Job 10:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →In his anguish Job wishes he had died at birth, unseen, rather than live to such suffering.
What Does Job 10:18 Mean?
Job returns to the theme of his birth, but now in despair. He asks why God ever brought him out of the womb at all, and wishes he had died at once, before any eye beheld him. The same wonder of his making that moved him earlier now feels like a burden he never asked to bear.
This is grief at its most raw, and Scripture does not silence it. Even here Job speaks to God, not away from Him -- his despair is still a prayer. The God who hears such words is the God who entered the womb Himself in Christ, knew sorrow to the depths, and so meets the suffering soul not with rebuke but with understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 10:18
What does Job 10:18 mean?
In his anguish Job wishes he had died at birth, unseen, rather than live to such suffering.