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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 17:10–16. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Job's friends had pretended to comfort him with the hopes of his return to a prosperous estate again; now he here shows,
I.That it was their folly to talk so (Job 17:10):
"Return, and come now, be convinced that you are in an error, and let me persuade you to be of my mind; for I cannot find one wise man among you, that knows how to explain the difficulties of God's providence or how to apply the consolations of his promises." Those do not go wisely about the work of comforting the afflicted who fetch their comforts from the possibility of their recovery and enlargement in this world; though that is not to be despaired of, it is at the best uncertain; and if it should fail, as perhaps it may, the comfort built upon it will fail too. It is therefore our wisdom to comfort ourselves, and others, in distress, with that which will not fail, the promise of God, his love and grace, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life.
II.That it would he much more his folly to heed them; for,
1.All his measures were already broken and he was full of confusion, Job 17:11, Job 17:12. He owns he had, in his prosperity, often pleased himself both with projects of what he should do and prospects of what he should enjoy; but now he looked upon his days as past, or drawing towards a period; all those purposes were broken off and those expectations dashed. He had had thoughts about enlarging his border, increasing his stock, and settling his children, and many pious thoughts, it is likely, of promoting religion in his country, redressing grievances, reforming the profane, relieving the poor, and raising funds perhaps for charitable uses; but he concluded that all these thoughts of his heart were now at an end, and that he should never have the satisfaction of seeing his designs effected. Note, The period of our days will be the period of all our contrivances and hopes for this world; but, if with full purpose of heart we cleave to the Lord, death will not break off that purpose. Job, being thus put upon new counsels, was under a constant uneasiness (Job 17:12): The thoughts of his heart being broken, they changed the night into day and shortened the light. Some, in their vanity and riot, turn night into day and day into night; but Job did so through trouble and anguish of spirit, which were a hindrance,
(1.)To the repose of the night, keeping his eyes waking, so that the night was as wearisome to him as the day, and the tossings of the night tired him as much as the toils of the day.
(2.)To the entertainments of the day. "The light of the morning is welcome, but, by reason of this inward darkness, the comfort of it is soon gone, and the day is to me as dismal as the black and dark night," Deu 28:67. See what reason we have to be thankful for the health and ease which enable us to welcome both the shadows of the evening and the light of the morning.
2.All his expectations from this world would very shortly be buried in the grave with him; so that it was a jest for him to think of such mighty things as they had flattered him with the hopes of, Job 5:19; Job 8:21; Job 11:17. "Alas! you do but make a fool of me."
(1.)He saw himself just dropping into the grave. A convenient house, an easy bed, and agreeable relations, are some of those things in which we take satisfaction in this world: Job expected not any of these above ground; all he felt, and all he had in view, was unpleasing and disagreeable, but under ground he expected them.
[1.]He counted upon no house but the grave (Job 17:13): "If I wait, if there be any place where I shall ever be easy again, it must be in the grave. I should deceive myself if I should count upon any out-let from my trouble but what death will give me. Nothing is so sure as that." Note, In all our prosperity it is good to keep death in prospect. Whatever we expect, let us be sure to expect that; for that may prevent other things which we expect, but nothing will prevent that. But see how he endeavours not only to reconcile himself to the grave, but to recommend it to himself: "It is my house." The grave is a house; to the wicked it is a prison-house (Job 24:19, Job 24:20); to the godly it is Bethabara, a passage-house in their way home. "It is my house, mine by descent, I am born to it; it is my father's house. It is mine by purchase. I have made myself obnoxious to it." We must everyone of us shortly remove to this house, and it is our wisdom to provide accordingly; let us think of removing, and send before to our long home.
[2.]He counted upon no quiet bed but in the darkness: "There," says he, "I have made my bed. It is made, for it is ready, and I am just going to it." The grave is a bed, for we shall rest in it in the evening of our day on earth, and rise from it in the morning of our everlasting day, Isa 57:2. Let this make good people willing to die; it is but going to bed; they are weary and sleepy, and it is time that they were in their beds. Why should they not go willingly, when their father calls? "Nay, I have made my bed, by preparation for it, have endeavoured to make it easy, by keeping conscience pure, by seeing Christ lying in this bed, and so turning it into a bed of spices, and by looking beyond it to the resurrection." [3.] He counted upon no agreeable relations but what he had in the grave (Job 17:14): I have cried to corruption (that is, to the grave, where the body will corrupt), Thou art my father (for our bodies were formed out of the earth), and to the worms there, You are my mother and my sister, to whom I am allied (for man is a worm) and with whom I must be conversant, for the worms shall cover us, Job 21:26. Job complained that his kindred were estranged from him (Job 19:13, Job 19:14); therefore here he claims acquaintance with other relations that would cleave to him when those disowned him. Note, First, We are all of us near akin to corruption and the worms. Secondly, It is therefore good to make ourselves familiar with them, by conversing much with them in our thoughts and meditations, which would very much help us above the inordinate love of life and fear of death.
(2.)He saw all his hopes from this world dropping into the grave with him (Job 17:15, Job 17:16): "Seeing I must shortly leave the world, where is now my hope? How can I expect to prosper who do not expect to live?" He is not hopeless, but his hope is not where they would have it be. If in this life only he had hope, he was of all men most miserable. "No, as for my hope, that hope which I comfort and support myself with, who shall see it? It is something out of sight that I hope for, not things that are seen, that are temporal, but things not seen, that are eternal." What is his hope he will tell us (Job 19:25), Non est mortale quod opto, immortale peto - I seek not for that which perishes, but for that which abides for ever. "But, as for the hopes you would buoy me up with, they shall go down with me to the bars of the pit. You are dying men, and cannot make good your promises. I am a dying man, and cannot enjoy the good you promise. Since, therefore, our rest will be together in the dust, let us all lay aside the thoughts of this world and set our hearts upon another." We must shortly be in the dust, for dust we are, dust and ashes in the pit, under the bars of the pit, held fast there, never to loose the bands of death till the general resurrection. But we shall rest there; we shall rest together there. Job and his friends could not agree now, but they will both be quiet in the grave; the dust of that will shortly stop their mouths and put an end to the controversy. Let the foresight of this cool the heat of all contenders and moderate the disputers of this world.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
47. For ‘the thoughts being scattered change night into day,’ in that it is sometimes more grateful to the righteous through adversity to undergo sufferings, rather than as the effect of prosperity to be harassed with the charge of earthly ministering. But because they have learnt by paying attention that both adversity passes away, and prosperity dawns again, it is fitly added;
And again after darkness I look for light.
48. For ‘the light is looked for after darkness,’ in that after the night of the present life, the light eternal is discerned, or adversity and prospersity do so alternate here, that they do not cease to succeed one another by turns. Whence it comes to pass that even in the light night is suspected, and in the night light is presumed on; as when it is written, In the day of prosperity be not forgetful of affliction, and in the day of affliction be not forgetful of prosperity. [Ecclus. 11, 25] But mark, forasmuch as we have been redeemed by the grace of our Maker, we henceforth have this boon of heavenly bestowal, that when we are removed from dwelling in our flesh, we are at once carried off to receive heavenly rewards; in that since our Creator and Redeemer, penetrating the bars of hell, brought out from thence the souls of the Elect, He does not permit us to go there, from whence He has already by descending set others free. But they who were brought into this world before His Coming, whatsoever eminency of righteousness they may have had, could not on being divested of the body at once be admitted into the bosom of the heavenly country [a]; seeing that He had not as yet come, Who by His own descending should unloose the bars of hell, and place the souls of the righteous henceforth in their everlasting seat. Hence blessed Job, both feeling the stroke of affliction, and knowing that the recompensing of the righteous was as yet delayed.
It is to the elect that Job frames these words, whom he calls to the eternal world. They are exhorted in two ways, namely, that they should “turn” and that they should “come” (meaning “turn” by faith and “come” by practice), that is, “turn” by abandoning evil deeds and “come” by doing good. As it is written, “Depart from evil, and do good.” But Job amazingly adds, “I shall not find a sensible person among you.” What does it mean that Job bids them to wisdom and yet wishes that he may not find them wise? Concerning them it is written, “Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes and prudent in your own sight;” and to whom it is said again, “Be not wise with your own selves.” Hence that same great preacher desired that those whom he found carnally wise, in order that they might attain true wisdom, should first become foolish, saying, “If anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” And the living Truth said elsewhere, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” And so because they that are wise in themselves cannot come to true wisdom, blessed Job, being anxious for the conversion of his hearers, rightly desires that he may not “find any wise man among them.” It is as if Job said to them in plain speech, “Learn to be foolish in your own selves, that you may be truly wise in God.” … The holy church of the elect perceives that the spaces of its life pass in periods of day and night. This suggests that the church in adversity is experiencing a night to be followed by a day of prosperity. For there rises, as it were, light on it from the tranquility of peace and night from the grief of persecution. Now after each pause of rest [the church] returns to the labor of persecution, growing to a head against it. [The church] testifies that “its days have past.” In these days, however, it is accustomed to be weighed down proportionally with so many heavier cares. As [the church] things of the true tranquility of rest, a more exact reckoning is required of it by the Judge.… Hence blessed Job, whether in his own voice or the voice of the universal church, after testifying that “his days were past,” thereupon added, “My thoughts are scattered, racking my heart.”
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Summary
Job 17:12 encapsulates Job's profound despair, where the relentless assault of suffering has so thoroughly inverted his reality that the fundamental distinctions between night and day, darkness and light, are obliterated. It is a poignant lament expressing the utter futility of any fleeting hope or relief, as even the faintest glimmer of light is immediately consumed by an overwhelming, pervasive darkness, leaving him in a state of profound disorientation and hopelessness.
Context
Literary Context
Job 17:12 is situated within Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically in his impassioned response to Bildad (chapters 16-17). At this stage in the narrative, Job's physical and emotional anguish has reached a crescendo. He feels utterly abandoned by God, mocked by his friends, and sees his life rapidly approaching its end. This verse is not merely a description of his dire circumstances but a visceral expression of how his internal and external worlds have been completely inverted by the intensity of his pain. His friends' attempts at comfort have only exacerbated his torment, making what should be moments of solace feel like further affliction, thus "changing" his perception of reality. The verse serves as a powerful testament to the psychological and spiritual toll of unremitting suffering, illustrating how it can distort even the most basic perceptions of hope and despair.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the concepts of light and darkness carried immense symbolic weight, deeply embedded in both daily life and theological understanding. Light (associated with day, the sun, and divine presence) universally symbolized life, blessing, divine favor, knowledge, order, and salvation. Conversely, darkness (associated with night, chaos, and the underworld) represented death, suffering, ignorance, divine judgment, and evil. Job's declaration in Job 17:12 is a radical, almost blasphemous, inversion of these deeply ingrained cultural and theological associations. It signifies a state far worse than a mere absence of light; it portrays an active perversion where the very elements that should bring hope and order are instead transformed into or consumed by despair. This reflects a world where the natural order, and by extension, the divine cosmic order, seems to have been completely subverted in Job's personal experience, plunging him into a realm of chaos and meaninglessness.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it vividly illustrates The Nature of Suffering, demonstrating how intense, prolonged affliction can profoundly distort one's perception of reality, making it virtually impossible to discern any good, hope, or even a fleeting respite. Secondly, it underscores The Inadequacy of Human Wisdom; the ambiguous "they" in the verse can be seen as referring to Job's friends, whose simplistic theological explanations and unhelpful counsel only serve to twist Job's understanding of his situation, deepening his despair rather than bringing any genuine light or comfort, as he laments their role in Job 16:2. Thirdly, it speaks to the theme of Profound Despair and Hopelessness, where any potential for relief or joy is immediately swallowed by overwhelming pain, portraying a life where suffering utterly dominates all experience, much like the psalmist's cry of being surrounded by darkness in Psalm 88:6. Finally, it touches upon Cosmic Disorder, as Job's personal world is so utterly out of joint, reflecting a broader sense of chaos where natural expectations are inverted, reminiscent of the primordial chaos described in Genesis 1:2.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root meaning "to be hot," this verb primarily signifies "to put" or "to set," but its expansive semantic range includes "to change" or "to turn." In this context, it implies an active, deliberate setting or making of night into day, rather than a passive shift. It suggests a powerful, almost violent, reordering or perversion of the natural state. Job perceives an active force—whether his circumstances, his friends, or even God's hand—that is intentionally twisting his experience, making what should be a time of rest or the promise of dawn (day) feel like a continuation or intensification of his suffering (night).
This term denotes illumination, brightness, and a luminary. Beyond its literal meaning, it carries rich symbolic weight, often representing happiness, clarity, divine presence, life, and hope. In Job's lament, "light" signifies any potential for relief, understanding, comfort, or a glimpse of joy amidst his affliction. The fact that this light is "short" underscores its fragility and the overwhelming power of the opposing darkness.
Literally meaning "the dark," this word extends figuratively to represent misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. It is the antithesis of light, embodying the absence of comfort, life, and divine favor. For Job, "darkness" is the pervasive reality of his suffering, the profound grief, the physical pain, the spiritual desolation, and the perceived abandonment by God. It is this all-consuming state that actively shortens and extinguishes any potential "light."
Verse Breakdown
"They change the night into day"
This initial clause vividly portrays the bewildering and perverse nature of Job's suffering. The ambiguous "they" is crucial: it could refer to his friends, whose attempts at comfort or theological explanations only twist his understanding, making his "night" (suffering, despair) feel like a perverse "day" (a mockery of hope or normalcy, or a continuation of torment under the guise of light). Alternatively, "they" could represent the overwhelming circumstances of his affliction itself—the relentless pain, profound loss, and isolating rejection—which have so consumed him that they actively "change" his perception. What should be a time of rest or the promise of dawn (day) is instead filled with the characteristics of night (darkness, sorrow), or even worse, his suffering has become his new, distorted "normal." The very order of creation is inverted in his experience.
"the light [is] short because of darkness"
This second clause clarifies and intensifies the first, explaining the consequence of the inversion. Any potential "light" (hope, relief, understanding, or even a brief respite from his pain) that might break through his profound despair is fleeting and quickly overwhelmed. The "darkness" (his intense affliction, the perceived injustice, the lack of divine intervention, the unhelpful counsel of his friends) is so pervasive and powerful that it shortens, diminishes, and ultimately extinguishes any brief moment of clarity or comfort. It is a statement of the absolute dominance of suffering over hope in Job's current experience, where the night's gloom is so profound that it even encroaches upon and diminishes the day.
Literary Devices
Job 17:12 employs several powerful literary devices to convey Job's profound and disorienting despair. Metaphor is central to the verse's impact, with "night" and "day," "light" and "darkness" serving as potent symbols for suffering/despair and hope/relief, respectively. The verse's profound emotional resonance stems from the radical inversion of these metaphors, where the natural order is subverted, vividly portraying Job's distorted and agonizing reality. This inversion creates a profound sense of paradox, as the very elements associated with hope (day, light) are either perverted into or consumed by despair. Furthermore, Job's statement can be seen as hyperbole, an exaggeration used to express the extreme depth of his suffering and the complete disruption of his world, emphasizing that his experience goes beyond mere hardship to a state of utter disorientation and hopelessness. The ambiguity of "they" also functions as a form of indefinite pronoun, allowing for multiple interpretations and highlighting Job's sense of being assailed by forces he cannot fully name or control.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 17:12 profoundly underscores the psychological and spiritual impact of suffering, demonstrating how intense affliction can warp one's perception of reality and extinguish hope. It highlights the human tendency to lose sight of God's sovereign control and ultimate goodness when consumed by overwhelming pain, leading to a distorted view where even the promise of dawn is eclipsed by an enduring night. This lament resonates deeply with other biblical expressions of profound despair and the feeling of being overwhelmed by darkness, emphasizing that even the righteous can experience moments of utter hopelessness in their journey of faith, a stark reminder of the human condition under the weight of a fallen world.
Reflection and Application
Job's raw honesty in Job 17:12 provides a vital space for acknowledging the reality of profound despair in the human experience. It reminds us that faith is not a denial of pain, but often a wrestling within it, where hope can feel fleeting and reality itself seems distorted. For those who minister to the suffering, this verse is a potent reminder of the need for profound empathy, recognizing that a person's perception can be so warped by affliction that what seems like a small comfort to an outsider is quickly swallowed by their overwhelming "darkness." It cautions against offering simplistic answers or theological platitudes that fail to acknowledge the depth of another's pain, echoing the call to weep with those who weep. It also challenges us to cultivate a hope rooted not in fleeting circumstances, but in the unchanging character of God, even when His presence feels obscured, trusting that His ultimate light will prevail and that His purposes are often revealed in the crucible of suffering, as Psalm 30:5 reminds us that "weeping may last for a night, but joy comes with the morning."
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are "they" in Job 17:12?
The "they" in Job 17:12 is intentionally ambiguous, reflecting Job's disoriented and fragmented state of mind amidst his overwhelming suffering. It can be interpreted in several ways, all contributing to Job's sense of profound distress. It could refer to his friends, whose unhelpful counsel and accusations twist his reality and deepen his despair, making his "night" of suffering feel like a perverse "day" of false hope or continued torment. Their attempts to offer comfort or theological explanations only pervert his understanding of his situation and God's ways. Alternatively, "they" could be the overwhelming circumstances of his affliction itself—the relentless physical pain, profound loss, and isolating rejection—which have so consumed him that they actively "change" his perception, turning any potential for relief or hope into a continuation of his torment. This ambiguity underscores Job's sense of being assailed from all sides, with no clear source of comfort or understanding, as if the very fabric of his existence is conspiring against him.
Does this verse suggest Job has lost all hope?
While Job 17:12 expresses profound despair and a sense that hope is fleeting or non-existent in his present reality, it's crucial to understand it within the broader, complex narrative of the book of Job. Job's journey is one of intense spiritual and emotional wrestling with God, marked by extreme swings between lament and declarations of faith. He experiences moments of utter hopelessness, even wishing for death, and feels completely abandoned, as seen in this verse and others like Job 7:15-16. However, these expressions of despair do not represent his final or complete theological position. Later, Job famously declares his foundational faith in a living Redeemer (Job 19:25). Therefore, this verse captures a specific, dark moment in his lament, reflecting his raw, honest struggle to reconcile overwhelming suffering with God's goodness, even amidst a foundational, albeit severely tested, faith. It highlights the human capacity for deep despair and the struggle to maintain hope when faced with seemingly insurmountable trials.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's lament in Job 17:12, where light is consumed by darkness and reality is inverted, finds its ultimate echo and profound resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job experiences a world where the natural order of hope and light is perverted by suffering, a deep distortion of God's good creation. Yet, Christ is the Light of the World, who willingly enters into the deepest human darkness, not to be consumed by it, but to conquer it decisively. His crucifixion was the ultimate moment when "darkness came over all the land" (Matthew 27:45), a moment where the Son of God, for a time, experienced the full weight of human sin, despair, and even the cry of divine abandonment, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This profound darkness was not the end; rather, it was through this very experience that Christ "changed" the night of sin and death into the eternal day of salvation and resurrection. He transformed the ultimate darkness into ultimate light, offering a hope that is not short-lived but eternal, as promised in John 1:5. In Christ, the despair of Job's inverted reality is overcome by the dawn of God's redemptive power, ensuring that no darkness, however profound, can ultimately prevail against those who believe, for He is the true and lasting light of life (John 12:46).