14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
14 Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed!
14 Curse the day I was born! The day my mother bore me - a curse on it, I say!
14 Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
14 Yet I curse the day I was born! May no one celebrate the day of my birth.
31 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
31 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
31 Then Job broke the silence. He spoke up and cursed his fate:
31 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
31 At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth.
(Read Job 3:1-10)
For seven days Job's friends sat by him in silence, without offering consolidation: at the same time Satan assaulted his mind to shake his confidence, and to fill him with hard thoughts of God. The permission seems to have extended to this, as well as to torturing the body. Job was an especial type of Christ, whose inward sufferings, both in the garden and on the cross, were the most dreadful; and arose in a great degree from the assaults of Satan in that hour of darkness. These inward trials show the reason of the change that took place in Job's conduct, from entire submission to the will of God, to the impatience which appears here, and in other parts of the book. The believer, who knows that a few drops of this bitter cup are more dreadful than the sharpest outward afflictions, while he is favoured with a sweet sense of the love and presence of God, will not be surprised to find that Job proved a man of like passions with others; but will rejoice that Satan was disappointed, and could not prove him a hypocrite; for though he cursed the day of his birth, he did not curse his God. Job doubtless was afterwards ashamed of these wishes, and we may suppose what must be his judgment of them now he is in everlasting happiness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:14
Commentary on Jeremiah 20:14-18
(Read Jeremiah 20:14-18)
When grace has the victory, it is good to be ashamed of our folly, to admire the goodness of God, and be warned to guard our spirits another time. See how strong the temptation was, over which the prophet got the victory by Divine assistance! He is angry that his first breath was not his last. While we remember that these wishes are not recorded for us to utter the like, we may learn good lessons from them. See how much those who think they stand, ought to take heed lest they fall, and to pray daily, Lead us not into temptation. How frail, changeable, and sinful is man! How foolish and unnatural are the thoughts and wishes of our hearts, when we yield to discontent! Let us consider Him who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, lest we should be at any time weary and faint in our minds under our lesser trials.