The Meaning of Job 3:10 Explained

Job 3:10

KJV: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

YLT: Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.

Darby: Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

ASV: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because it shut not up  the doors  of my [mother's] womb,  nor hid  sorrow  from mine eyes. 

What does Job 3:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 3:1-26 - Is Life Worth Living?
In the closing paragraphs of the previous chapter three friends arrive. Teman is Edom; for Shuah see Genesis 25:2; Naamah is Arabia. The group of spectators, gathered round Job's mound, reverently make way for them.
Job opens his mouth in a curse. But it was not, as Satan had expected, against God. The Hebrew word is different from that used in Job 2:9. He does not curse God, but the day of his birth, and asks that his stripped and suffering existence may be brought to as speedy an end as possible. Job's words are very profitable for all whose way is hid. Is the joy of life fled? Yet its duties remain. Continue in these and the path will lead back to light.
This opening elegy consists of two parts: the first, Job 3:1-10, calls on darkness to blot out the day which witnessed the beginning of so sad a life; the second, Job 3:11-26, inquires why, if he were doomed to be born, the luxury of instant death had not been also granted. Oh, human heart, of what sore anguish art thou not capable! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Job 3:10 mean?

because not it did shut up the doors of my [mother's] womb nor hide sorrow from my eyes
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי

כִּ֤י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
סָ֭גַר  it  did  shut  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
דַּלְתֵ֣י  the  doors 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
בִטְנִ֑י  of  my  [mother's]  womb 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.
וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר  nor  hide 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
עָ֝מָ֗ל  sorrow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .
מֵעֵינָֽי  from  my  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.