Consider the first verse. It doesn’t tell us the identity of the main figure, while at the same time identifying everyone else later in the book.
The first phrase of the first verse states where Job is from, “the land of Uz. The second phrase of the first verse reveals his name, Job, which means hated. The third and fourth phrase reveals his character.
I will reveal what I see in this verse, and of course you don’t have to agree.
The first phrase of this first verse identifies Job as being from the land of Uz. There must be some significance to everything that is said in not only this verse, this book, but also in the entire Bible. What is the significance that Job is from Uz? To identify Uz we go to the concordance.
The land of Uz occurs three times in Strong’s concordance. Once here in the first verse of Job, once in Jeremiah 25:20, and once in Lamentations 4:21.
In Jeremiah chapter 25 Jeremiah prophesied a cup of wrath being poured out upon Judah and the surrounding lands including the land of Uz. In Lamentations 4:21-22 the cup of woe that Israel has suffered will be passed to the daughter of Edom who lives in the land of Uz. Examining the book of Lamentations will show that Job received the same cup of woe that Israel received. There is a parallel verse in the book of Job for everyone of the first 18 verses of Lamentations 3.
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Lamentations 3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Job 19:8 He has also kindled his wrath against me, and he counts me to him as one of his enemies.
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Lamentations 3:2 He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came to me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
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Lamentations 3:3 Surely against me He has turned His hand Repeatedly all the day.
Job 30:21 You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me.
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Lamentations 3:4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
Job 33:21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.
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Lamentations 3:5 He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
Job 16:13 His archers compass me round about; He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
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Lamentations 3:6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
Job 3:4-5 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell on it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
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Lamentations 3:7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
Job 3:23, Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? (19:8) He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths.
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Lamentations 3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
Job 30:20 I cry to you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not.
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Lamentations 3:9 He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
Job 12:25 They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.
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Lamentations 3:10 He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Job 10:16 For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
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Lamentations 3:11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
Job 19:8-9 He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths. He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
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Lamentations 3:12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Job 16:12 I was at ease, but he has broken me asunder: he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
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Lamentations 3:13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Job 16:13 His archers compass me round about, he splits my reins asunder, and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground.
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Lamentations 3:14 was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
Job 30:9 And now am I their song, yes, I am their byword.
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Lamentations 3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
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Lamentations 3:16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself with; and he sat down among the ashes. (29:17) And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:17 And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgot prosperity.
Job 7:15 So that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my life.
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Lamentations 3:18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
Job 19:10 He has destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope has he removed like a tree.
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Continued--
The first phrase of the first verse states where Job is from, “the land of Uz. The second phrase of the first verse reveals his name, Job, which means hated. The third and fourth phrase reveals his character.
I will reveal what I see in this verse, and of course you don’t have to agree.
The first phrase of this first verse identifies Job as being from the land of Uz. There must be some significance to everything that is said in not only this verse, this book, but also in the entire Bible. What is the significance that Job is from Uz? To identify Uz we go to the concordance.
The land of Uz occurs three times in Strong’s concordance. Once here in the first verse of Job, once in Jeremiah 25:20, and once in Lamentations 4:21.
In Jeremiah chapter 25 Jeremiah prophesied a cup of wrath being poured out upon Judah and the surrounding lands including the land of Uz. In Lamentations 4:21-22 the cup of woe that Israel has suffered will be passed to the daughter of Edom who lives in the land of Uz. Examining the book of Lamentations will show that Job received the same cup of woe that Israel received. There is a parallel verse in the book of Job for everyone of the first 18 verses of Lamentations 3.
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Lamentations 3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Job 19:8 He has also kindled his wrath against me, and he counts me to him as one of his enemies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:2 He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came to me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:3 Surely against me He has turned His hand Repeatedly all the day.
Job 30:21 You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
Job 33:21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.
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Lamentations 3:5 He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
Job 16:13 His archers compass me round about; He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
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Lamentations 3:6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
Job 3:4-5 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell on it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
Job 3:23, Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? (19:8) He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
Job 30:20 I cry to you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:9 He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
Job 12:25 They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:10 He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Job 10:16 For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
Job 19:8-9 He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths. He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Job 16:12 I was at ease, but he has broken me asunder: he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Job 16:13 His archers compass me round about, he splits my reins asunder, and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:14 was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
Job 30:9 And now am I their song, yes, I am their byword.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
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Lamentations 3:16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself with; and he sat down among the ashes. (29:17) And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:17 And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgot prosperity.
Job 7:15 So that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamentations 3:18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
Job 19:10 He has destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope has he removed like a tree.
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Continued--