Job shifts his focus from the broader concepts of time and existence to the deeply personal tragedy of his own birth. He expresses a desperate wish that his life had been cut short before it even began, a fate that would have spared him the terrible suffering he now endures [תקות אנוש].
The commentators explore exactly who or what failed to prevent his birth. One perspective suggests the responsible party is left unstated, referring broadly to anyone with the power to close the womb [רש"י], or specifically to God, who controls its opening [אבן עזרא]. Another view links this failure to the night of conception or the alignment of the stars, proposing that the night itself should have sealed the womb, knowing the bitter destiny that awaited him [מצודת דוד, מלבי"ם].
The exact nature of the doors that should have been shut is also a subject of discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to his mother's womb, which he considers his own belly because it was his home during pregnancy. In this view, the doors represent either the entrance to the womb, which should have been locked to prevent conception entirely [מלבי"ם], or the exit, which should have stayed closed so he would never emerge into the world [רש"י, תקות אנוש]. Conversely, a different physiological interpretation suggests the doors refer to the umbilical cord, the channel that provides nourishment to the fetus. According to this idea, Job wishes this passage had been blocked, causing him to starve to death while still inside his mother [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, אלשיך].
Had these doors been closed, Job believes he would have been completely shielded from trouble. Most commentators understand this trouble as the physical pain, hardship, and sorrow he currently experiences, which would have remained entirely unknown to him had he never been born. A unique perspective views this trouble not as physical pain but as a grave spiritual danger. In this light, Job fears his intense suffering will push him to sin, speak out against God, and lose his spiritual merits. He wishes he had died in the womb because an early death would have protected him from moral decline and the heavy burden of sin [אלשיך].