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

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

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).

Job looks back and imagines that, had he died at birth, his present agony would be over “for now.”

• The lament began inJob 3:11, “Why did I not perish at birth…?”—showing that this “now” is the moment of unbearable suffering.

• Job 7:16 echoes the same longing: “I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.”

• By anchoring the statement in the present, Job makes clear that his complaint is not theoretical; it springs from real-time pain.

Death, to Job, would mean a posture of repose rather than writhing on an ash heap.

• Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will lie down and sleep,” shows that lying down is a picture of protected rest.

• Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” paints the same image of God-given relief.

• Job contrasts this serenity with his present sleepless nights (Job 7:4).

Peace here is the absence of turmoil that Job’s soul craves.

• Isaiah 57:2 says of the righteous dead, “They will rest in peace as they lie in death.”

• Psalm 37:37 affirms, “There is a future for the man of peace,” hinting that peace exists even beyond the grave.

• Job’s words expose his conviction that the chaos around him (Job 1–2) would cease if only he could escape into the grave.

Job employs the common biblical metaphor of death as sleep.

• Daniel 12:2 foretells, “Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake,” confirming that sleep is temporary from God’s viewpoint.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13 urges believers not to “grieve like the rest, who are asleep,” assuring that sleep implies future awakening.

• Job’s imagery suggests unconscious respite from misery, yet Scripture later clarifies that God still holds the keys of life and resurrection.

Rest sums up what Job has lost and longs to regain.

• Revelation 14:13 promises, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… they will rest from their labors.”

• Hebrews 4:9 speaks of a “Sabbath rest” still available to God’s people, pointing beyond physical sleep to ultimate spiritual relief.

• Job perceives rest as cessation from pain; God will later reveal a deeper rest found in trusting His sovereignty (Job 42:2–6).

Job 3:13 captures the raw wish of a suffering man who equates death with quiet relief: lying down, peace, sleep, rest. Though his theology is incomplete, his honesty is preserved in Scripture to show that God can handle our darkest cries. Later revelation assures that true and eternal rest is not merely the absence of life’s troubles but the presence of God Himself, who will one day wipe every tear and turn even sleepless nights into everlasting peace.