Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
Parallel translations
- WEB Who long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
- BSB who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
- NKJV Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures;
- NASB Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
- NLT They long for death, and it won’t come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The suffering long for death more than for hidden treasure, yet it does not come. Their misery makes the grave seem desirable.
Overview
Job describes those who dig for death as eagerly as men search for buried riches, longing for a release that is withheld. The image conveys how unbearable suffering can make death seem precious. It voices the desperation of the afflicted while the book holds out a deeper hope than the grave.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Rev 9:6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
- Prov 2:4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
- 1 Kgs 19:4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
- Jonah 4:8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
- Jonah 4:3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
- Num 11:15And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 3:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.