Job 3:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We observe that both life and death serve a purpose when desired. As it is noted, "They that wait for death, and have it not, would dig it up more willingly than a treasure; they rejoice with delight" (Job 3:21-22). This indicates that there is a season for all matters, as stated, "The time of every thing" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Furthermore, it is expressed, "O death! How bitter is the remembrance of you for a man who lives peacefully in his possessions, who is untroubled and happy in all things, yet still able to eat" (Sir. 41:1-2). Additionally, it is said, "O death! Your judgement is good for the man who is needy and weary, for the aged burdened with cares, for the individual without hope who has lost patience" (Sir. 41:3-4). Thus, Job, in his suffering, longs for death.

Until now, Job appeared to be detached and unaffected by anything that might challenge his trust in the Lord or his endurance. However, he can no longer hide the grief that resides within him, and as a testament to his humanity and not merely a poetic representation of patience, he curses the day of his birth. This aligns with the belief that a person's happiness and suffering are intricately tied to the day they enter the world. In his lament, Job expresses the desire that the day of his existence be entirely erased from the calendar, or, if it must persist, may it be remembered as a day of sorrow (3:3-10).