Job 3

Job 3:1

AFter this] The seven dayes ended, chap. 2. 13.

cursed] Here Job beginneth to feel his great imperfection in the battell between the spirit and the flesh, Romans 7:18. and after a manner yeeldeth, yet in the end getteth victory, though he was in the mean time greatly wounded.

his day] The day of his birth, as vers. 3.

Job 3:2

spake] In Hebrew it is, answered. Yet sometimes it signifieth to begin a speech, as Matthew 22:1.

Job 3:3

Let the day perish wherein I was born] Chap. 10. 18, 19. Jere. 20. 14.

Let the day perish] Or, would the day had perished. Let it not be reckoned among other dayes, nor kept as a birth-day yeerly, but be accounted infamous.

perish] Or, be lost.

wherein I was born] Or, I was born. Good men through anguish, may wish they had never been born, Ecclesiastes 4:3.

Job 3:4

let not God regard it from above] To make it lightsom or happy. Let it be put out of the number of dayes, and let it not have the light of the sun to separate it from the night.

Job 3:5

the shadow of death] That is, most obscure darknesse, which maketh them afraid of death, that are in it, Psalms 23:4.

stain it] Or, challenge it.

let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it] Or, let them terrifie it as those who have a bitter day.

Job 3:6

let it not be joyned unto the dayes] Or, let it not rejoyce among the dayes, as Exodus 18:9.

Job 3:7

let that night be solitary] Without banquets, or songs.

Job 3:8

Let them curse it that curse the day] Mourners at funeralls, that use tragicall voices to curse dayes, 2 Chron. 25. 35. ere. 9. 17. Am. 5. 16.

their mourning] Or, a leviathan.

Job 3:9

neither let it see the dawning of the day] Let it be alwayes night, and never see day.

the dawning of the day] Heb. the eye-lids of the morning.

Job 3:11

Why died I not from the womb?] This, and that which followeth, declareth, That when man giveth place to his passions, he is not able to stay, nor keep measure. See chap. 10. 18.

Job 3:12

Why did the knees prevent me?] Of the mid-wife, or nurse, Genesis 30:3.

Job 3:13

For now should I have lien still] The vehemency of his afflictions made him to utter these words, presuming death to be the end of all bodily miseries.

Job 3:14

which built] Which built great cities, the chief of great empires, after the floud, Gen. 10. 10, 11. and 11. 3. Job. 15. 28. Isaiah 23:13.

desolate places] Places that had been formerly ruined, Isaiah 58:12.

Job 3:17

There the wicked cease from troubling] That is, by death the cruelty of the tyrants hath ceased, Eccles. 4. 1, &c.

weary] Heb. weaied in strength.

Job 3:18

the prisoners rest] All they that sustain any kinde of calamity, and misery in this world.

they hear not the voice of the oppressour] That exacts labour of slaves in prison, Job 39:7. Judges 16:21.

Job 3:20

and life unto the bitter in soul?] He sheweth that the benefits of God are not comfortable, except the heart be joyfull, Ecclesiastes 2:24.

Job 3:21

long] Heb. wait. Revelation 9:6.

Job 3:23

to a man whose way is hid] That seeth not how to come out of his miseries, because he dependeth not on Gods providence.

and whom God hath hedged in?] Chap. 19. 8. Lamentations 3:7. Hosea 2:6.

Job 3:24

before I eat] Heb. before my meat. I cannot eat nor rest at any time for grieving, chap. 7. 19.

Job 3:25

the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me] Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me. In my prosperity I looked ever for a fall, as is come now to passe.

Job 3:26

yet trouble came] The fear of troubles, that should ensue, caused my prosperity to seem to me as nothing, and yet I am not exempted from trouble.