Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Job 3:10

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Despondency;   Prayer;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murmuring;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Heart;   Independency of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Doors;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Strophic Forms in the Old Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For that night did not shutthe doors of my mother’s womb,and hide sorrow from my eyes.
Hebrew Names Version
Because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
King James Version
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
English Standard Version
because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
New Century Version
because it allowed me to be born and did not hide trouble from my eyes.
New English Translation
because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb on me, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes!
Amplified Bible
Because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hide trouble from my eyes.
New American Standard Bible
Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes.
World English Bible
Because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's body,Or hide trouble from my eyes.
Berean Standard Bible
For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
Contemporary English Version
because it let me be born into a world of trouble.
Darby Translation
Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.
Easy-to-Read Version
I wish it had stopped me from being born and kept me from seeing all these troubles.
George Lamsa Translation
Because it did not shut the doors of my mothers womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
Good News Translation
Curse that night for letting me be born, for exposing me to trouble and grief.
Lexham English Bible
because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
Literal Translation
For it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb; nor did it hide toil from my eyes.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
because it shut not vp the wombe that bare me, ner hyd these sorowes fro myne eyes.
American Standard Version
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
Bible in Basic English
Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because it shut not vp the doores of my mothers wombe, nor hyd sorowe from myne eyes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother's] womb, nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
King James Version (1611)
Because it shut not vp the doores of my mothers wombe, nor hid sorrowe from mine eyes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
because it shut not up the gates of my mother’s womb, for so it would have removed sorrow from my eyes.
English Revised Version
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen.
Update Bible Version
Because it did not shut up the doors of my [mother's] womb, Nor hid trouble from my eyes.
Webster's Bible Translation
Because it prevented not my birth, nor hid sorrow from my eyes.
New King James Version
Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
New Living Translation
Curse that day for failing to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble.
New Life Bible
Because it did not keep my mother from giving birth to me, or hide trouble from my eyes.
New Revised Standard
because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, and hide trouble from my eyes.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.
Revised Standard Version
because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
Young's Literal Translation
Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes.

Contextual Overview

1 Iyov said, 2 "Perish the day I was born and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.' 3 May that day be darkness, may God on high not seek it, may no light shine on it, 4 may gloom dark as death defile it, may clouds settle on it, may it be terrified by its own blackness. 5 "As for that night, may thick darkness seize it, may it not be joined to the days of the year, may it not be numbered among the months; 6 may that night be desolate, may no cry of joy be heard in it; 7 may those who curse days curse it, those who[se curses] could rouse Livyatan; 8 may the stars of its twilight be dark, may it look for light but get none, may it never see the shimmer of dawn — 9 because it didn't shut the doors of the womb I was in and shield my eyes from trouble. 10 "If I had been stillborn, if I had died at birth,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

it shut not: Job 10:18, Job 10:19, Genesis 20:18, Genesis 29:31, 1 Samuel 1:5, Ecclesiastes 6:3-5, Jeremiah 20:17

hid: Job 6:2, Job 6:3, Job 10:1, Job 23:2, Ecclesiastes 11:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 16:3 - we had Numbers 20:3 - God Ecclesiastes 4:3 - better Ecclesiastes 6:5 - this

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.
Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.
Genesis 3:17
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to what your wife said and ate from the tree about which I gave you the order, ‘You are not to eat from it,' the ground is cursed on your account; you will work hard to eat from it as long as you live.
Genesis 3:18
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat field plants.
Exodus 3:6
I am the God of your father," he continued, "the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya‘akov." Moshe covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 32:25
When Moshe saw that the people had gotten out of control — because Aharon had allowed them to get out of control, to the derision of their enemies —
Job 23:15
This is why I am terrified of him; the more I think about it, the more afraid I am —
Psalms 119:120
My body trembles for fear of you; your rulings make me afraid.
Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Tziyon are frightened; trembling has seized the ungodly. "Who of us can live with the devouring fire? Who of us can live with eternal burning?"
Isaiah 47:3
Your private parts will be exposed; yes, your shame will be seen. I am going to take vengeance, and no one will stand in my way."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother's] womb,.... Or "of my belly" m, or "womb"; which Aben Ezra interprets of the navel, by which the infant receives its food and nourishment before it is born, and which, if closed, he must have died in embryo; but rather it is to be understood of his mother's womb, called his, because he was conceived and bore in it, and was brought forth from it; and the sense is, that he complains of the night, either that it did not close his mother's womb, and hinder the conception of him, as Gersom, Sephorno, Bar Tzemach, and others, and is the usual sense of the phrase of closing the womb, and which is commonly ascribed to God, Genesis 20:17 1 Samuel 1:5; which Job here attributes to the night, purposely avoiding to make mention of the name of God, that he might not seem to complain of him, or directly point at him; or else the blame laid on that night is, that it did not so shut up the doors of his mother's womb, that he might not have come out from thence into the world, wishing that had been his grave, and his mother always big with him, as Jarchi, and which sense is favoured by Jeremiah 20:17; a wish cruel to his mother, as well as unnatural to himself:

nor hid sorrow from mine eyes; which it would have done, had it done that which is complained of it did not; had it he could not have perceived it experimentally, endured the sorrows and afflictions he did from the Chaldeans and Sabeans, from Satan, his wife, and friends; and had never known the trouble of loss of substance, children, and health, and felt those pains of body and anguish of mind he did; these are the reasons of his cursing the day of his birth, and the night of his conception.

m בטני "ventris mei", Mercerus, Piscator, Schmidt, Schuitens, Michaelis; "uteri mei", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 curses them because they did not wholly prevent his birth.

Nor hid sorrow from mine eyes - By preventing my being born. The meaning is, that he would not have known sorrow if he had then died.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 3:10. Because it shut not up the doors — Here is the reason why he curses the day and the night in which he was conceived and born; because, had he never been brought into existence, he would never have seen trouble. It seems, however, very harsh that he should have wished the destruction of his mother, in order that his birth might have been prevented; and I rather think Job's execration did not extend thus far. The Targum understands the passage as speaking of the umbilical cord, by which the foetus is nourished in its mother's womb: had this been shut up, there must have been a miscarriage, or he must have been dead born; and thus sorrow would have been hidden from his eyes. This seeming gloss is much nearer the letter and spirit of the Hebrew than is generally imagined. I shall quote the words: כי לא סגר דלתי בטני ki lo sagar dalthey bitni, because it did not shut up the doors of my belly. This is much more consistent with the feelings of humanity, than to wish his mother's womb to have been his grave.


 
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