Job 17:1-16 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Job 16:22 to Job 17:16. Job pleads in favour of his prayer for Divine vindication, that death is before him and he has no hope, if he must now die.

Job 17:2 is obscure; the general sense seems to be that Job complains of the delusive hopes, held out by the friends, of return to health and prosperity (Peake).

Job 17:3 continues the idea of Job 16:20 f. God, as Job's advocate, is to give to God as his creditor a pledge that He will in the future vindicate him. Who else will strike hands with Job over such a bargain?

Job 17:4. Not Job's unintelligent friends.

Job 17:5 as translated in RV is a threat to the friends that their denunciations of Job will be punished by the suffering of their children (Duhm regards the verse as a gloss).

Job 17:6 f. resumes Job's complaint of his misery.

Job 17:8 f., its effect on the righteous. These verses, as they stand, must express Job's conviction of final victory. But are they not rather an extract from some speech of the friends? (Duhm, Peake).

Job 17:10-12 appears to be a repudiation of the friends-' delusive hopes of recovery. But the whole passage is very obscure except Job 16:11 a.

Job 17:13-15. Translate as mg., Job has no hopes. In Job 16:16 b the sense is not certain.

Related Commentaries of Job 17:1

Job 17:1-16

1 My breatha is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continueb 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 aforetimec I was as a tabret.

7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my membersd 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 bee 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 thoughtsf of my heart.

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

13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14 I have saidh 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.