Job 3:16

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?

American Standard Version (1901)

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.

Bible in Basic English

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

Free Bible Version

Why wasn't I a miscarriage, buried in secret, a baby who never saw the light?

King James (Authorized) Version

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

Translation for Translators

I wish that I had been buried like a child who died in its mother’s womb and never lived to see the light.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Or perhaps I would have been stillborn, like infants that never see the light.

Noah Webster Bible

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

World English Bible

or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.

Young's Literal Translation

(Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants — they have not seen light.)

Context

Job Laments His Birth

¹⁵or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. ¹⁶Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight? ¹⁷There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.

Summary

In this verse, Job expresses the deep anguish and despair he is feeling, wishing he had never been born. Job's suffering is so intense that he longs for death as a release from his pain and turmoil. This poignant cry reflects the raw emotions of a man who is grappling with immense loss and hardship, highlighting the reality of human suffering and the need for compassion and understanding in times of great distress. Job's lament serves as a reminder that even the most faithful and righteous individuals can experience profound struggles, yet it also points to the importance of turning to God for comfort and strength in the midst of trials.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Or as a hidden untimely birth - An early miscarriage, which was scarcely perceptible by the parent herself; and in this case he had not been - he had never had the distinguishable form of a human being, whether male or female. As infants - Little ones; those farther advanced in maturity, but miscarried long before the time of birth.