King James Version

Job 3:11

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

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Hebrew

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לָ֤מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.לֹּ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מֵרֶ֣חֶםmerechemfrom wombרֶחֶםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from womb”, the ordinary formH7358the wombmatrix, womb.אָמ֑וּתamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…מִבֶּ֖טֶןmibetenfrom bodyבֶּטֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “from body”, the ordinary formH990the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anythingbelly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb.יָצָ֣אתִיyatsatibring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…וְאֶגְוָֽעveegvaand give up the ghostגָּוַעconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and give up the ghost”, an unfinished actionH1478to breathe out, i.e. (by implication) expiredie, be dead, give up the ghost, perish.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not perish at birth?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?

Young’s Literal Translation

Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!

World English Bible

“Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

Darby Translation

Wherefore did I not die from the womb, — come forth from the belly and expire?

Douay-Rheims

Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not perish at birth?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For why died I not in the belly? and why did I not come forth from the womb and die immediately?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Διατί γὰρ ἐν κοιλίᾳ οὐκ ἐτελεύτησα; ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπωλόμην;