Job 3:19
New International Version
The small and the great are there, and the slaves are freed from their owners.

New Living Translation
Rich and poor are both there, and the slave is free from his master.

English Standard Version
The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.

Berean Standard Bible
Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.

King James Bible
The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

New King James Version
The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

New American Standard Bible
“The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

NASB 1995
“The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

NASB 1977
“The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

Legacy Standard Bible
The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

Amplified Bible
“The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

Christian Standard Bible
Both small and great are there, and the slave is set free from his master.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Both small and great are there, and the slave is set free from his master.

American Standard Version
The small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master.

Contemporary English Version
where captives and slaves are free at last.

English Revised Version
The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There [you find] both the unimportant and important people. There the slave is free from his master.

Good News Translation
Everyone is there, the famous and the unknown, and slaves at last are free.

International Standard Version
The unimportant and the important are both there, and the servant is free from his master.

Majority Standard Bible
Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.

NET Bible
Small and great are there, and the slave is free from his master.

New Heart English Bible
The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.

Webster's Bible Translation
The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

World English Bible
The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Small and great [are] the same there. And a servant [is] free from his lord.

Young's Literal Translation
Small and great are there the same. And a servant is free from his lord.

Smith's Literal Translation
The little and the great, he is there; and the servant being free from his lord.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

New American Bible
Small and great are there; the servant is free from the master.

New Revised Standard Version
The small and the great are there, and the slaves are free from their masters.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The small and the great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The small and the great are there, and the Servant who is freed from his Master
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The small and great are there alike; And the servant is free from his master.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The small and great are there, and the servant that feared his lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Laments His Birth
18The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. 19Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. 20Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 9:2-3
It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow. / This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20
For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. / All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

Psalm 49:10
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.

Psalm 49:17
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

Isaiah 14:10-11
They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!” / Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket.

Isaiah 14:18-20
All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. / But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot. / You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned.

Ecclesiastes 6:6
even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

Psalm 39:5
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Psalm 89:48
What man can live and never see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah

Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:55
“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”


Treasury of Scripture

The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

The small.

Job 30:23
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Psalm 49:2,6-10
Both low and high, rich and poor, together…

Ecclesiastes 8:8
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

and the servant.

Psalm 49:14-20
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling…

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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.














Both small and great are there
This phrase highlights the universality of death, a theme prevalent throughout the book of Job. In the context of Job's lament, he is expressing the idea that death is the great equalizer, where social status, wealth, and power hold no significance. This reflects the biblical teaching found in Ecclesiastes 3:20, where it is stated that all go to the same place. Historically, ancient Near Eastern cultures, including those surrounding Job's time, often viewed the afterlife as a place where earthly distinctions were erased. This concept is echoed in the New Testament, where Galatians 3:28 speaks of the equality of all in Christ, transcending social and economic barriers.

and the slave is freed from his master
In the ancient world, slavery was a common institution, and slaves were often subject to harsh treatment and lacked personal freedom. Job's statement here can be seen as a reflection of the hope for liberation and rest in death, where earthly hierarchies and injustices are nullified. This notion is consistent with the biblical theme of ultimate justice and freedom found in the eschatological hope of the Bible, as seen in Revelation 21:4, where God promises to wipe away every tear and eliminate pain and suffering. The idea of freedom from bondage also prefigures the spiritual liberation offered through Jesus Christ, as described in John 8:36, where true freedom is found in Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man of great faith and integrity, Job is the central figure in the Book of Job. He experiences profound suffering and questions the meaning of life and justice.

2. The Grave (Sheol)
In the context of Job 3:19, the grave is depicted as a place where earthly distinctions and hierarchies are nullified. It is a common theme in ancient Near Eastern literature, representing the final resting place for all, regardless of status.

3. Slaves and Masters
This verse references the social structure of the time, where slavery was a common practice. The mention of slaves being freed in death highlights the theme of equality in the afterlife.
Teaching Points
The Universality of Death
Death is a universal experience that transcends social, economic, and cultural boundaries. It serves as a reminder of our shared humanity and the temporary nature of earthly distinctions.

Equality Before God
In death, all are equal before God. This should encourage us to treat others with respect and dignity, recognizing that earthly status holds no weight in the eyes of God.

Hope Beyond Earthly Life
While death is a great equalizer, Christians hold the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. This hope should influence how we live and interact with others, focusing on eternal values rather than temporary status.

Freedom in Christ
The freedom mentioned in Job 3:19 can be seen as a precursor to the spiritual freedom offered in Christ. Believers are called to live in the freedom that comes from being children of God, free from the bondage of sin and societal constraints.Verse 19. - The small and great are there; i.e. "all are there, the small and great alike;" for

"Omnes eodem cogimur, cranium
Versatur urna serius ocius
Sors exitura, et nos in aeternum
Exilium impositura cymbae."


(Her., ' Od.') And the servant is free from his master; rather, the slave (עֶבֶד).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Both small
קָטֹ֣ן (qā·ṭōn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

and great
וְ֭גָדוֹל (wə·ḡā·ḏō·wl)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

are there,
שָׁ֣ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and the slave
וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד (wə·‘e·ḇeḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

is freed
חָפְשִׁ֥י (ḥā·p̄ə·šî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2670: Exempt

from his master.
מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃ (mê·’ă·ḏō·nāw)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller


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OT Poetry: Job 3:19 The small and the great are there (Jb)
Job 3:18
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