5 Let darkness H2822 and the shadow of death H6757 stain H1350 it; let a cloud H6053 dwell H7931 upon it; let the blackness H3650 of the day H3117 terrify H1204 it.
Yea, though I walk H3212 through the valley H1516 of the shadow of death, H6757 I will fear H3372 no evil: H7451 for thou art with me; thy rod H7626 and thy staff H4938 they comfort H5162 me.
Before I go H3212 whence I shall not return, H7725 even to the land H776 of darkness H2822 and the shadow of death; H6757 A land H776 of darkness, H5890 as darkness H652 itself; and of the shadow of death, H6757 without any order, H5468 and where the light H3313 is as darkness. H652
Give H5414 glory H3519 to the LORD H3068 your God, H430 before he cause darkness, H2821 and before your feet H7272 stumble H5062 upon the dark H5399 mountains, H2022 and, while ye look H6960 for light, H216 he turn H7760 it into the shadow of death, H6757 and make H7896 H7896 it gross darkness. H6205
The people H5971 that walked H1980 in darkness H2822 have seen H7200 a great H1419 light: H216 they that dwell H3427 in the land H776 of the shadow of death, H6757 upon them hath the light H216 shined. H5050
The people G2992 which G3588 sat G2521 in G1722 darkness G4655 saw G1492 great G3173 light; G5457 and G2532 to them which G3588 sat G2521 in G1722 the region G5561 and G2532 shadow G4639 of death G2288 light G5457 is sprung up. G393 G846
Neither said H559 they, Where is the LORD H3068 that brought us up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 that led H3212 us through the wilderness, H4057 through a land H776 of deserts H6160 and of pits, H7745 through a land H776 of drought, H6723 and of the shadow of death, H6757 through a land H776 that no man H376 passed through, H5674 and where no man H120 dwelt? H3427
For the morning H1242 is to them even as H3162 the shadow of death: H6757 if one know H5234 them, they are in the terrors H1091 of the shadow of death. H6757
And I will turn H2015 your feasts H2282 into mourning, H60 and all your songs H7892 into lamentation; H7015 and I will bring up H5927 sackcloth H8242 upon all loins, H4975 and baldness H7144 upon every head; H7218 and I will make H7760 it as the mourning H60 of an only H3173 son, and the end H319 thereof as a bitter H4751 day. H3117
Seek him that maketh H6213 the seven stars H3598 and Orion, H3685 and turneth H2015 the shadow of death H6757 into the morning, H1242 and maketh the day H3117 dark H2821 with night: H3915 that calleth H7121 for the waters H4325 of the sea, H3220 and poureth them out H8210 upon the face H6440 of the earth: H776 The LORD H3068 is his name: H8034
A day H3117 of darkness H2822 and of gloominess, H653 a day H3117 of clouds H6051 and of thick darkness, H6205 as the morning H7837 spread H6566 upon the mountains: H2022 a great H7227 people H5971 and a strong; H6099 there hath not been H1961 ever H5769 the like, neither shall be any more H3254 after H310 it, even to the years H8141 of many H1755 generations. H1755
As a shepherd H7462 seeketh out H1243 his flock H5739 in the day H3117 that he is among H8432 his sheep H6629 that are scattered; H6567 so will I seek out H1239 my sheep, H6629 and will deliver H5337 them out of all places H4725 where they have been scattered H6327 in the cloudy H6051 and dark H6205 day. H3117
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 3
Commentary on Job 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
"You have heard of the patience of Job,' says the apostle, Jam. 5:11. So we have, and of his impatience too. We wondered that a man should be so patient as he was (ch. 1 and 2), but we wonder also that a good man should be so impatient as he is in this chapter, where we find him cursing his day, and, in passion,
In this it must be owned that Job sinned with his lips, and it is written, not for our imitation, but our admonition, that he who thinks he stands may take heed lest he fall.
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, Eze. 3:15, 16. So long Job and his friends sat thinking, but said nothing; they were afraid of speaking what they thought, lest they should grieve him, and he durst not give vent to his thoughts, lest he should offend them. They came to comfort him, but, finding his afflictions very extraordinary, they began to think comfort did not belong to him, suspecting him to be a hypocrite, and therefore they said nothing. But losers think they may have leave to speak, and therefore Job first gives vent to his thoughts. Unless they had been better, it would however have been well if he had kept them to himself. In short, he cursed his day, the day of his birth, wished he had never been born, could not think or speak of his own birth without regret and vexation. Whereas men usually observe the annual return of their birth-day with rejoicing, he looked upon it as the unhappiest day of the year, because the unhappiest of his life, being the inlet into all his woe. Now,
Job 3:11-19
Job, perhaps reflecting upon himself for his folly in wishing he had never been born, follows it, and thinks to mend it, with another, little better, that he had died as soon as he was born, which he enlarges upon in these verses. When our Saviour would set forth a very calamitous state of things he seems to allow such a saying as this, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the paps which never gave suck (Lu. 23:29); but blessing the barren womb is one thing and cursing the fruitful womb is another! It is good to make the best of afflictions, but it is not good to make the worst of mercies. Our rule is, Bless, and curse not. Life is often put for all good, and death for all evil; yet Job here very absurdly complains of life and its supports as a curse and plague to him, and covets death and the grave as the greatest and most desirable bliss. Surely Satan was deceived in Job when he applied that maxim to him, All that a man hath will he give for his life; for never any man valued life at a lower rate than he did.
Job 3:20-26
Job, finding it to no purpose to wish either that he had not been born or had died as soon as he was born, here complains that his life was now continued and not cut off. When men are set on quarrelling there is no end of it; the corrupt heart will carry on the humour. Having cursed the day of his birth, here he courts the day of his death. The beginning of this strife and impatience is as the letting forth of water.