Job 3:1-26

3:1-42:6 | The dialogues between the people within this book are all presented in poetic form.

3:1-26 | In Job’s introductory soliloquy, he despairs of his life and experiences even greater sadness when he realizes God will not let him die (Ps. 58:8).

3:1 | Job cursed his birth in a manner that conveyed great suffering and depression. These are the words of a man who was so broken, he no longer cared what he said – but he did not curse God.

3:12 | Knees to receive me probably refers to the loving practice of holding a newborn child on the knees, something people still do today. Job wondered why his mother had not just abandoned him at birth if he was going to have a life that ended up like this.

3:13-19 | Job described death as he understood it: as a time and place of relief from suffering. He believed it to be the great equalizer. The NT presents a more complete picture of death (1 Cor. 15:12-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

3:20-26 | Although Job repeatedly asked why his life went on (five times), he was not considering suicide. His lament centered on why God preserved his life. God’s people can ask why (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34), but they must remember that God is not obligated to give an answer.