Job 3:21

Job 3:21 Meaning and Explanation

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

King James Version (KJV)

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Job describes the suffering who long for death and search for it more eagerly than for buried treasure.

What Does Job 3:21 Mean?

Job describes those whose pain is so great that they long for death, yet it does not come. They search for it, he says, digging for it more eagerly than men dig for hidden treasure. The image is striking, the suffering laboring after death with the same desperate energy others spend chasing wealth.

Job gives voice to a grief so deep that the end of life seems more desirable than any earthly riches. Scripture does not turn away from this darkness but records it with compassion. To anyone who has felt such weariness, Job's words say plainly that God is not shocked by our pain. The Lord who holds the keys of death meets His people in this very place, and in Christ He offers a hope that can outlast even the longing for the grave.

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What does Job 3:21 mean?

Job describes the suffering who long for death and search for it more eagerly than for buried treasure.

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