Job 3:23
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
Why is life given
The phrase "Why is life given" reflects Job's deep existential questioning. In Hebrew, the word for "life" is "חַיִּים" (chayyim), which signifies not just biological existence but a life filled with purpose and vitality. Job is grappling with the purpose of his suffering, questioning why life, a divine gift, is bestowed upon him when it seems devoid of meaning. This reflects a universal human struggle to understand the purpose behind suffering and the divine rationale for life's trials.

to a man
The term "man" here is translated from the Hebrew word "גֶּבֶר" (geber), which often denotes a strong or mighty man. This choice of word emphasizes the irony of Job's situation; despite being a "geber," a man of strength and capability, he feels powerless and trapped. This highlights the theme that human strength is insufficient without divine guidance and support, a recurring message in the Book of Job.

whose way is hidden
The phrase "whose way is hidden" suggests a path that is obscured or concealed. The Hebrew root "סָתַר" (satar) means to hide or conceal. Job feels that his path in life is shrouded in mystery, with no clear direction or understanding of God's plan. This reflects the broader biblical theme of faith and trust in God, even when His ways are not immediately apparent to us. It challenges believers to trust in God's wisdom and timing, even when the path seems unclear.

whom God has hedged in
The imagery of being "hedged in" comes from the Hebrew "שָׂכַךְ" (sakhak), meaning to fence or enclose. This is a poignant reversal of the protective hedge God placed around Job in the beginning of the book (Job 1:10). Now, Job feels trapped by the very God who once protected him. This phrase underscores the tension between divine protection and perceived divine restriction. It invites reflection on the nature of God's sovereignty and the believer's response to divine discipline and testing.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, known for his immense suffering and perseverance.

2. God
The sovereign Creator who allows Job's trials as a test of faith and integrity. He is ultimately in control of all circumstances.

3. Satan
The adversary who challenges Job's faithfulness, suggesting that Job is only righteous because of his prosperity.

4. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who come to comfort Job but end up accusing him of wrongdoing as the cause of his suffering.

5. Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, a region whose exact location is uncertain but is traditionally considered to be in the area of Edom or northern Arabia.
Teaching Points
Understanding Suffering
Suffering can feel like a hedge, limiting our understanding and perspective. Job's lament reflects a common human experience of feeling trapped by circumstances beyond our control.

God's Sovereignty
Even when our way seems hidden, God is sovereign. His purposes are often beyond our comprehension, but His character is trustworthy.

Faith in Trials
Job's question challenges us to maintain faith even when we cannot see the way forward. Trusting God in the dark is a profound act of faith.

Community and Comfort
Job's friends initially come to comfort him, reminding us of the importance of community. However, their failure to empathize teaches us to be compassionate and patient with those who suffer.

Hope Beyond Understanding
While Job feels hedged in, the broader biblical account assures us of hope and redemption. Our current understanding is limited, but God's plan is ultimately for our good.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Job's experience of feeling "hedged in" resonate with your own experiences of suffering or confusion?

2. In what ways can you trust God's sovereignty when your path seems hidden or unclear?

3. How can the account of Job encourage you to support others who are going through difficult times?

4. Reflect on a time when you felt trapped by circumstances. How did your faith influence your response?

5. How do other scriptures, like Romans 8:28, provide a broader perspective on the purpose of suffering in the life of a believer?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 139
This psalm speaks of God's intimate knowledge of our paths and His presence in every aspect of life, contrasting with Job's feeling of being "hedged in."

Proverbs 3:5-6
Encourages trust in the Lord with all your heart and not leaning on your own understanding, which is a challenge Job faces as he grapples with his suffering.

Romans 8:28
Assures believers that God works all things together for good, a truth that Job struggles to see in his current circumstances.
Hedged InHomilistJob 3:23
Light and LifeCharles Williams.Job 3:23
Light on a Hidden WayRobert Collyer.Job 3:23
The Light Given -- the Way HiddenE. Paxton Hood.Job 3:23
The Mystery of LimitationsR. Green Job 3:23
The Sorrowful Man's QuestionSpurgeon, Charles HaddonJob 3:23
The Sorrowful Man's QuestionCharles Haddon Spurgeon Job 3:23
Birth DeploredT. T. Munger.Job 3:1-26
Defect in the Best of MenDean Farrar.Job 3:1-26
Good Men not Always At Their BestJ. Caryl.Job 3:1-26
Good Men Weakened by CalamitiesH. E. Stone.Job 3:1-26
Infirmity AppearingFootsteps of Truth.Job 3:1-26
Job Cursing His DayJoseph Caryl.Job 3:1-26
Job's DistemperGeorge Hutcheson.Job 3:1-26
Mistaken SpeechJ. Parker, D. D.Job 3:1-26
The Cry from the DepthsRobert A. Watson, D. D.Job 3:1-26
The Eloquence of GriefE. Johnson Job 3:1-26
The Maddening Force of SufferingHomilistJob 3:1-26
The Peril of Impulsive SpeechAlbert Barnes.Job 3:1-26
The Speech of Job and its MisapprehensionsJoseph Parker, D. D.Job 3:1-26
The Unanswered QuestionR. Green Job 3:20-26
People
Job
Places
Uz
Topics
Hedged, Hid, Hidden, Shut, Veiled
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 3:23

     6115   blame

Job 3:1-26

     5945   self-pity

Job 3:20-26

     5928   resentment, against God

Library
March 2 Evening
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.--HEB. 4:9. There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; they . . . rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth . . . Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. We that are in this tabernacle do groan,
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

The Trouble and Rest of Good Men "There the Wicked Cease from Troubling
Sermon 127 The Trouble and Rest of Good Men "There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest." Job 3:17. When God at first surveyed all the works he had made, "behold, they were very good." All were perfect in beauty, and man, the lord of all, was perfect in holiness. And as his holiness was, so was his happiness. Knowing no sin, he knew no pain. But when sin was conceived, it soon brought forth pain; the whole scene was changed in a moment. He now groaned under the weight of
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Sorrowful Man's Question
"Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?"--Job 3:23. I AM VERY THANKFUL that so many of you are glad and happy. There is none too much joy in the world, and the more that any of us can create, the better. It should be a part of our happiness, and a man part of it, to try to make other people glad. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people," is a commission which many of us ought to feel is entrusted to us. If your own cup of joy is full, let it run over to others who
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 46: 1900

A Prayer when one Begins to be Sick.
O most righteous Judge, yet in Jesus Christ my gracious Father! I, wretched sinner, do here return unto thee, though driven with pain and sickness, like the prodigal child with want and hunger. I acknowledge that this sickness and pain comes not by blind chance or fortune, but by thy divine providence and special appointment. It is the stroke of thy heavy hand, which my sins have justly deserved; and the things that I feared are now fallen upon me (Job iii. 25.) Yet do I well perceive that in wrath
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Whether Servile Fear is Good
Whether Servile Fear is Good We proceed to the fourth article thus: 1. It seems that servile fear is not good. If the use of a thing is evil, the thing itself is evil. Now the use of servile fear is evil, since "he who does something out of fear does not do well, even though that which is done be good," as the gloss says on Rom. ch. 8. It follows that servile fear is not good. 2. Again, that which has its origin in a root of sin is not good. Servile fear has its origin in a root of sin. For on Job
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether it is Lawful to Curse an Irrational Creature?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is unlawful to curse an irrational creature. Cursing would seem to be lawful chiefly in its relation to punishment. Now irrational creatures are not competent subjects either of guilt or of punishment. Therefore it is unlawful to curse them. Objection 2: Further, in an irrational creature there is nothing but the nature which God made. But it is unlawful to curse this even in the devil, as stated above [2960](A[1]). Therefore it is nowise lawful to curse an irrational
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether in the State of Innocence Children Would have Been Born Confirmed in Righteousness?
Objection 1: It would seem that in the state of innocence children would have been born confirmed in righteousness. For Gregory says (Moral. iv) on the words of Job 3:13: "For now I should have been asleep, etc.: If no sinful corruption had infected our first parent, he would not have begotten "children of hell"; no children would have been born of him but such as were destined to be saved by the Redeemer." Therefore all would have been born confirmed in righteousness. Objection 2: Further, Anselm
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Blessed virgin was Sanctified Before Animation?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified before animation. Because, as we have stated [4127](A[1]), more grace was bestowed on the Virgin Mother of God than on any saint. Now it seems to have been granted to some, to be sanctified before animation. For it is written (Jer. 1:5): "Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee": and the soul is not infused before the formation of the body. Likewise Ambrose says of John the Baptist (Comment. in Luc. i, 15): "As
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Servile Fear is Good?
Objection 1: It would seem that servile fear is not good. For if the use of a thing is evil, the thing itself is evil. Now the use of servile fear is evil, for according to a gloss on Rom. 8:15, "if a man do anything through fear, although the deed be good, it is not well done." Therefore servile fear is not good. Objection 2: Further, no good grows from a sinful root. Now servile fear grows from a sinful root, because when commenting on Job 3:11, "Why did I not die in the womb?" Gregory says (Moral.
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is Lawful to Curse Anyone?
Objection 1: It would seem unlawful to curse anyone. For it is unlawful to disregard the command of the Apostle in whom Christ spoke, according to 2 Cor. 13:3. Now he commanded (Rom. 12:14), "Bless and curse not." Therefore it is not lawful to curse anyone. Objection 2: Further, all are bound to bless God, according to Dan. 3:82, "O ye sons of men, bless the Lord." Now the same mouth cannot both bless God and curse man, as proved in the third chapter of James. Therefore no man may lawfully curse
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Wesley and his Barber
Thursday, April 11 (Bolton).--The barber who shaved me said, "Sir, I praise God on your behalf. When you were at Bolton last, I was one of the most eminent drunkards in all the town; but I came to listen at the window, and God struck me to the heart. I then earnestly prayed for power against drinking; and God gave me more than I asked: He took away the very desire of it. Yet I felt myself worse and worse, till on April 5 last, I could hold out no longer. I knew I must drop into hell that moment unless
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Rich Sinner Dying. Psa. 49:6,9; Eccl. 8:8; Job 3:14,15.
The rich sinner dying. Psa. 49:6,9; Eccl. 8:8; Job 3:14,15. In vain the wealthy mortals toil, And heap their shining dust in vain, Look down and scorn the humble poor, And boast their lofty hills of gain. Their golden cordials cannot ease Their pained hearts or aching heads, Nor fright nor bribe approaching death From glitt'ring roofs and downy beds. The ling'ring, the unwilling soul The dismal summons must obey, And bid a long, a sad farewell To the pale lump of lifeless clay. Thence they are
Isaac Watts—The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Writings of Israel's Philosophers
[Sidenote: Discussions the problem of evil] An intense interest in man led certain of Israel's sages in time to devote their attention to more general philosophical problems, such as the moral order of the universe. In the earlier proverbs, prophetic histories, and laws, the doctrine that sin was always punished by suffering or misfortune, and conversely that calamity and misfortune were sure evidence of the guilt of the one affected, had been reiterated until it had become a dogma. In nine out
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

One Thing is Needful;
or, SERIOUS MEDITATIONS UPON THE FOUR LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, AND HELL UNTO WHICH IS ADDED EBAL AND GERIZZIM, OR THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE, by John Bunyan. London: Printed for Nath. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688.[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. According to Charles Doe, in that curious sheet called The Struggler for the Preservation of Mr. John Bunyan's Labours, these poems were published about the year 1664, while the author was suffering imprisonment for conscience
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Death Swallowed up in victory
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory! D eath, simply considered, is no more than the cessation of life --that which was once living, lives no longer. But it has been the general, perhaps the universal custom of mankind, to personify it. Imagination gives death a formidable appearance, arms it with a dart, sting or scythe, and represents it as an active, inexorable and invincible reality. In this view death is a great devourer; with his iron tongue
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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