Job 3:20

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

Cross-reference

Job 3:16 Parallel

Job 3:16 wishes he were stillborn, directly continuing the same lament as 3:20's question about why light is given.

Job 6:9 Parallel

Job 6:9 expresses the same death wish — asking God to crush him — echoing the lament why life is given to the miserable.

Job 7:15 Parallel

Job 7:15 desires strangling and death, directly parallel to 3:20's complaint about living in bitterness.

Job 7:16 Parallel

Job 7:16 loathes life and calls it a breath — same rejection of life as in 3:20's question about light.

Job 33:28 Contrast

Job 33:28 celebrates God redeeming from the pit to see light — opposite of Job's lament that light is given to the miserable.

Job 33:30 Contrast

Job 33:30 speaks of being enlightened with the light of life — a direct contrast to Job's complaint about light given to the bitter.

Job 9:18 Parallel

Job 9:18 describes God filling Job with ‘bitter things,’ directly reinforcing the bitterness of soul from Job 3:20.

Job 10:1 Parallel

Job 10:1 states ‘I speak in the bitterness of my soul,’ using the exact phrase from Job 3:20 to continue the same lament.

Job 40:2 Parallel

Job 40:2 is God's rebuke to Job's complaint — questioning the Almighty, which Job does in 3:20 by asking why light is given.

Job 21:25 Parallel

Job 21:25 also uses 'bitterness of soul' to describe a death without prosperity, echoing Job's lament about life given to the bitter.

Job 18:18 Contrast

Job 18:18 describes the wicked cast from light into darkness — opposite of Job's complaint about light given to the miserable.

Jeremiah 20:18 laments his birth because of toil and sorrow — a prophetic parallel to Job's complaint about being given life in misery.

Numbers 11:15 shows Moses begging God to kill him rather than endure his wretchedness, echoing Job’s lament over bitter existence.

Jonah 4:3 Parallel

Jonah 4:3 expresses the same death wish — 'better to die than live' — matching Job's complaint about light given to the miserable.

Jeremiah 8:3 says people will choose death over life — directly echoing Job's sentiment that light is given to those who long for death.

1 Kings 19:4 has Elijah praying for death under a broom tree, a vivid parallel to Job’s question of why life is given to the suffering.

Exodus 16:3 Parallel

Exodus 16:3 records Israel wishing they had died in Egypt rather than suffer hunger—a direct parallel to Job questioning why life is given to the miserable.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 expresses hatred of life because of futility — a similar lament to Job's question about why light is given to the miserable.

Revelation 9:6 describes people longing to die but death fleeing — similar to Job's lament about light given to those who desire death.