Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
Job in bitter anguish under severe affliction wished he had died at birth from his mother's womb. Had he done so he would have lain quiet and asleep at rest with the dead, as though he had never been. Death is that still, silent, unconscious sleep in the grave, the house of all the dead where there is no knowledge or feeling and no distinction of rank, until the awakening at Christ's return when those in Him are raised to life by resurrection, their only hope of escape from extinction. His cry came not because God was punishing him for sin, as his friends charged, but while God was bringing him through the fire of affliction, teaching not to misjudge fellow sufferers.
Job's Anguish and Context
Job 3:11 stands in the second of the five parts of the book of Job, the arguments or colloquies between Job and his three friends in chapters 3-31 on the cause and object of human suffering. It belongs to Job's response to his trial, marked by despair and rebellion. It expresses his anguish in wishing he had died at birth, longing to have died from the womb and given up the ghost at coming from the belly. Severe affliction can so unsettle even a patient person that he longs to have died at birth, and his words show the turmoil and despair that trouble can bring.
The verse comes when God is disciplining Job and bringing him through the fire of affliction, not punishing him for sin as his three friends charge. It presents the great problems of overruling providence and of sin and suffering. It teaches not to misjudge fellow sufferers in the same way the friends misjudged Job. It shows the afflicted patriarch reviewing the brevity of man's life and knowing that when death comes it takes the place life held before, bringing a time of darkness and silence, which made recovery from that condition by God's resurrection power the burden of his mind.
Death as Unconscious Rest
Overwhelmed by suffering, Job asked why he had not died from the womb and given up the breath of life at the moment of birth. He wished he had died then, for in that case he would have lain quiet, asleep and at rest with the dead. That rest would have been like that of a hidden or untimely birth that had never come to be, as though he had never existed.
Death is stillness, sleep, rest, darkness and silence, without the distinctions of earthly rank. Kings, prisoners, and people both small and great are together there, beyond trouble and oppression and beyond the oppressor's voice. The living cannot act toward the dead or feel toward them, for death ends earthly suffering and earthly distinctions alike.
Sheol is the one place where all the dead go, a place of secrecy and silence with no device, wisdom, or knowledge. It is a state of profound silence and perfect unconsciousness, so the dead are not conscious and do not live on as departed spirits. They are not in heaven nor in hell fire, but remain in the grave until the time when they hear Christ's voice. The grave is their house, where they make their bed in darkness and rest together in the dust till the heavens be no more.
They lie there in quiet unconsciousness in a silent, dreamless sleep until their later awakening or change. They remain asleep until Christ returns, when they hear His voice and those in Christ are raised to eternal life. Death is a state of non-existence from which only resurrection can bring release, mortals' only door of escape from eternal extinction and only hope of life beyond the grave. Job calmly faced death and laid himself down to pass his appointed time in the grave because he knew his living Redeemer would call him forth at the set, appointed time.
In wide contrast with sheol, paradise is a place of life, joy, peace and perfect bliss before the throne of God in heaven.
Job in bitter anguish under severe affliction wished he had died at birth from his mother's womb. Had he done so he would have lain quiet and asleep at rest with the dead, as though he had never been. Death is that still, silent, unconscious sleep in the grave, the house of all the dead where there is no knowledge or feeling and no distinction of rank, until the awakening at Christ's return when those in Him are raised to life by resurrection, their only hope of escape from extinction. His cry came not because God was punishing him for sin, as his friends charged, but while God was bringing him through the fire of affliction, teaching not to misjudge fellow sufferers.
Job's Anguish and Context
Job 3:11 stands in the second of the five parts of the book of Job, the arguments or colloquies between Job and his three friends in chapters 3-31 on the cause and object of human suffering. It belongs to Job's response to his trial, marked by despair and rebellion. It expresses his anguish in wishing he had died at birth, longing to have died from the womb and given up the ghost at coming from the belly. Severe affliction can so unsettle even a patient person that he longs to have died at birth, and his words show the turmoil and despair that trouble can bring.
The verse comes when God is disciplining Job and bringing him through the fire of affliction, not punishing him for sin as his three friends charge. It presents the great problems of overruling providence and of sin and suffering. It teaches not to misjudge fellow sufferers in the same way the friends misjudged Job. It shows the afflicted patriarch reviewing the brevity of man's life and knowing that when death comes it takes the place life held before, bringing a time of darkness and silence, which made recovery from that condition by God's resurrection power the burden of his mind.
Death as Unconscious Rest
Overwhelmed by suffering, Job asked why he had not died from the womb and given up the breath of life at the moment of birth. He wished he had died then, for in that case he would have lain quiet, asleep and at rest with the dead. That rest would have been like that of a hidden or untimely birth that had never come to be, as though he had never existed.
Death is stillness, sleep, rest, darkness and silence, without the distinctions of earthly rank. Kings, prisoners, and people both small and great are together there, beyond trouble and oppression and beyond the oppressor's voice. The living cannot act toward the dead or feel toward them, for death ends earthly suffering and earthly distinctions alike.
Sheol is the one place where all the dead go, a place of secrecy and silence with no device, wisdom, or knowledge. It is a state of profound silence and perfect unconsciousness, so the dead are not conscious and do not live on as departed spirits. They are not in heaven nor in hell fire, but remain in the grave until the time when they hear Christ's voice. The grave is their house, where they make their bed in darkness and rest together in the dust till the heavens be no more.
They lie there in quiet unconsciousness in a silent, dreamless sleep until their later awakening or change. They remain asleep until Christ returns, when they hear His voice and those in Christ are raised to eternal life. Death is a state of non-existence from which only resurrection can bring release, mortals' only door of escape from eternal extinction and only hope of life beyond the grave. Job calmly faced death and laid himself down to pass his appointed time in the grave because he knew his living Redeemer would call him forth at the set, appointed time.
In wide contrast with sheol, paradise is a place of life, joy, peace and perfect bliss before the throne of God in heaven.