Logos Bible Study

Job 10:18–22

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An Appeal for Relief

10:18“Why then did you bring me out from the womb?

I should have died47

and no eye would have seen me!

10:19I should have been as though I had never existed;48

I should have been carried

right from the womb to the grave!

10:20Are not my days few?49

Cease,50 then, and leave51 me alone,52

that I may find a little comfort,53

10:21before I depart, never to return,54

to the land of darkness

and the deepest shadow,55

10:22to the land of utter darkness,

like the deepest darkness,

and the deepest shadow and disorder,56

where even the light57 is like darkness.”58

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Footnotes

  1. 47 The two imperfect verbs in this section are used to stress regrets for something which did not happen (see §107.n).
  2. 48 This means “If only I had never come into existence.”
  3. 49 Heb “are not my days few; cease/let it cease.…” The versions have “the days of my life” (reading יְמֵי חֶלְדִי [yéme kheldi] instead of יָמַי וַחֲדָל [yamay vakhadal]). Many commentators and the , , and accept this reading. The Kethib is an imperfect or jussive, “let it cease/ it will cease.” The Qere is more intelligible for some interpreters—“cease” (as in 7:16). For a discussion of the readings, see D. W. Thomas, “Some Observations on the Hebrew Root hadal,” 4 [1057]: 14). But the text is not impossible as it stands.
  4. 50 Taking the form as the imperative with the ו (vav), the sentence follows the direct address to God (as in v. 18 as well as 7:16). This requires less changes. See the preceding note regarding the plausibility of the jussive. The point of the verse is clear in either reading—his life is short, and he wants the suffering to stop.
  5. 51 In the different suggestions for the line, the י (yod) of this word is believed to belong to the preceding word making “my life.” That would here leave an imperative rather than an imperfect. But if the Qere is read, then it would be an imperative anyway, and there would be no reason for the change.
  6. 52 Heb “put from me,” an expression found nowhere else. The Qere has a ו (vav) and not a י (yod), forming an imperative rather than an imperfect. H. H. Rowley suggests that there is an ellipsis here, “hand” needing to be supplied. Job wanted God to take his hand away from him. That is plausible, but difficult.
  7. 53 The verb בָּלַג (balag) in the Hiphil means “to have cheer [or joy]” (see 9:27; Ps 39:14). The cohortative following the imperatives shows the purpose or result—“in order that.”
  8. 54 The verbs are simple, “I go” and “I return”; but Job clearly means before he dies. A translation of “depart” comes closer to communicating this. The second verb may be given a potential imperfect translation to capture the point. The offered more of an interpretive paraphrase: “before I go to the place of no return.”
  9. 56 The word סֵדֶר (seder, “order”) occurs only here in the Bible. G. R. Driver found a new meaning in Arabic sadira, “dazzled by the glare” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” 3 [1955]: 76–77); this would mean “without a ray of light.” This is accepted by those who see chaos out of place in this line. But the word “order” is well-attested in later Hebrew (see J. Carmignac, “Précisions aportées au vocabulaire d’hébreu biblique par La guerre des fils de lumière contre les fils de ténèbres,” 5 [1955]: 345–65).
  10. 57 The Hebrew word literally means “it shines”; the feminine verb implies a subject like “the light” (but see §144.c).
  11. 58 The verse multiplies images for the darkness in death. Several commentators omit “as darkness, deep darkness” (כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת, kémo ’ofel tsalmavet) as glosses on the rare word עֵיפָתָה (’efatah, “darkness”) drawn from v. 21 (see also ). The verse literally reads: “[to the] land of darkness, like the deep darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the light is like the darkness.”

Cross references

  1. 55 See Job 3:5.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Why did you bring me out from the womb?

Would that I had died before any eye had seen me

and were as though I had not been,

carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few?

Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer

before I go—and I shall not return—

to the land of darkness and deep shadow,

the land of gloom like thick darkness,

like deep shadow without any order,

where light is as thick darkness.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Why then did you bring me out of the womb?

I wish I had died before any eye saw me.

If only I had never come into being,

or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!

Are not my few days almost over?

Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy

before I go to the place of no return,

to the land of gloom and utter darkness,

to the land of deepest night,

of utter darkness and disorder,

where even the light is like darkness.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Why did you bring me out of the womb?

I should have died and never been seen.

I wish I had never existed

but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are my days not few? Stop it!

Leave me alone, so that I can smile a little

before I go to a land of darkness and gloom,

never to return.

It is a land of blackness like the deepest darkness,

gloomy and chaotic,

where even the light is like the darkness.”

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“ ‘Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother’s womb?

Why didn’t you let me die at birth?

It would be as though I had never existed,

going directly from the womb to the grave.

I have only a few days left, so leave me alone,

that I may have a moment of comfort

before I leave—never to return—

for the land of darkness and utter gloom.

It is a land as dark as midnight,

a land of gloom and confusion,

where even the light is dark as midnight.’ ”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So why did you bring me forth from the womb?

I should have passed away, and no eye should have seen me.

I should have been as though I had not been;

I should have been brought from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone;

let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.

Before I go—and I will not return—

to the land of darkness and deep shadow,

to the land of darkness,

like the darkness of a deep shadow and chaos,

so that it shines forth like darkness.’ ”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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!

I should have been as though I had not been;

I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few? cease then,

And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go whence I shall not return,

Even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

A land of darkness, as darkness itself;

And of the shadow of death, without any order,

And where the light is as darkness.

Public Domain