Homilist Job 3:20 Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul; The question here asked is, Why should man, whose misery leads him to desire death, be kept in life? A very natural question this. A modern expositor has answered the question thus — 1. Those sufferings may be the very means which are needful to develop the true state of the soul. Such was the case with Job. 2. They may be the proper punishment of sin in the heart, of which the individual was not fully aware, but which may be distinctly seen by God. There may be pride, and the love of ease, and self-confidence, and ambition, and a desire of reputation. Such appear to have been some of the besetting sins of Job. 3. They are needful to teach true submission, and to show whether a man is willing to resign himself to God. 4. They may be the very things which are necessary to prepare the individual to die. At the same time that men often desire death, and feel that it would be a great relief, it might be to them the greatest possible calamity. They may be wholly unprepared for it. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;WEB: "Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul, |
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