Job’s Protest out of Pain: Opening Curse: At last, Job himself breaks the protracted silence with an explosive speech. This passionate monologue, which stretches from 3:3–26, is divided into two sections: an opening curse (3:3–10); and a questioning lament (3:11–26).

3:1–2  An introduction that summarizes the coming monologue prefaces Job’s speech: After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. These words connect the prose prologue of the first two chapters (“after this”), with the ardent curse that follows (“cursed the day of his birth”). Although the concluding postscript at the end of chapter 31 (“The words of Job are ended”) matches this introduction, the latter seems inadequate to introduce the whole collection of dialogues and seems best suited as an introduction t…