Job 3:9 Commentary and Bible Study

Job’s language is extreme and he abandons restraint, when he should have been held in check by his reverence to God who had placed him on the earth, and by gratitude for the gift of life. Instead he attacks God’s providence and wants to disrupt not just his own life, but the very stars in the heavens because they did not cease to shine when he came into the world. This figure of speech implies that the stars themselves should have known that his life was due to be so miserable that they should be ashamed to go on shining. Of course, his real complaint is against the Lord who spread out the heavens. ‘But here Job passes somewhat further, for he would pluck the stars out of the sky and he would set the whole world on fire to burn up the earth, and he would have the clouds and the winds and all things else to mingle themselves together at this desire. Here we see that when men are greatly pressed with adversity, they overreact in such a way that there remains no more modesty, nor anything else in them but outrage’ (Calvin – English updated).