Job 3:11
Job 3:11 in Multiple Translations
Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?
Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?
Why wasn't I stillborn? Why didn't I die at birth?
Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?
Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!
“Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not expire at the time of my birth?
Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?
“I wish that I had died [RHQ] when I was born— at the time I emerged from my mother’s womb.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 3:11
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 3:11 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לָ֤/מָּה
לֹּ֣א
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
אָמ֑וּת
מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן
יָצָ֣אתִי
וְ/אֶגְוָֽע
לָ֤/מָּה
mâh
H4100
what?
Prep | Part
לֹּ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
rechem
H7358
womb
Prep | N-ms
אָמ֑וּת
mûwth
H4191
to die
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן
beṭen
H990
belly
Prep | N-fs
יָצָ֣אתִי
yâtsâʼ
H3318
to come out
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
וְ/אֶגְוָֽע
gâvaʻ
H1478
to die
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Job 3:11
לָ֤/מָּה
mâh
H4100
"what?"
Prep | Part
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Definition: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may
Usage: Occurs in 655 OT verses. KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why. See also: Genesis 2:19; Numbers 21:5; 1 Samuel 19:5.
לֹּ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
rechem
H7358
"womb"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word means womb, referring to the place where a fetus grows. It is translated as matrix or womb in the KJV, symbolizing birth and new life. It is a significant concept in biblical culture.
Definition: 1) womb 1a) womb 1b) womb-man, woman-slave, woman, two women
Usage: Occurs in 25 OT verses. KJV: matrix, womb. See also: Genesis 20:18; 1 Samuel 1:6; Psalms 22:11.
אָמ֑וּת
mûwth
H4191
"to die"
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Definition: 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely
Usage: Occurs in 695 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. See also: Genesis 2:17; Exodus 21:18; Numbers 35:21.
מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן
beṭen
H990
"belly"
Prep | N-fs
This Hebrew word refers to the belly or womb, and is used to describe the seat of hunger, emotions, and even the depths of the afterlife. It is used in the Bible to describe the body and its functions. The KJV translates it as belly, body, or womb.
Definition: : abdomen 1) belly, womb, body 1a) belly, abdomen 1a1) as seat of hunger 1a2) as seat of mental faculties 1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.) 1b) womb
Usage: Occurs in 72 OT verses. KJV: belly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb. See also: Genesis 25:23; Psalms 22:10; Psalms 17:14.
יָצָ֣אתִי
yâtsâʼ
H3318
"to come out"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to go out or come out, and it's used in many different ways, like leaving a place or starting a new journey, as seen in Genesis and Exodus.
Definition: : come/go_out/escape 1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart 1a2) to go forth (to a place) 1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something) 1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result) 1a5) to come out of 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out 1b2) to bring out of 1b3) to lead out 1b4) to deliver 1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
Usage: Occurs in 991 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter. See also: Genesis 1:12; Exodus 9:33; Leviticus 26:45.
וְ/אֶגְוָֽע
gâvaʻ
H1478
"to die"
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
This Hebrew word means to die or expire, like when Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross in Matthew 27:50. It implies a complete stop, like a final breath. It is used in the Bible to describe the end of life.
Definition: 1) to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die 1a) (Qal) to expire, die, be about to die
Usage: Occurs in 23 OT verses. KJV: die, be dead, give up the ghost, perish. See also: Genesis 6:17; Job 3:11; Psalms 88:16.
Study Notes — Job 3:11
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 3:11 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 3:11
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 3:11
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 3:11
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 3:11
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 3:11
- Cambridge Bible on Job 3:11
- Barnes' Notes on Job 3:11
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 3:11
- Sermons on Job 3:11
Context — Job Laments His Birth
9May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed? 13For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at restCross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 10:18–19 | Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me! If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave. |
| 2 | Isaiah 46:3 | “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. |
| 3 | Psalms 71:6 | I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You. |
| 4 | Psalms 22:9–10 | Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God. |
| 5 | Psalms 58:8 | Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun. |
| 6 | Hosea 9:14 | Give them, O LORD— what will You give? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that dry up! |
| 7 | Psalms 139:13–16 | For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 15:10 | Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me. |
Job 3:11 Summary
This verse shows that Job is feeling very sad and wants to know why he was born if he is just going to suffer. He wishes he had died at birth so he wouldn't have to experience all the pain he is going through, similar to what is expressed in Psalm 51:5. It's like when we are going through a tough time and wonder why God is allowing it to happen, as seen in Psalm 13:1-2. But even in his sadness, Job is still talking to God, which shows that he trusts Him, as seen in Romans 8:28, where it says that God works all things together for good for those who love Him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Job expressing in this verse?
Job is expressing a deep sense of despair and frustration, wondering why he was even born, given the suffering he is experiencing, as seen in Job 3:11 and similarly in Jeremiah 20:14-18 where Jeremiah also laments his birth.
Is it sinful for Job to question his existence like this?
While it may seem like a negative or faithless attitude, Job's question is more of a cry of desperation and pain, rather than a rejection of God's sovereignty, as seen in Psalm 42:5 where the psalmist also cries out to God in despair.
How does this verse relate to the concept of suffering?
This verse highlights the intense emotional and psychological pain that can accompany suffering, and Job's desire to escape it, as also expressed in Job 7:15-16, where he wishes for death to escape his suffering.
What does this verse reveal about Job's trust in God?
Despite his despair, Job's words imply that he still acknowledges God's role in his birth and life, as seen in Job 3:4, where he speaks of God shutting the doors of the womb, showing that even in his darkness, he recognizes God's sovereignty over his life, similar to what is expressed in Romans 11:36.
Reflection Questions
- What are some times in my life when I have felt like Job, questioning the purpose of my existence or the reason for my struggles?
- How do I respond to suffering or pain in my life, and what can I learn from Job's example of crying out to God in desperation?
- In what ways can I, like Job, acknowledge God's sovereignty over my life, even when I don't understand what is happening?
- What are some ways that I can find comfort and hope in the midst of suffering, and how can I apply those to my life today?
Gill's Exposition on Job 3:11
Why died I not from the womb?.... That is, as soon as he came out of it; or rather, as soon as he was in it, or from the time that he was in it; or however, while he was in it, that so he might not
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 3:11
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Died ... from the womb - why died I not as soon as I came forth from the womb?
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 3:11
From the womb, i.e. as soon as ever I was born, or come out of the womb. And the same thing is expressed in other words, which is an elegancy usual both in the Hebrew and in other languages.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 3:11
Job 3:11 Why died I not from the womb? [why] did I [not] give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?Ver. 11. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost? &c.] Why was I not forthwith carried ab utero ad urnam? from the womb to the tomb, from the birth to the burial? True it is, that infants have the seed of death in them, and the principle of corruption, Romans 5:14. Every one (say some chemists) hath his own balsam within him; his own bane it is sure that he hath. But why should Job be so weary of life, and so wish to be rid of it? Is not life a great mercy? Doth not the philosopher affirm, that a pismire excelleth the heavens in dignity, because it is a living creature? Saith not the Scripture, that a living dog is better than a dead lion? Ecclesiastes 9:4; and why is living man sorrowful, a man for the punishment of his sin? Lamentations 3:39; q.d.
Let him be never so much punished, it is for his sin; and if, amidst all, he be yet a living man, and have his life spared, he need not be so overly sorrowful, and to make such an outcry, and a wishing himself out of the world, as Job here doth. Life, alas! in its utmost extent is but a little spot of time between two eternities, before, and after; but it is a great consequence, and given us for this end, that glory may be begun in grace, and we have a further and further entrance here into the kingdom of heaven, as Peter saith, 2 Peter 1:11. This, if Job had seriously and sedately considered (but now, alas! as in a hot lever, all the humours were on a hurry), he would rather have done, as they say Themistocles did; who though he lived till he was about 107 years of age; yet when he came to die, he was grieved upon this ground, Now I am to die, said he, when I begin to be wise.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 3:11
Verse 11. Why died I not from the womb] As the other circumstance did not take place, why was I not still-born, without the possibility of reviviscence? or, as this did not occur, why did I not die as soon as born? These three things appear to me to be clearly intended here: - 1. Dying in the womb, or never coming to maturity, as in the case of an abortion. 2. Being still-born, without ever being able to breathe. 3. Or, if born alive, dying within a short time after. And to these states he seems to refer in the following verses.
Cambridge Bible on Job 3:11
11–19. Would God I had died from my birth If he must be born, Job asks, Why he did not die from the womb? his eye turning to the next possibility and chance of escaping sorrow. Had he died he would have been at peace; and the picture of the painless stillness of death fascinates him and he dwells long on it, counting over with a minute particularity all classes, kings and prisoners, slaves and masters, small and great, who there drink deep of a common peace, escaping the unquietness of life, for life upon the earth, however lived, is full of a painful restlessness. The thought of this stillness of death brings a certain calm to the sufferer’s mind, and the passionateness of his former words subsides.
Barnes' Notes on Job 3:11
Why died I not from the womb? - Why did I not die as soon as I was born? Why were any pains taken to keep me alive?
Whedon's Commentary on Job 3:11
Second long strophe — JOB WISHES THAT HE WERE DEAD, Job 3:11-19.a.
Sermons on Job 3:11
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Through the Bible) Job 1-4 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Job from the Bible. Job was a man who experienced extreme loss and suffering, losing his wealth, possessions, and even his child |
|
Three Life Changing Truths by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes three key points: Without Christ, we can do nothing of eternal value, highlighting the importance of humility and dependence on God. With Christ, we can do e |
|
Saved, Redeemed and Carried by Thomas Bradbury | Thomas Bradbury preaches about the profound love, sympathy, salvation, redemption, and succor provided by Jesus Christ to His people. He emphasizes how Christ, as the Angel of God' |
|
Precious Promises for Aged Saints by James Smith | James Smith preaches about the comforting promise of God's everlasting care for the aged believer, assuring them of His unchanging love, support, and protection until their hair is |
|
(Godly Home) Part 3 - the Eternal Value of a Child by Denny Kenaston | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation in the relationship between parents and their children. He shares a story of a couple seeking |
|
The God Who Helps by D.A. Carson | This sermon emphasizes the need to trust in God's help in times of trouble, acknowledging our dependence on Him and the ongoing need for His mercy and protection. It highlights the |
|
Be Prepared to Worship by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the speaker begins by praising and worshiping God for His love and faithfulness. He emphasizes that God has always been our protector, even before we knew Him. The |