Lexical Summary yagia: Weary, laborious, toilsome Original Word: יָגִיעַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance weary From yaga'; tired -- weary. see HEBREW yaga' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yaga Definition weary NASB Translation weary (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יָגִיעַ adjective weary; — plural construct זְשָׁם יָנוּחוּ יְגִיעֵי כֹחַ Job 3:17 and there are resting the weary in, strength, the toil-worn. Topical Lexicon Scriptural ContextJob 3:17 is the single occurrence of יָגִיעַ. In the midst of his lament, Job contrasts his present suffering with the grave, describing it as a realm “where the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary are at rest” (Berean Standard Bible). The term “weary” captures those worn out by toil, oppression, or sorrow—people like Job himself, ground down by relentless affliction yet longing for release. The verse frames death not primarily as annihilation but as cessation of turmoil for God-fearing and God-ignoring alike, heightening the pathos of Job’s cry and underscoring the universality of human weariness after the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Theological Themes 1. Human Frailty: יָגִיעַ testifies to the limits of fallen humanity. Throughout Scripture, labor under the curse produces exhaustion (Ecclesiastes 1:8; Ecclesiastes 2:22-23). Job embodies this condition, voicing the anguish of all who feel crushed beneath life’s burdens. 2. Divine Compassion: While Job’s lament is raw, later revelation affirms God’s concern for the weary. “He gives power to the faint” (Isaiah 40:29), indicating that divine strength meets human depletion. 3. Eschatological Rest: Job’s instinct that ultimate respite lies beyond this life foreshadows fuller biblical teaching. Hebrews 4:9 promises “a Sabbath rest for the people of God,” and Revelation 14:13 declares, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord … they will rest from their labor.” The longing encoded in יָגִיעַ finds its answer in God’s final restoration. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern literature often depicts Sheol as a shadowy but quiet realm, contrasting life’s turmoil with the stillness of death. Job’s use of יָגִיעַ fits this milieu. Yet the biblical narrative uniquely weds that cultural perception to covenant hope: even if rest comes through death, Yahweh remains sovereign beyond the grave (Job 19:25-27). Biblical Theology of Rest for the Weary • Old Covenant Pledge: The weekly Sabbath offered a prophetic sign of relief for laborers (Exodus 20:8-11). Practical Ministry Applications 1. Pastoral Care: Job 3:17 legitimizes lament. Believers exhausted by trials can voice grief without fear, assured that Scripture already gives language to their groaning. 2. Funeral Ministry: The verse offers comfort that death, though an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), is also a threshold to rest for those who trust the Redeemer. It balances sorrow with hope. 3. Social Concern: Recognizing the plight of the weary motivates ministries of relief—whether combating injustice (Isaiah 58:6-7) or providing tangible aid (James 2:15-16). 4. Personal Devotion: Meditating on God’s promise of rest encourages Sabbath disciplines, prayerful dependence, and anticipation of resurrection life. Christological Fulfillment Job longed for a daysman who could lay his hand on both God and man (Job 9:33). Jesus Christ answers that longing. He bore the world’s ultimate weariness—sin and its curse—on the cross (Hebrews 12:2-3). By rising, He secured the rest Job sought. Those united to Him by faith taste that rest now and will enjoy it fully in the age to come. Thus יָגִיעַ, though appearing only once, threads into the grand tapestry of Scripture, moving from the ashes of Uz to the empty tomb and to the promised new creation where “His servants will serve Him … and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:3-5). Forms and Transliterations יְגִ֣יעֵי יגיעי yə·ḡî·‘ê yəḡî‘ê yeGieiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 3:17 HEB: וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃ NAS: And there the weary are at rest. INT: and there rest the weary ability 1 Occurrence |
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