Job 3:13
New International Version
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

New Living Translation
Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest.

English Standard Version
For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,

Berean Standard Bible
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

King James Bible
For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

New King James Version
For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest

New American Standard Bible
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

NASB 1995
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

NASB 1977
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

Legacy Standard Bible
For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then; it would have been rest to me,

Amplified Bible
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],

Christian Standard Bible
Now I would certainly be lying down in peace; I would be asleep. Then I would be at rest

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now I would certainly be lying down in peace; I would be asleep. Then I would be at rest

American Standard Version
For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest,

Contemporary English Version
Now I would be at peace in the silent world below

English Revised Version
For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Instead of being alive, I would now be quietly lying down. I would now be sleeping peacefully.

Good News Translation
If I had died then, I would be at rest now,

International Standard Version
"If I had died, I would be lying down by now, undisturbed, asleep, and at rest,

Majority Standard Bible
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

NET Bible
For now I would be lying down and would be quiet, I would be asleep and then at peace

New Heart English Bible
For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

Webster's Bible Translation
For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

World English Bible
For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept—then there is rest to me,

Young's Literal Translation
For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept -- then there is rest to me,

Smith's Literal Translation
For now I lay down and I shall rest; I slept: then there will be rest to me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For by now, I should have been sleeping silently, and taking rest in my sleep

New American Bible
For then I should have lain down and been tranquil; had I slept, I should then have been at rest

New Revised Standard Version
Now I would be lying down and quiet; I would be asleep; then I would be at rest
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For now I should have been laid in the grave and been quiet, I should have slept; then I should have been at rest,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But doubtless now I had been sleeping and quiet, and I had been lying down and resting
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For now should I have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Now I should have lain down and been quiet, I should have slept and been at rest,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Laments His Birth
12Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed? 13For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest 14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 4:2-3
So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive. / But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

Jeremiah 20:14-18
Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed. / Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy. / May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon, ...

Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

Isaiah 57:1-2
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil. / Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. / For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

Psalm 13:3
Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,

1 Kings 2:10
Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 11:11-14
After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.” / His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.” / They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus. ...

Psalm 88:10-12
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah / Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? / Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

1 Corinthians 15:18-20
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. / If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men. / But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Genesis 15:15
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

2 Samuel 7:12
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 5:10
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.


Treasury of Scripture

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

then had I been at rest.

Ecclesiastes 6:3-5
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he…

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

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Job 3
1. Job curses the day and services of his birth.
13. The ease of death.
20. He complains of life, because of his anguish.














For now I would be lying down in peace;
This phrase reflects Job's deep desire for relief from his suffering. In the context of the ancient Near Eastern culture, lying down in peace often symbolized death, which was seen as a release from the troubles of life. Job's lament here is not a wish for death itself but for the peace that he believes death would bring. This longing for peace can be connected to the biblical theme of rest found in Genesis 2:2-3, where God rests on the seventh day, and in Hebrews 4:9-10, which speaks of a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Job's expression of wanting to lie down in peace also foreshadows the ultimate peace and rest found in Christ, who offers rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28-30).

I would be asleep
In the biblical context, sleep is often used as a metaphor for death (John 11:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). Job's use of the term "asleep" suggests a state of unconsciousness and inactivity, contrasting with his current state of turmoil and suffering. This metaphorical use of sleep indicates a temporary state, implying hope for awakening or resurrection, which is a theme developed more fully in the New Testament. The idea of sleep as a peaceful state also reflects the cultural understanding of death as a time when one is free from the struggles and pains of earthly life.

and at rest.
Rest, in the biblical sense, often signifies a cessation from labor and struggle, as seen in the concept of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). For Job, rest would mean an end to his intense physical and emotional suffering. This longing for rest can be seen as a type of the ultimate rest promised to believers in the eschatological hope of eternal life with God, where there will be no more pain or suffering (Revelation 21:4). The rest Job seeks is a precursor to the rest offered by Jesus, who provides spiritual rest and peace to those who trust in Him (Hebrews 4:1-11).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, known for his immense suffering and perseverance.

2. Uz
The land where Job lived. It is often associated with the region east of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia.

3. Job's Lament
This chapter marks the beginning of Job's lament, where he curses the day of his birth and expresses a deep desire for relief from his suffering.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Suffering
Job's lament is a raw and honest expression of his suffering. It reminds us that even the most faithful can experience deep despair and that it is okay to bring our honest emotions before God.

The Search for Peace
Job's desire for rest in death reflects a deep longing for peace. As Christians, we are reminded that true peace is found in Christ, who offers rest for our souls even amidst life's trials.

The Value of Life
While Job wishes for death as an escape, the broader biblical account affirms the value and purpose of life, even in suffering. We are called to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness, even when we do not understand our circumstances.

Hope Beyond Despair
Job's account does not end in despair. It ultimately points to the hope and restoration that God provides. We are encouraged to hold onto hope, knowing that God is with us in our suffering and has a plan for our redemption.Verse 13. - For now should I have lain still and been quiet. "In that case, I should now (עתָּה) have been lying still and resting myself," instead of tossing about, and being full of restlessness and suffering." I should have slept. The life in the intermediate state is called "sleep," even in the New Testament (Matthew 9:24; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:18, 51, etc.). Job, perhaps, imagined it to be, actually, a sound, dreamless slumber. Then should I have been at rest; literally, then (אז) would there have been rest for me."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

now
עַ֭תָּה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

I would be lying down
שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי (šā·ḵaḇ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

in peace;
וְאֶשְׁק֑וֹט (wə·’eš·qō·wṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8252: To be quiet or undisturbed

I would be asleep
יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי (yā·šan·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3462: To be slack, languid, sleep, to grow old, stale, inveterate

and
אָ֤ז ׀ (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

at rest
יָנ֬וּחַֽ (yā·nū·aḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5117: To rest, settle down


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OT Poetry: Job 3:13 For now should I have lain down (Jb)
Job 3:12
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