destroyed. Let natural darkness, the total privation of the solar light, rendered still more intense by death's shadow projected over it, seize on and destroy this... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 3:6

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it - I think the Targum has hit the sense of this whole verse: "Let darkness seize upon that night; let it not be reckoned among the annual festivals; in the number of the months of the calendar let it not be computed." Some understand the word אפל ophel as signifying a dark storm; hence the Vulgate, tenebrosus turbo , "a dark whirlwind." And hence Coverdale, Let the darck storme overcome that night, let it not be reckoned amonge the dayes... read more

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