Job 17
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
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.

Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
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.

Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?
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 [510]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).

For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
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).

He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
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).
He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
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].

Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
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.

Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
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.

The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
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).
But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.
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.
My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
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.

They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
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.

If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
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.
I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.
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.
And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
15. Who shall see it fulfilled? namely, the "hope" (Job 11:18) which they held out to him of restoration.
They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.
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.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

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