Job 10:19 Meaning and Explanation
“I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job longs to have passed straight from womb to grave, as though he had never existed.
What Does Job 10:19 Mean?
Continuing the previous lament, Job imagines a life that never was -- carried directly from birth to the tomb, 'as though I had not been.' It is the lowest point of his despair, a wish to be erased from existence and spared all he has endured.
Scripture lets the darkness be dark. Job's words are not the final word, but they are honest, and God receives them. The reader who has felt the same may take comfort that such depths are not beyond the reach of grace. The God who numbers our days holds even our existence as something willed in love, and in Christ the grave itself is not the end Job feared but a doorway to life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 10:19
What does Job 10:19 mean?
Job longs to have passed straight from womb to grave, as though he had never existed.