Topical Bible: Death: Desired: Job

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In the biblical narrative, the theme of desiring death is poignantly illustrated in the life of Job, a man described as "blameless and upright" (Job 1:1). Job's profound suffering and his subsequent longing for death are central to understanding his account and the broader theological discussions on human suffering and divine sovereignty.

Job's trials begin with the loss of his wealth, the death of his children, and the affliction of his health. These calamities lead him into a deep state of despair. In Job 3, he expresses a wish that he had never been born, lamenting, "Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?" (Job 3:11). This rhetorical question underscores his intense grief and the depth of his suffering.

As Job's suffering continues, he articulates a desire for death as a release from his pain. In Job 6:8-9, he pleads, "Oh, that my request might be granted, that God would fulfill my hope, that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash His hand and cut me off!" . Here, Job's longing for death is not merely an escape but a plea for divine intervention to end his misery.

Job's friends, who come to comfort him, fail to understand the depth of his anguish. They offer explanations that attribute his suffering to sin, but Job maintains his innocence and continues to express his desire for death as a form of relief. In Job 7:15-16, he states, "So that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body. I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath" . This passage highlights Job's existential crisis and his yearning for an end to his earthly suffering.

Throughout the dialogues, Job's desire for death is intertwined with his quest for understanding and vindication. He seeks an audience with God, longing for answers to his plight. Despite his despair, Job's faith remains, as he famously declares, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him" (Job 13:15). This statement reflects a complex relationship with God, where Job's desire for death coexists with a profound trust in divine justice.

Job's account ultimately shifts when God responds, not with direct answers to his questions, but with a revelation of His majesty and sovereignty. Job's encounter with God leads to a transformation in his perspective, and his fortunes are eventually restored. However, the narrative of Job desiring death remains a powerful testament to the human struggle with suffering and the search for meaning in the face of inexplicable trials.

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Job 3:1
After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
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Job 6:8-11
Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
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Job 7:1-3,15,16
Is there not an appointed time to man on earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
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Job 10:1
My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint on myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
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Job 14:13
O that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
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Library

Job's Sure Knowledge
... He mentioned to his wife those whom death had taken away, and asked her to ... in ancient
days, to write on tablets of lead or brass; so Job desired that what he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 50 1904/jobs sure knowledge.htm

To Olympias. Do not be Anxious on My Behalf, nor Rack Yourself ...
... 3. Think not however that it is an excuse to justify you in desiring death,
that Job desired it, not being able to bear his sufferings. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/to olympias do not be.htm

The Death of the Righteous
... He desired to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. ... At death they lose their
hopes, and see they did but flatter ... Whose hope shall be cut off.' Job 8:14. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the death of the.htm

Job's Faith and Expectation
... He no longer desired, he no longer could bear, the ... upon Him, who, by His obedience
unto death, is the ... Job, who was, perhaps, contemporary with Jacob, who at ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxix jobs faith and.htm

Demonstration xxii. --Of Death and the Latter Times.
... takes prisoners unto himself them that are desired for their ... Death has led away the
former generations, the great ... some of them before them, as Job said:"My ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxii of death and the.htm

The Death of Abraham
... which is breathed over it all: 'So Job died, being ... because our citizenship is in
heaven, then death will not ... having eaten as much as we desired, and quietly ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the death of abraham.htm

A Continuation of Mr Bunyan's Life; Beginning Where He Left Off ...
... as it happened in the case of Job's praying for ... patience, and expressed himself as
if he desired nothing more ... with Christ, in that case esteeming death as gain ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/a continuation of mr bunyans.htm

A Continuation of Mr. Bunyan's Life, Beginning Where He Left Off ...
... as it happened in the case of Job's praying for ... patience; and expressed himself as
if he desired nothing more ... with Christ, in that case esteeming death as gain ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a continuation of mr bunyans.htm

A Babe in Christ.
... the Lord was pleased to crown with the desired success. ... hast appointed me to die,
fit me for death, that I ... away my health; but I will say as Job did, 'Blessed ...
/.../wesley/stories of boys and girls who loved the saviour/a babe in christ.htm

The Life of John Gordon viscount Kenmuir.
... Even his best saints, Job, David, Jeremiah, &c. ... finding himself now weak, and his
speech failing more than an hour before his death, he desired the minister ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of john gordon.htm