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Commentary on Job 17 verses 1–9
Job's discourse is here somewhat broken and interrupted, and he passes suddenly from one thing to another, as is usual with men in trouble; but we may reduce what is here said to three heads: -
I. The deplorable condition which poor Job was now in, which he describes, to aggravate the great unkindness of his friends to him and to justify his own complaints. Let us see what his case was.
1.He was a dying man, Job 17:1. He had said (Job 16:22), "When a few years have come, I shall go that long journey." But here he corrects himself. "Why do I talk of years to come? Alas! I am just setting out on that journey, am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. My breath is already corrupt, or broken off; my spirits are spent; I am a gone man." It is good for every one of us thus to look upon ourselves as dying, and especially to think of it when we are sick. We are dying, that is, (1.) Our life is going; for the breath of life is going. It is continually going forth; it is in our nostrils (Isa 2:22), the door at which it entered (Gen 2:7); there it is upon the threshold, ready to depart. Perhaps Job's distemper obstructed his breathing, and short breath will, after a while, be no breath. Let the Anointed of the Lord be the breath of our nostrils, and let us get spiritual life breathed into us, and that breath will never be corrupted. (2.) Our time is ending: My days are extinct, are put out, as a candle which, from the first lighting, is continually wasting and burning down, and will by degrees burn out of itself, but may by a thousand accidents be extinguished. Such is life. It concerns us therefore carefully to redeem the days of time, and to spend them in getting ready for the days of eternity, which will never be extinct. (3.) We are expected in our long home: The graves are ready for me. But would not one grave serve? Yes, but he speaks of the sepulchres of his fathers, to which he must be gathered: "The graves where they are laid are ready for me also," graves in consort, the congregation of the dead. Wherever we go there is but a step between us and the grave. Whatever is unready, that is ready; it is a bed soon made. If the graves be ready for us, it concerns us to be ready for the graves. The graves for me (so it runs), denoting not only his expectation of death, but his desire of it. "I have done with the world, and have nothing now to wish for but a grave."
2.He was a despised man (Job 17:6): "He" (that is, Eliphaz, so some, or rather God, whom he all along acknowledges to be the author of his calamities) "has made me a byword of the people, the talk of the country, a laughing-stock to many, a gazing-stock to all; and aforetime (or to men's faces, publicly) I was as a tabret, that whoever chose might play upon." They made ballads of him; his name became a proverb; it is so still, As poor as Job. "He has now made me a byword," a reproach of men, whereas, aforetime, in my prosperity, I was as a tabret, deliciae humani generis - the darling of the human race, whom they were all pleased with. It is common for those who were honoured in their wealth to be despised in their poverty.
3.He was a man of sorrows, Job 17:7. He wept so much that he had almost lost his sight: My eye is dim by reason of sorrow, Job 16:16. The sorrow of the world thus works darkness and death. He grieved so much that he had fretted all the flesh away and become a perfect skeleton, nothing but skin and bones: "All my members are as a shadow. I have become so poor and thin that I am not to be called a man, but the shadow of a man."
II. The ill use which his friends made of his miseries. They trampled upon him, and insulted over him, and condemned him as a hypocrite, because he was thus grievously afflicted. Hard usage! Now observe,
1.How Job describes it, and what construction he puts upon their discourses with him. He looks upon himself as basely abused by them. (1.) They abused him with their foul censures, condemning him as a bad man, justly reduced thus and exposed to contempt, Job 17:2. "They are mockers, who deride my calamities, and insult over me, because I am thus brought low. They are so with me, abusing me to my face, pretending friendship in their visit, but intending mischief. I cannot get clear of them; they are continually tearing me, and they will not be wrought upon, either by reason or pity, to let fall the prosecution." (2.) They abused him too with their fair promises, for in them they did but banter him. He reckons them (Job 17:5) among those that speak flattery to their friends. They all came to mourn with him. Eliphaz began with a commendation of him, Job 4:3. They had all promised him that he would be happy if he would take their advice. Now all this he looked upon as flattery, and as designed to vex him so much the more. All this he calls their provocation, Job 17:2. They did what they could to provoke him and then condemned him for his resentment of it; but he thinks himself excusable when his eye continued thus in their provocation: it never ceased, and he never could look off it. Note, The unkindness of those that trample upon their friends in affliction, that banter and abuse them then, is enough to try, if not to tire, the patience even of Job himself.
2.How he condemns it. (1.) It was a sign that God had hidden their heart from understanding (Job 17:4), and that in this matter they were infatuated, and their wonted wisdom had departed from them. Wisdom is a gift of God, which he grants to some and withholds from others, grants at some times and withholds at other times. Those that are void of compassion are so far void of understanding. Where there is not the tenderness of a man one may question whether there be the understanding of a man. (2.) It would be a lasting reproach and diminution to them: Therefore shalt thou not exalt them. Those are certainly kept back from honour whose hearts are hidden from understanding. When God infatuates men he will abase them. Surely those who discover so little acquaintance with the methods of Providence shall not have the honour of deciding this controversy! That is reserved for a man of better sense and better temper, such a one as Elihu afterwards appeared to be. (3.) It would entail a curse upon their families. He that thus violates the sacred laws of friendship forfeits the benefit of it, not only for himself, but for his posterity: "Even the eyes of his children shall fail, and, when they look for succour and comfort from their own and their father's friends, they shall look in vain as I have done, and be as much disappointed as I am in you." Note, Those that wrong their neighbours may thereby, in the end, wrong their own children more than they are aware of.
3.How he appeals from them to God (Job 17:3): Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee, that is, "Let me be assured that God will take the hearing and determining of the cause into his own hands, and I desire no more. Let some one engage for God to bring on this matter." Thus those whose hearts condemn them not have confidence towards God, and can with humble and believing boldness beg of him to search and try them. Some make Job here to glance at the mediation of Christ, for he speaks of a surety with God, without whom he durst not appear before God, nor try his cause at his bar; for, though his friends' accusations of him were utterly false, yet he could not justify himself before God but in a mediator. Our English annotations give this reading of the verse: "Appoint, I pray thee, my surety with thee, namely, Christ who is with thee in heaven, and has undertaken to be my surety let him plead my cause, and stand up for me; and who is he then that will strike upon my hand?" that is, "Who dares then contend with me? Who shall lay any thing to my charge if Christ be an advocate for me?" Rom 8:32, Rom 8:33. Christ is the surety of the better testament (Heb 7:22), a surety of God's appointing; and, if he undertake for us, we need not fear what can be done against us.
III. The good use which the righteous should make of Job's afflictions from God, from his enemies, and from his friends, Job 17:8, Job 17:9. Observe here,
1.How the saints are described. (1.) They are upright men, honest and sincere, and that act from a steady principle, with a single eye. This was Job's own character (Job 1:1), and probably he speaks of such upright men especially as had been his intimates and associates. (2.) They are the innocent, not perfectly so, but innocence is what they aim at and press towards. Sincerity is evangelical innocency, and those that are upright are said to be innocent from the great transgression, Psa 19:13. (3.) They are the righteous, who walk in the way of righteousness. (4.) They have clean hands, kept clean from the gross pollutions of sin, and, when spotted with infirmities, washed with innocency, Psa 26:6.
2.How they should be affected with the account of Job's troubles. Great enquiry, no doubt, would be made concerning him, and every one would speak of him and his case; and what use will good people make of it? (1.) It will amaze them: Upright men shall be astonished at this; they will wonder to hear that so good a man as Job should be so grievously afflicted in body, name, and estate, that God should lay his hand so heavily upon him, and that his friends, who ought to have comforted him, should add to his grief, that such a remarkable saint should be such a remarkable sufferer, and so useful a man laid aside in the midst of his usefulness; what shall we say to these things? Upright men, though satisfied in general that God is wise and holy in all he does, yet cannot but be astonished at such dispensations of Providence, paradoxes which will not be unfolded till the mystery of God shall be finished. (2.) It will animate them. Instead of being deterred from and discouraged in the service of God, by the hard usage which this faithful servant of God met with, they shall be so much the more emboldened to proceed and persevere in it. That which was St. Paul's care (Th1 3:3) was Job's, that no good man should be moved, either from his holiness or his comfort, by these afflictions, that none should, for the sake hereof, think the worse of the ways or work of God. And that which was St. Paul's comfort was his too, that the brethren in the Lord would wax confident by his bonds, Phi 1:14. They would hereby be animated, [1.] To oppose sin and to confront the corrupt and pernicious inferences which evil men would draw from Job's sufferings, as that God has forsaken the earth, that it is in vain to serve him, and the like: The innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite, will not bear to hear this (Rev 2:2), but will withstand him to his face, will stir up himself to search into the meaning of such providences and study these hard chapters, that he may read them readily, will stir up himself to maintain religion's just but injured cause against all its opposers. Note, The boldness of the attacks which profane people make upon religion should sharpen the courage and resolution of its friends and advocates. It is time to stir when proclamation is made in the gate of the camp, Who is on the Lord's side? When vice is daring it is no time for virtue, through fear, to hide itself. [2.] To persevere in religion. The righteous, instead of drawing back, or so much as starting back, at this frightful spectacle, or standing still to deliberate whether he should proceed or no (allude to Sa2 2:23), shall with so much the more constancy and resolution hold on his way and press forward. "Though in me he foresees that bonds and afflictions abide him, yet none of these things shall move him," Act 20:24. Those who keep their eye upon heaven as their end will keep their feet in the paths of religion as their way, whatever difficulties and discouragements they meet with in it [3.] In order thereunto to grow in grace. He will not only hold on his way notwithstanding, but will grow stronger and stronger. By the sight of other good men's trials, and the experience of his own, he will be made more vigorous and lively in his duty, more warm and affectionate, more resolute and undaunted; the worse others are the better he will be; that which dismays others emboldens him. The blustering wind makes the traveller gather his cloak the closer about him and gird it the faster. Those that are truly wise and good will be continually growing wiser and better. Proficiency in religion is a good sign of sincerity in it.
36. For if they had been acquainted with the keeping of discipline, nor ever despised the precepts of our Redeemer, the mere mortal condition of their flesh by itself would have excited them to the love of the life immortal; for this very thing, even our being subject to corruption in this life, is of the scourge of discipline. For to be made to feel annoyance from heat and cold, from hunger and thirst, to be afflicted with diseases, and one day even to be put out of existence, what else are all these, but the scourges of sin? Now there are some that both undergo scourges, and yet never fashion anew their life by the fear of Him Who scourges them. Whence it is rightly said now, Thou hast removed their heart far from discipline; in that though the body is under discipline, yet the heart is not under discipline, so long as a person is stricken with the rod, and yet not brought back to humbleness of mind. Nor yet is this spoken in such a sense, as if the Almighty and Merciful God ‘removed the heart of man far from discipline,’ but that having fallen away of his own accord, there in executing judgment He suffered him to remain, where he had fallen; as we also say to Him in praying, And lead us not into temptation. i.e. ‘do not ever suffer us to be led into temptation.’ It proceeds;
Therefore they shall not be exalted.
37. For if the heart were under discipline, it would seek after things above, it would not be openmouthed to obtain transitory good things. Of those, then, whose heart is not under discipline, it is rightly said, Therefore they shall not be exalted, in that while let go at large in the lowest enjoyments, they are ever longing for the good things of earth, they never lift the heart to the delights of heaven; for they would be exalted, if they lifted their minds to the hope of the heavenly country; but they, who do not make it their business to guard their way by discipline, ever in their desires lie grovelling in things below and what is more grievous, in lying low set themselves up, in that they are uplifted on the ground of things transitory. And they may be uplifted, but cannot be exalted, in that they are sunk the deeper below, by the very act by which they are rendered higher to themselves; and so the heart that is without discipline cannot be exalted, in that the human mind, as when elevated amiss it is forced down below, so forced down aright is lifted up on high.
“Set me free and put me beside you, and let the hand of anyone fight against me,” for Christ did not sin, either in thought or deed. He was made to “abide in bitterness” by his passion. He was “set free” by resurrection. He was “put beside” the Father by his ascension, in that having gone up into heaven he sits on the right hand of God. And because, after the glory of his ascension, Judea was stirred up in persecuting his disciples, it is rightly said here, “Let the hand of anyone fight against me.” For the madness of the persecutors did then rage on Christ’s members, and the flame of cruelty blazed out against the life of the faithful. But where should the wicked go, or what should they do, while he whom they persecuted on earth is now seated in heaven? Concerning whom it is yet further added, “You have removed their heart far from discipline. Therefore they shall not be exalted.” If they had been acquainted with the keeping of discipline, and had not ever despised the precepts of our Redeemer, the mere mortal condition of their flesh by itself would have excited them to the love of immortal life. For this reason even the fact that we are subject to corruption in this life is due to our need for learning discipline.… Therefore, insofar as the heart is under discipline, it seeks after the things above; it is not enthralled with transitory good things. But of those whose heart is not under discipline, it is rightly said, “Therefore they shall not be exalted,” for even while they are freed to pursue the lowest enjoyments, they are ever longing for the good things of the earth.
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SUMMARY
Job's profound anguish and frustration with his friends stem from their perceived lack of divine insight into his suffering. He attributes their spiritual blindness directly to God's sovereign hand, stating that God has "hid their heart from understanding." Consequently, Job pleads that these misguided counselors, who have offered false comfort and judgment rather than empathy, should not be exalted or vindicated in their erroneous positions. This verse underscores Job's desperate cry for justice and vindication in the face of uncomprehending human wisdom.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 17:4 is situated within Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically in his direct response to his friends' persistent accusations. Following Zophar's second speech in Job 11, Job's subsequent replies in Job 12-14 and 16-17 demonstrate a deepening despair and a more direct challenge to God, even as he maintains his innocence. In Job 17, Job laments his desolate state, feeling abandoned by God and utterly betrayed by his friends, whom he sarcastically calls "comforters" (Job 16:2). He views their repetitive, unhelpful counsel as evidence of their spiritual dullness, leading him to conclude that God Himself has obscured their understanding, making them incapable of true discernment regarding his unique and inexplicable suffering. This verse is a bitter plea for divine intervention against their judgmental stance, highlighting the chasm between Job's experience and his friends' rigid theological framework.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, suffering was widely interpreted through the lens of retribution theology: good deeds led to blessings, and sin led to punishment. Job's friends, adhering to this conventional wisdom, could only conclude that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of his hidden sin. This cultural assumption made it impossible for them to conceive of righteous suffering. The concept of "heart" (לֵב, lêb) in Hebrew thought was not merely the seat of emotion but the core of one's being—intellect, will, moral capacity, and conscience. Thus, for their "heart" to be "hid from understanding" meant a profound, divinely-orchestrated inability to grasp truth or offer sound judgment. Job's lament reflects the cultural expectation that friends would offer comfort and wise counsel, an expectation his companions utterly failed to meet.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the Book of Job. Firstly, it highlights the divine sovereignty over wisdom and understanding. Job attributes his friends' lack of insight directly to God, underscoring the biblical principle that all true wisdom originates from God, and He grants or withholds it as He wills (as seen in Proverbs 2:6). Secondly, it emphasizes the inadequacy and danger of human wisdom when it lacks divine illumination and empathy. The friends' rigid, unyielding theology, devoid of true understanding, proves to be a source of pain rather than comfort, illustrating how even well-intentioned counsel can be misguided. This resonates with the New Testament warning against relying solely on human wisdom (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:20). Finally, the verse touches upon the theme of justice and vindication. Job's plea that his friends "shalt thou not exalt [them]" is a cry for God to expose their flawed judgment and uphold Job's righteousness, foreshadowing the ultimate vindication that Job receives at the end of the book (see Job 42:7).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 17:4 employs several potent literary devices. Apostrophe is central, as Job directly addresses God ("For thou hast hid... thou shalt not exalt"), a common feature in his laments, underscoring his personal and intense struggle with the Almighty. There is an element of Paradox or Irony in Job's accusation: God, the ultimate source of wisdom and understanding, is depicted as actively withholding it from those who claim to speak on His behalf. This highlights the profound theological tension in the book. The verse also functions as a Rhetorical Statement or an Implied Plea for Justice; the "therefore" implies a logical consequence Job expects from God's action, a divine judgment against his friends' erroneous counsel. The friends' inability to understand, attributed to God, ironically serves to validate Job's suffering as beyond human comprehension, thus reinforcing his unique position as a righteous sufferer.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 17:4 deeply resonates with the biblical truth that all genuine wisdom and spiritual understanding are gifts from God, not inherent human capacities. It underscores the danger of human pride and self-assuredness, particularly when offering counsel in complex spiritual matters. When God withholds understanding, even from those who are religious or well-intentioned, their counsel can become a source of pain and misdirection rather than comfort and truth. This verse reminds us that true discernment requires divine illumination, and without it, even seemingly logical arguments can be profoundly flawed and unhelpful, especially in the face of inexplicable suffering. It also serves as a poignant reminder of God's sovereign control over human perception and the ultimate need for humility in our judgments of others.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 17:4 offers profound lessons for navigating relationships, especially when others are in distress. It challenges us to approach those who suffer with profound humility and empathy, rather than quick, judgmental pronouncements rooted in incomplete understanding. We must recognize that our human wisdom is limited, and true insight into the complexities of life, particularly suffering, often requires divine revelation. This verse serves as a powerful call to rely on God for wisdom, to pray for discernment, and to be slow to speak when we lack clarity, lest we become like Job's friends—offering pain instead of comfort. It encourages us to cultivate a heart that seeks to understand before presuming to advise, always remembering that God alone holds the full picture and grants true understanding.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job accuse God of being unfair in withholding understanding from his friends?
Answer: Job's statement in Job 17:4 is born out of deep anguish, frustration, and a sense of betrayal, both by his friends and, seemingly, by God. While it might sound like an accusation of unfairness, it's more accurately understood as Job grappling with the incomprehensible actions of God from his limited human perspective. He is not making a systematic theological claim about God's justice but expressing his raw pain and bewilderment. He attributes his friends' spiritual blindness to God's mysterious will, which he struggles to reconcile with God's character. It's a cry for vindication and justice against those who have misjudged him, implying that if God has indeed hidden understanding from them, then God should not honor their flawed counsel.
How does this verse relate to the concept of divine hardening of hearts in other biblical texts?
Answer: While Job 17:4 shares the theme of God's sovereign control over human perception, it's distinct from the "hardening of hearts" often discussed in relation to salvation or rebellion against God (e.g., Pharaoh's heart in Exodus 7:3 or the Israelites in the wilderness). In those instances, hardening often refers to a judicial act of God in response to persistent sin or unbelief, leading to an inability to repent or believe. In Job 17:4, the "hiding of understanding" is specifically about withholding discernment regarding Job's unique situation, leading to misguided judgment and a lack of empathy from his friends. It highlights God's ultimate control over all knowledge and insight, even in the context of human relationships and suffering, rather than a hardening against salvation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 17:4, with its lament over misunderstood suffering and the lack of understanding from those who should have offered comfort, finds profound resonance and ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Like Job, Jesus was the righteous sufferer, yet He was profoundly misunderstood and falsely accused by those who claimed to possess spiritual insight. The religious leaders of His day, whose hearts were often "hid from understanding" the true nature of God's kingdom and the Messiah, failed to recognize Him (as prophesied in Isaiah 53:3 and explicitly stated in John 1:10).
Jesus Himself is the embodiment of divine wisdom, the very "wisdom of God" (as declared in 1 Corinthians 1:30). His suffering was not a consequence of sin, but the ultimate act of righteousness for the sins of the world, fulfilling the archetype of the righteous sufferer that Job foreshadowed. The "exaltation" that Job pleads should be withheld from his misguided friends finds its perfect counterpoint in Christ's ultimate exaltation. After His humiliation, suffering, and death, God "highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). In Christ, we find true understanding of suffering, justice, and the mysterious ways of God, for He is the one through whom all things are revealed (John 14:6).