Job 3

Job · Chapter 3

Job 3:12

1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.2And Job spake, and said,3Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.4Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.6As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.7Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.8Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:10Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.11Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?12Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?13For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,14With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;15Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:16Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.17There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.18There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.19The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;21Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;22Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?23Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?24For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
why?מַ֭דּוּעַMA-du-a'H4069
why?

מַדּוּעַ (mad.du.a) why?, on what account?, wherefore?

did they receive meקִדְּמ֣וּנִיki-de-MU-niH6923
to meet

קָדַם (qa.dam) 1) to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to meet, confront, come to meet, receive 1a2) to go before, go in front, be in front 1a3) to lead, be beforehand, anticipate, forestall 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to come in front 1b2) to confront, anticipate

kneesבִרְכָּ֑יִםvir-KA-yimH1290
knee

בֶּ֫רֶךְ (be.rekh) 1) knee 2) weak from fear (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: be.rekh (בְּרַךְ "knee" H1291)

and why?וּמַה־u-ma-ho-SHA-H4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

breastsשָּׁ֝דַ֗יִםSHA-DA-yimH7699A
breast

שַׁד (shad) 1) breast, bosom, (female) breast 1a) breast (of woman) 1b) breast (of animal) 1c) breast (of both human and animal) Also means: shod (שֹׁד "breast" H7699B)

thatכִּ֣יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

I will suckleאִינָֽק׃'i-NAKH3243G
to suckle

יָנַק (ya.naq) 1) to suckle, nurse, suck 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to suck 1a2) suckling, babe (subst) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to give suck to, nurse 1b2) nursing, nursing woman, nurse (participle)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.