JobChapitre 3

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After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

Then Job spoke up and said:

Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, "A boy is conceived."

That day—let it be darkness. Let God above not seek it out; let no light shine upon it.

Let darkness and deep shadow claim it back; let a cloud settle over it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

That night—let thick darkness seize it. Let it not be counted among the days of the year; let it not enter the number of the months.

Yes, let that night be barren; let no glad cry come into it.

Let those who curse the day put a curse on it, those ready to rouse Leviathan.

Let the stars of its twilight go dark; let it hope for light and find none, and never see the first rays of dawn—

because it did not shut the doors of the womb that bore me, and hide trouble from my eyes.

Why did I not die at birth, come out of the womb and breathe my last?

Why were there knees to receive me, or breasts for me to nurse?

For now I would be lying down in quiet; I would be asleep and at rest,

with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves what now lies in ruins,

or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light?

There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary are at rest.

Together the prisoners are at ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's voice.

Small and great are there alike, and the slave is free from his master.

Why is light given to the one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul—

to those who long for death that does not come, who dig for it more than for hidden treasure,

who rejoice with delight and are glad when they find the grave?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

For my sighing comes instead of my food, and my groans pour out like water.

For the thing I dreaded has overtaken me, and what I feared has come upon me.

I have no ease, no quiet, no rest—only turmoil.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 3

Main Theme: Job curses the day he was born and expresses a deep longing for death as deliverance from suffering.

Content: After seven days of silence, Job breaks his silence with an intense lament in which he curses the day of his birth and wishes he had never been conceived. He asks why light and life are given to those who suffer, and describes death as a place of rest where all are equal—kings and slaves, prisoners and free people. The chapter ends with Job describing his condition: turmoil, fear, and lack of peace.

Key Words/Images:

Darkness and Light: Job wishes that the day of his birth be swallowed up by darkness and never see light—symbolizing his desire for obliteration.
The Realm of the Dead as Rest: Death is portrayed as a place where the weary find peace and prisoners escape the voice of their oppressors (v. 13–19).
Leviathan: A mythological sea monster that those who curse days might awaken—representing chaotic forces (v. 8).
Groans and Roars: Job's suffering is so intense that his groans come before his food, and his cries flow like water (v. 24).

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Job 3

Key Concepts

Cursing One’s Day of Birth

The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) in verse 1 means "to curse" or "to wish harm upon." Job’s cursing of his day of birth was not directed against God, but rather against the very day he was born and his own existence. This was a known literary motif in the ancient Near East—the prophet Jeremiah uses similar language (Jer 20:14–18). Cursing one’s day of birth expressed deep existential pain, not blasphemy.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death (צַלְמָוֶת)

The word tsalmawet (צַלְמָוֶת) in verse 5 has traditionally been understood as a combination of "shadow" (צֵל) and "death" (מָוֶת), although modern linguists debate whether it originally meant "deep darkness." It describes a mythical darkness deeper than ordinary night—a state of total obscurity and non-existence. This term is used several times in the Old Testament to describe the nature of the realm of the dead.

Leviathan (לִוְיָתָן)

In verse 8, those who can "rouse Leviathan" are mentioned. In Canaanite and Mesopotamian mythology, Leviathan (or a similar sea monster) was a chaotic force that threatened the order of creation. Professional cursers were believed to have the power to invoke cosmic chaos. Job wishes that such magicians would curse his day of birth so thoroughly that it is removed from the order of time.

Customs and Beliefs

Knees and Breast (v. 12)

Job’s reference to "knees" and "breast" that received him reflects ancient childbirth customs. The father or another family member would take the newborn onto their knees as a gesture of acceptance—this legitimized the child as part of the family. Nursing ensured the child’s survival. Job questions why these life-giving acts ever took place at all.

Death as the Great Equalizer (vv. 17–19)

Job’s description of the realm of the dead (Hebrew: Sheol), where kings, counselors, prisoners, and slaves are all made equal, reflects a widespread belief in the ancient Near East. In Egyptian and Mesopotamian literature about death, death was the great equalizer that erased all social hierarchies. The slave becomes "free from his master"—a thought that would have resonated strongly in a culture with clear class distinctions.

Personnages1

Job1

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Mots-clés6

Job — The main character in the book of Job, a righteous man who is subjected to suffering and trials.
Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar — Job's three friends who visit him during his suffering and try to find an explanation for his situation.
Suffering — Physical or emotional pain and distress that Job experiences.
Righteousness — The concept describing moral correctness and adherence to God's laws. Job asserts his own righteousness throughout the book.
Trials — Tests and challenges that Job must endure, often permitted by God to test his faith and character.
Fear of God — Deep respect and awe for God, which Job demonstrates despite his suffering.