“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job doesn't just wish his birthday had never happened; he curses the very night of conception. This isn't just about personal sorrow, but a cultural context where the birth of a son was a major cause for celebration, making that night, in his pain, the very embodiment of a joy he now despises.
“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
After days of silent solidarity, Job finally breaks his silence, unleashing a profound curse not on God, but on the very day of his birth. This lament marks the beginning of the poetic section of the book, where he bitterly wishes for his existence to be erased, lamenting the joy that a male child's conception once signified.
Job curses the day he was born, but he also curses the night. What's so significant about that night, and what did it 'say'?
A Night of Celebration Turned Sour
Think about the moment you or someone you love was born. For many cultures, the birth of a son was a cause for immense celebration! In the ancient Near East, this was especially true. The night a male child was conceived or born could be spoken of with joy, as it brought hope and legacy.
Job doesn't just want to forget his birthday; he wants the day itself to perish. What does this extreme wish reveal about his suffering?
More Than Just Bad Memories
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Job's language here is incredibly strong. He's not just saying, "I wish I hadn't been born." He's calling for the very day of his birth to be annihilated, to cease to exist.
Understand the original words
abad · Hebrew Verb
To cease to exist, to be destroyed, or to be blotted out. In this context, it is a wish for the total negation of the historical reality of that specific day.
geber · Hebrew Noun
The male human being; refers to Job’s identity as a person brought into existence.
harah · Hebrew,Aramaic Verb
The process of the beginning of life; the union of life within the womb.
Like Job, Jeremiah vehemently curses the day of his birth and laments his existence due to immense suffering, showing this desperate expression isn't unique to Job but a profound human response to unbearable pain.
Genesis 17:17This passage highlights the immense joy and significance associated with the birth of a male child in ancient culture, making Job's rejection of his own birth, and the night of his conception, even more striking and tragic.
Job 10:18-19Job echoes similar sentiments here, wishing he had died at birth or been stillborn, reinforcing the depth of his despair and his desire to be erased from existence.
John 16:21Jesus uses the joy of a woman giving birth to contrast with his own upcoming suffering, a concept that, when inverted, illuminates Job's anguish: the anticipated joy of a child's birth is overshadowed by the reality of his suffering.
bensonJob 3:3: "Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived."
Job 3:3 . Here the metrical part of this book begins, which in the original Hebrew is broken into short verses, and is very beautiful, thus: שׂאבד יום אולד בו — Jobad jom ivaled bo, והלילה אמר הרה גבר — Vehalailah amar horah geber. Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, A man child is conceived. Let the day perish, &c. — So far from desiring, according…
clarkeJob 3:3: "Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived."
There is a man-child conceived - The word הרה harah signifies to conceive; yet here, it seems, it should be taken in the sense of being born, as it is perfectly unlikely that the night of conception should be either distinctly known or published.
Job doesn't just wish his birthday had never happened; he curses the very night of conception. This isn't just about personal sorrow, but a cultural context where the birth of a son was a major cause for celebration, making that night, in his pain, the very embodiment of a joy he now despises.
After days of silent solidarity, Job finally breaks his silence, unleashing a profound curse not on God, but on the very day of his birth. This lament marks the beginning of the poetic section of the book, where he bitterly wishes for his existence to be erased, lamenting the joy that a male child's conception once signified.
After days of silent solidarity, Job finally breaks his silence, unleashing a profound curse not on God, but on the very day of his birth. This lament marks the beginning of the poetic section of the book, where he bitterly wishes for his existence to be erased, lamenting the joy that a male child's conception once signified.
"“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’" — Job doesn't just wish his birthday had never happened; he curses the very night of conception. This isn't just about personal sorrow, but a cultural context where the birth of a son was a major cau…
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Last reviewed October 2026