5 The relative clause is carried by the preposition with the resumptive pronoun: “the day [which] I was born in it” meaning “the day on which I was born” (see §155.f, i).
6 The verb is the Niphal imperfect. It may be interpreted in this dependent clause (1) as representing a future event from some point of time in the past—“the day on which I was born” or “would be born” (see §107.k). Or (2) it may simply serve as a preterite indicating action that is in the past.
7 The simply has “and the night—it said.…” By simple juxtaposition with the parallel construction (“on which I was born”) the verb “it said” must be a relative clause explaining “the night.” Rather than supply “in which” and make the verb passive (which is possible since no specific subject is provided, but leaves open the question of who said it), it is preferable to take the verse as a personification. First Job cursed the day; now he cursed the night that spoke about what it witnessed. See A. Ehrman, “A Note on the Verb ‘amar,” 55 (1964/65): 166–67.
8 The word is גֶּבֶר (gever, “a man”). The word usually distinguishes a man as strong, distinct from children and women. Translations which render this as “boy” (to remove the apparent contradiction of an adult being “conceived” in the womb) miss this point.
9 The announcement at birth is to the fact that a male was conceived. The same parallelism between “brought forth/born” and “conceived” may be found in Ps 51:7 (51:5 ). The motifs of the night of conception and the day of birth will be developed by Job. For the entire verse, which is more a wish or malediction than a curse, see S. H. Blank, “ ‘Perish the Day!’ A Misdirected Curse (Job 3:3),” Prophetic Thought, 61–63.
10 The first two words should be treated as a casus pendens (see D. J. A. Clines, Job [], ), referred to as an extraposition in recent grammarians.
11 This expression by Job is the negation of the divine decree at creation—“Let there be light,” and that was the first day. Job wishes that his first day be darkness: “As for that day, let there be darkness.” Since only God has this prerogative, Job adds the wish that God on high would not regard that day.
12 The verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) means “to seek, inquire,” and “to address someone, be concerned about something” (cf. Deut 11:12; Jer 30:14, 17). Job wants the day to perish from the mind of God.
13 The verb is the Hiphil of יָפַע (yafa’), which means here “cause to shine.” The subject is the term נְהָרָה (néharah,“light”), a which is from the verb נָהַר (nahar, “to gleam” [see Isa 60:5]).
14 The translation of צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “shadow of death”) has been traditionally understood to indicate a dark, death shadow (supported in the ), but many scholars think it may not represent the best etymological analysis of the word. The word may be connected to an Arabic word which means “to be dark,” and an Akkadian word meaning “black.” It would then have to be repointed throughout its uses to צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) forming an abstract ending. It would then simply mean “darkness” rather than “shadow of death.” Or the word can be understood as an idiomatic expression meaning “gloom” that is deeper than חֹשֶׁךְ (khoshekh; see צַלְמָוֶת). Since “darkness” has already been used in the line, the two together could possibly form a nominal hendiadys: “Let the deepest darkness.…” There is a significant amount of literature on this; one may begin with W. L. Michel, “SLMWT, ‘Deep Darkness’ or ‘Shadow of Death’?” BR 29 (1984): 5–20.
15 The verb is גָּאַל (ga’al, “redeem, claim”). Some have suggested that the verb is actually the homonym “pollute.” This is the reading in the , , , and Rashi, who quotes from Mal 1:7, 12. See A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of ga’al,” 1 (1953): 67–77.
16 The expression “the blackness of the day” (כִּמְרִירֵי יוֹם, kimrire yom) probably means everything that makes the day black, such as supernatural events like eclipses. Job wishes that all ominous darknesses would terrify that day. It comes from the word כָּמַר (kamar, “to be black”), related to Akkadian kamaru (“to overshadow, darken”). The versions seem to have ignored the first letter and connected the word to מָרַר (marar, “be bitter”).
17 The verb is simply לָקַח (laqakh, “to take”). Here it conveys a strong sense of seizing something and not letting it go.
18 The pointing of the verb is meant to connect it with the root חָדָה (khadah, “rejoice”). But the letters in the text were correctly understood by the versions to be from יָחַד (yakhad, “to be combined, added”). See G. Rendsburg, “Double Polysemy in Genesis 49:6 and Job 3:6,” 44 (1982): 48–51.
19 The choice of this word for “moons,” יְרָחִים (yérakhim) instead of חֳדָשִׁים (khodashim) is due to the fact that “month” here is not a reference for which an exact calendar date is essential (in which case חֹדֶשׁ [khodesh] would have been preferred). See J. Segal, “ ‘yrh’ in the Gezer ‘Calendar,’ ” 7 (1962): 220, n. 4. Twelve times in the OT יֶרַח (yerakh) means “month” (Exod 2:2; Deut 21:13; 33:14; 1 Kgs 6:37, 38; 8:2; 2 Kgs 15:13; Zech 11:8; Job 3:6; 7:3; 29:2; 39:2).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Let the day perish on which I was born,

and the night that said,

‘A man is conceived.’

Let that day be darkness!

May God above not seek it,

nor light shine upon it.

Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.

Let clouds dwell upon it;

let the blackness of the day terrify it.

That night—let thick darkness seize it!

Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;

let it not come into the number of the months.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“May the day of my birth perish,

and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’

That day—may it turn to darkness;

may God above not care about it;

may no light shine on it.

May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more;

may a cloud settle over it;

may blackness overwhelm it.

That night—may thick darkness seize it;

may it not be included among the days of the year

nor be entered in any of the months.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

May the day I was born perish,

and the night that said,

“A boy is conceived.”

If only that day had turned to darkness!

May God above not care about it,

or light shine on it.

May darkness and gloom reclaim it,

and a cloud settle over it.

May what darkens the day terrify it.

If only darkness had taken that night away!

May it not appear among the days of the year

or be listed in the calendar.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Let the day of my birth be erased,

and the night I was conceived.

Let that day be turned to darkness.

Let it be lost even to God on high,

and let no light shine on it.

Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.

Let a black cloud overshadow it,

and let the darkness terrify it.

Let that night be blotted off the calendar,

never again to be counted among the days of the year,

never again to appear among the months.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Let the day perish on which I was born,

and the night that said, ‘A man-child is conceived.’

Let that day become darkness;

may God not seek it from above,

nor may daylight shine on it.

Let darkness and deep shadow claim it;

let clouds settle on it;

let them terrify it with the blackness of day.

Let darkness seize that night;

let it not rejoice among the days of the year;

let it not enter among the number of the months.

KJV 1900King James Version

Let the day perish wherein I was born,

And the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

Let that day be darkness;

Let not God regard it from above,

Neither let the light shine upon it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it;

Let a cloud dwell upon it;

Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it;

Let it not be joined unto the days of the year,

Let it not come into the number of the months.

Public Domain