1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?
4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.
15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.
1 My breath H7307 is corrupt, H2254 my days H3117 are extinct, H2193 the graves H6913 are ready for me.
2 Are there not mockers H2049 with me? and doth not mine eye H5869 continue H3885 in their provocation? H4784
3 Lay down H7760 now, put me in a surety H6148 with thee; who is he that will strike H8628 hands H3027 with me?
4 For thou hast hid H6845 their heart H3820 from understanding: H7922 therefore shalt thou not exalt H7311 them.
5 He that speaketh H5046 flattery H2506 to his friends, H7453 even the eyes H5869 of his children H1121 shall fail. H3615
6 He hath made H3322 me also a byword H4914 of the people; H5971 and aforetime H6440 I was as a tabret. H8611
7 Mine eye H5869 also is dim H3543 by reason of sorrow, H3708 and all my members H3338 are as a shadow. H6738
8 Upright H3477 men shall be astonied H8074 at this, and the innocent H5355 shall stir up H5782 himself against the hypocrite. H2611
9 The righteous H6662 also shall hold H270 on his way, H1870 and he that hath clean H2890 hands H3027 shall be H3254 stronger and stronger. H555
10 But H199 as for you all, do ye return, H7725 and come now: H935 for I cannot find H4672 one wise H2450 man among you.
11 My days H3117 are past, H5674 my purposes H2154 are broken off, H5423 even the thoughts H4180 of my heart. H3824
12 They change H7760 the night H3915 into day: H3117 the light H216 is short H7138 because H6440 of darkness. H2822
13 If I wait, H6960 the grave H7585 is mine house: H1004 I have made H7502 my bed H3326 in the darkness. H2822
14 I have said H7121 to corruption, H7845 Thou art my father: H1 to the worm, H7415 Thou art my mother, H517 and my sister. H269
15 And where is now H645 my hope? H8615 as for my hope, H8615 who shall see H7789 it?
16 They shall go down H3381 to the bars H905 of the pit, H7585 when our rest H5183 together H3162 is in the dust. H6083
1 My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is `ready' for me.
2 Surely there are mockers with me, And mine eye dwelleth upon their provocation.
3 Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; Who is there that will strike hands with me?
4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: Therefore shalt thou not exalt `them'.
5 He that denounceth his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 But he hath made me a byword of the people; And they spit in my face.
7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonished at this, And the innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
9 Yet shall the righteous hold on his way, And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, come on now again; And I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day: The light, `say they', is near unto the darkness.
13 If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;
14 If I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; To the worm, `Thou art' my mother, and my sister;
15 Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?
16 It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, When once there is rest in the dust.
1 My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished -- graves `are' for me.
2 If not -- mockeries `are' with me. And in their provocations mine eye lodgeth.
3 Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?
4 For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
5 For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.
6 And he set me up for a proverb of the peoples, And a wonder before them I am.
7 And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
8 Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.
9 And the righteous layeth hold `on' his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.
10 Return, and come in, I pray you, And I find not among you a wise man.
11 My days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!
12 Night for day they appoint, Light `is' near because of darkness.
13 If I wait -- Sheol `is' my house, In darkness I have spread out my couch.
14 To corruption I have called: -- `Thou `art' my father.' `My mother' and `my sister' -- to the worm.
15 And where `is' now my hope? Yea, my hope, who doth behold it?
16 `To' the parts of Sheol ye go down, If together on the dust we may rest.
1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are mine.
2 Are there not mockers around me? and doth [not] mine eye abide in their provocation?
3 Lay down now [a pledge], be thou surety for me with thyself: who is he that striketh hands with me?
4 For thou hast hidden their heart from understanding; therefore thou wilt not exalt [them].
5 He that betrayeth friends for a prey -- even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 And he hath made me a proverb of the peoples; and I am become one to be spit on in the face.
7 And mine eye is dim by reason of grief, and all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men [shall be] astonished at this, and the innocent shall be stirred up against the ungodly;
9 But the righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall increase in strength.
10 But as for you all, pray come on again; and I shall not find one wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, the cherished thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day; the light [they imagine] near in presence of the darkness.
13 If I wait, Sheol is my house; I spread my bed in the darkness:
14 I cry to the grave, Thou art my father! to the worm, My mother, and my sister!
15 And where is then my hope? yea, my hope, who shall see it?
16 It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, when [our] rest shall be together in the dust.
1 "My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, And the grave is ready for me.
2 Surely there are mockers with me, My eye dwells on their provocation.
3 "Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
4 For you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore shall you not exalt them.
5 He who denounces his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 "But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.
7 My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonished at this. The innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
9 Yet shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, come on now again; I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my plans are broken off, As are the thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day, Saying 'The light is near' in the presence of darkness.
13 If I look for Sheol as my house, If I have spread my couch in the darkness,
14 If I have said to corruption, 'You are my father;' To the worm, 'My mother,' and 'my sister;'
15 Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it?
16 Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, Or descend together into the dust?"
1 My spirit is broken, my days are ended, the last resting-place is ready for me.
2 Truly, those who make sport of me are round about me, and my eyes become dark because of their bitter laughing.
3 Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.
4 You have kept their hearts from wisdom: for this cause you will not give them honour.
5 As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.
6 He has made me a word of shame to the peoples; I have become a mark for their sport.
7 My eyes have become dark because of my pain, and all my body is wasted to a shade.
8 The upright are surprised at this, and he who has done no wrong is troubled because of the evil-doers.
9 Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.
10 But come back, now, all of you, come; and I will not see a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the desires of my heart.
12 They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.
13 If I am waiting for the underworld as my house, if I have made my bed in the dark;
14 If I say to the earth, You are my father; and to the worm, My mother and my sister;
15 Where then is my hope? and who will see my desire?
16 Will they go down with me into the underworld? Will we go down together into the dust?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 17
Commentary on Job 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
Job 17:1-16. Job's Answer Continued.
1. breath … corrupt—result of elephantiasis. But Umbreit, "my strength (spirit) is spent."
extinct—Life is compared to an expiring light. "The light of my day is extinguished."
graves—plural, to heighten the force.
2. Umbreit, more emphatically, "had I only not to endure mockery, in the midst of their contentions I (mine eye) would remain quiet."
eye continue—Hebrew, "tarry all night"; a figure taken from sleep at night, to express undisturbed rest; opposed to (Job 16:20), when the eye of Job is represented as pouring out tears to God without rest.
3. Lay down now—namely, a pledge or security; that is, be my surety; do Thou attest my innocence, since my friends only mock me (Job 17:2). Both litigating parties had to lay down a sum as security before the trial.
put me in a surety—Provide a surety for me (in the trial) with Thee. A presage of the "surety" (Heb 7:22), or "one Mediator between God and man" (see on Job 16:21).
strike hands—"who else (save God Himself) could strike hands with me?" that is, be my security (Ps 119:122). The Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes security (Pr 6:1).
4. their heart—The intellect of his friends.
shalt … exalt—Rather imperative, "exalt them not"; allow them not to conquer [Umbreit], (Isa 6:9, 10).
5. The Hebrew for "flattery" is "smoothness"; then it came to mean a prey divided by lot, because a smooth stone was used in casting the lots (De 18:8), "a portion" (Ge 14:24). Therefore translate, "He that delivers up his friend as a prey (which the conduct of my friends implies that they would do), even the eyes," &c. [Noyes] (Job 11:20). Job says this as to the sinner's children, retorting upon their reproach as to the cutting off of his (Job 5:4; 15:30). This accords with the Old Testament dispensation of legal retribution (Ex 20:5).
6. He—God. The poet reverentially suppresses the name of God when speaking of calamities inflicted.
by-word—(De 28:37; Ps 69:11). My awful punishment makes my name execrated everywhere, as if I must have been superlatively bad to have earned it.
aforetime … tabret—as David was honored (1Sa 18:6). Rather from a different Hebrew root, "I am treated to my face as an object of disgust," literally, "an object to be spit upon in the face" (Nu 12:14). So Raca means (Mt 5:22) [Umbreit].
7. (Ps 6:7; 31:9; De 34:7).
members—literally, "figures"; all the individual members being peculiar forms of the body; opposed to "shadow," which looks like a figure without solidity.
8. astonied—at my unmerited sufferings.
against the hypocrite—The upright shall feel their sense of justice wounded ("will be indignant") because of the prosperity of the wicked. By "hypocrite" or "ungodly," he perhaps glances at his false friends.
9. The strength of religious principle is heightened by misfortune. The pious shall take fresh courage to persevere from the example of suffering Job. The image is from a warrior acquiring new courage in action (Isa 40:30, 31; Php 1:14).
10. return—If you have anything to advance really wise, though I doubt it, recommence your speech. For as yet I cannot find one wise man among you all.
11. Only do not vainly speak of the restoration of health to me; for "my days are past."
broken off—as the threads of the web cut off from the loom (Isa 38:12).
thoughts—literally, "possessions," that is, all the feelings and fair hopes which my heart once nourished. These belong to the heart, as "purposes" to the understanding; the two together here describe the entire inner man.
12. They—namely, "my friends."
change the night into day—that is, would try to persuade me of the change of my misery into joy, which is impossible [Umbreit] (Job 11:17); (but) the light of prosperity (could it be enjoyed) would be short because of the darkness of adversity. Or better for "short," the Hebrew "near"; "and the light of new prosperity should be near in the face of (before) the darkness of death"; that is, they would persuade me that light is near, even though darkness approaches.
13. Rather, "if I wait for this grave (Sheol, or the unseen world) as my house, and make my bed in the darkness (Job 17:14), and say to corruption," rather, "to the pit" or "grave," &c. (Job 17:15). Where then is my hope? [Umbreit]. The apodosis is at Job 17:15.
14. Thou art my father, &c.—expressing most intimate connection (Pr 7:4). His diseased state made him closely akin to the grave and worm.
15. Who shall see it fulfilled? namely, the "hope" (Job 11:18) which they held out to him of restoration.
16. They—namely, my hopes shall be buried with me.
bars—(Isa 38:10). Rather, the wastes or solitudes of the pit (sheol, the unseen world).
rest together—the rest of me and my hope is in, &c. Both expire together. The word "rest" implies that man's ceaseless hopes only rob him of rest.