Job 3:1

1 After ['achar] this opened [pathach] Job ['Iyowb] his mouth [peh], and cursed [qalal] his day [yowm]. KJV-Interlinear

1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. NASB

After the seven days in which his friends had arrived and sat with him, Job began to speak.

But first, lets back up a bit. Job has been afflicted with an extremely bad and painful disease. He is sick to the max. He has not been sick, just these past seven days, however.

His friends heard of his illness and troubles quite some time prior to their arrival. Working backward in time, they would have had to travel to their rendezvous point. They would have had to send messages between themselves before traveling to meet, and then proceed to Job's home. They would have had to hear of Jobs affliction. This regional news of Jobs afflictions and losses had to have been spread by travelers throughout the region.

All of these events would have taken considerable time. Assuming a couple of weeks to a month travel time for the news to make its way to Job' friends, and assuming a similar travel time for them to arrange with each other to go to Job, and then actually go to Job's home. Then perhaps a month or two, or even three months could easily have passed.

If so, and this is only speculation as to the time which has passed, then Job has been ill for a very long time. Job's being sick from a month to three months is not an unreasonable time frame given the time in history where travel is either by camel, donkey, or on foot. And with robbers wandering about, then travel plans would require some planning and preparation to include a collection of people, in order to insure the safety of the group. No one hopped into their car and drove down the highway for an afternoon visit.

Job was not only extremely sick, he was extremely sick for a very long time. In his condition, he looked like a monster that had crawled out of a swamp, and his friends thought he was on the brink of death. It is easy to understand his wife's bitterness. They had lost most of their great wealth and Job is so sick, that he can't possibly do anything to get them back on their financial feet. And the long days just keep on passing them by.

But Job never cursed God, he simply persevered, and thus we have the phrase, 'patience or endurance of Job.'

James 5:11

11 Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. NASB

When a person is really sick, talking with anyone, or just talking period, is a chore. You just want to roll over, go to sleep and wake up when you are well.

Job has had company for a week now. They said nothing in all of that time. There are three friends for the moment, and a fourth will arrive later, but in time to hear most of what is going to be said.

These conversations will take perhaps a day to complete. And there are most likely others, traveling companions, servants and such, who are also present. Certainly not what a deathly sick person wants in his home.

Company is inconvenient, they can be annoying, and when you are really sick, you just don't feel like having company.

But Job was silent. He has been silent, but he has been thinking. Dead people don't think. Only the living can think. And not only is he thinking, he is formulating extensive thoughts, and will later form formidable arguments.

But for now, Job begins at the beginning of his own life. The day of his birth. He curses that day with a passion. He will curse his birthday. He will wish he had never come into existence. He will wish that he had died immediately after his birth. He will complain that his life is still continuing, even while he is totally miserable.

And this will raise the question, 'When does human life actually begin, such that if you die, you would move on to the next life?'

If life never begins, then a person cannot die since they never existed. Only those who actually come into existence, have life, and therefore are subject to death. But for now, Job is really miserable, and he has been miserable for quite some time.

Even his wife wishes his life would end so his misery would end, 'Curse God and die.' And in her bitterness, ironically, there is still a little bit of feeling for Job's misery, and the desire for it all, to 'just' end.

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