Job 17:7

Translation
King James Version
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Mine eye H5869 also is dim H3543 by reason of sorrow H3708, and all my members H3338 are as a shadow H6738.
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Complete Jewish Bible
I am nearly blind with grief, my limbs reduced to a shadow.
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Berean Standard Bible
My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
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American Standard Version
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow.
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World English Bible Messianic
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Mine eye therefore is dimme for griefe, and all my strength is like a shadowe.
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Young's Literal Translation
And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
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See also
Job 16:16Psalms 31:9Psalms 31:10Psalms 6:7Lamentations 5:17Psalms 109:23Job 16:8
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SUMMARY

Job 17:7 powerfully articulates the profound physical and emotional devastation wrought by immense, undeserved suffering. In this poignant lament, Job describes the deterioration of his body, attributing his failing eyesight and emaciated frame directly to the overwhelming sorrow, injustice, and spiritual anguish that have consumed him, leaving him feeling like a mere insubstantial shadow on the precipice of non-existence.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 17:7 is situated within Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically his impassioned response to Bildad (Job 16-17). By this point in the narrative, Job has completely abandoned any hope of genuine comfort or understanding from his three friends, whose rigid adherence to retribution theology only exacerbates his pain. Instead, Job turns his desperate plea directly to God, even calling for a divine arbiter or witness to vouch for his innocence, as powerfully expressed in Job 16:19. This particular verse immediately follows Job's declaration that his spirit is broken, his days are extinct, and the grave awaits him (Job 17:1), highlighting the profound depth of his despair and the visible physical manifestations of his prolonged suffering. He feels mocked by those around him (Job 17:2), yet paradoxically, he still clings to a desperate hope for vindication from the very God whom he feels is crushing him.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, a prevalent worldview, often termed "retribution theology," posited a direct correlation between one's moral conduct and their material prosperity or suffering. Health and abundance were typically viewed as indicators of divine favor, while affliction was frequently interpreted as a sign of hidden sin or divine displeasure. This theological framework is precisely what Job's friends espouse throughout the book, leading them to accuse him and intensify his anguish. Job's lament, therefore, serves as a profound challenge to this prevailing societal and theological norm, presenting a compelling case of righteous suffering. The physical descriptions in the verse reflect a common ancient understanding of the interconnectedness of body and soul; intense emotional and spiritual distress was widely believed to directly impact one's physical well-being. Furthermore, the concept of a "shadow" as a metaphor for frailty, the brevity of life, and the insubstantiality of human existence was a deeply ingrained motif in ancient wisdom literature, echoing sentiments found in various psalms.
  • Key Themes: Job 17:7 contributes significantly to several overarching themes explored throughout the Book of Job. Firstly, it vividly portrays the physical manifestation of grief and spiritual anguish, illustrating how profound emotional and spiritual suffering can directly impact physical health, leading to visible deterioration and a loss of vitality. This underscores the holistic nature of human experience, emphasizing that mind, body, and spirit are deeply intertwined and mutually affected by distress. Secondly, the verse highlights human frailty and mortality, as Job's description of his "members as a shadow" powerfully conveys the fleeting and insubstantial nature of human life when confronted with overwhelming adversity, a theme echoed in Psalm 90:10. Finally, it powerfully conveys Job's profound sense of despair and isolation, as he feels reduced to a mere outline of his former self, abandoned by both God and man, and on the very brink of death.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • dim (Hebrew, kâhâh', H3543): This primitive root signifies "to be weak," particularly in the sense of growing dull or failing, as with light or the eye. Figuratively, it can mean "to despond." In Job's context, it describes his eyesight failing, but it extends metaphorically to a general loss of vibrancy, acuity, and strength, indicating a profound weariness that affects his entire being and his ability to perceive any hope or endure further.
  • sorrow (Hebrew, kaʻaç', H3708): This noun denotes "vexation," "anger," "grief," "indignation," or "provocation." It captures the intense emotional distress Job experiences, encompassing not just sadness but also a deep sense of injustice, frustration, and spiritual anguish. This word underscores the profound internal turmoil that Job identifies as the direct cause of his physical decline.
  • members (Hebrew, yâtsur', H3338): This passive participle refers to a "structure," specifically a "limb or part" of the body. When Job states "all my members," he is referring to his entire physical being, every part of his body. The use of this term emphasizes the comprehensive nature of his physical deterioration, indicating that no part of him is unaffected by his suffering.
  • shadow (Hebrew, tsêl', H6738): This noun refers to "shade," whether literal or figurative. It often connotes something insubstantial, fleeting, or lacking solidity. When Job states "all my members are as a shadow," he is expressing extreme emaciation, weakness, and a feeling of being utterly depleted, close to non-existence, like a mere silhouette or a fading image that holds no substance or vigor.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow": This clause establishes a direct causal link between Job's intense emotional and spiritual suffering ("sorrow") and his physical deterioration, specifically his failing eyesight. It highlights the psychosomatic impact of his anguish, where profound internal distress manifests externally. The dimming of his eyes symbolizes not only physical blindness or weakness of sight but also a loss of hope, clarity, and the ability to perceive a way out of his desperate predicament, reflecting a deep spiritual and emotional exhaustion.
  • "and all my members [are] as a shadow": This second clause extends the physical decay to his entire body ("all my members"), indicating a comprehensive physical decline. The powerful simile "as a shadow" conveys an extreme state of emaciation, weakness, and insubstantiality. Job feels his body has lost its substance and vigor, becoming a mere outline, a fading image, signifying his proximity to death and his utter depletion of strength and vitality, as though he is barely present in the physical world.

Literary Devices

Job 17:7 effectively employs several literary devices to convey the overwhelming depth of Job's suffering and physical decay. The most prominent is Simile, particularly in the phrase "all my members [are] as a shadow." This vivid comparison is not literal but powerfully conveys the profound sense of physical emaciation, weakness, and insubstantiality Job feels, as if his body has lost all its substance and is on the verge of disappearing. Hyperbole is also present, as Job uses extreme language to describe his condition, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of his pain and physical decay beyond a mere ailment, suggesting a complete dissolution of his being. The verse also exhibits a form of Parallelism, where the two clauses, though not strictly synonymous, both contribute to the central theme of profound physical and emotional deterioration resulting from overwhelming sorrow. The cumulative effect of these stark descriptions evokes strong Pathos, eliciting deep sympathy and understanding from the reader for Job's desperate and agonizing plight.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Job 17:7 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of suffering and the human condition. It directly challenges a simplistic retribution theology by demonstrating that intense, undeserved sorrow can have devastating physical consequences, even on a righteous individual. This verse underscores the deep interconnectedness of the human person—body, soul, and spirit—and the reality that internal anguish can manifest externally in tangible ways. It highlights the mystery of suffering and the limits of human understanding in the face of divine sovereignty, forcing the reader to grapple with the perplexing question of why the righteous suffer. Job's lament, while expressing profound despair and a sense of fading away, implicitly points to the enduring human longing for vindication, justice, and the ultimate restoration that only God can provide, even when the path is shrouded in darkness and the sufferer feels utterly abandoned.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job 17:7 offers a poignant and timeless insight into the profound, holistic impact of suffering on the human being, reminding us that deep emotional and spiritual anguish can manifest in tangible physical ways. It calls for profound empathy and compassion towards those who are enduring immense sorrow, urging us to move beyond simplistic judgments or unhelpful advice, such as that offered by Job's friends. This verse validates the reality that it is permissible to lament, to express the raw and painful truth of our physical and emotional deterioration when overwhelmed by life's hardships. It teaches us that feeling diminished, "as a shadow," is a real and often unavoidable part of the human experience of grief, loss, and prolonged distress, and it underscores the critical importance of genuine presence, understanding, and sustained support for those who feel their very substance fading away. Ultimately, while Job's despair is palpable, the verse also implicitly points to the enduring human need for hope, healing, and the eventual vindication that God, in His mysterious wisdom and perfect timing, orchestrates for His faithful.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Job's lament in this verse resonate with your own experiences of suffering or grief, where emotional pain has impacted your physical well-being?
  • In what ways might intense emotional or spiritual distress manifest physically in our lives or the lives of others, and how can we recognize these signs with compassion?
  • How can we offer genuine, compassionate support to those who feel their "members are as a shadow," rather than offering simplistic answers or judgments that may cause further pain?
  • What does Job's willingness to express such raw vulnerability and physical deterioration teach us about honesty and authenticity in our prayers and laments before God?

FAQ

Does Job 17:7 imply that all physical ailments are a direct result of sorrow or sin?

Answer: Job 17:7 reflects Job's personal experience and his belief that his physical deterioration is a direct consequence of his overwhelming sorrow and the profound injustice he perceives. In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, there was often a strong correlation drawn between one's moral state and physical well-being, leading to the assumption that suffering indicated sin. However, the Book of Job as a whole precisely challenges and ultimately refutes this simplistic retribution theology. While it powerfully acknowledges the deep interconnectedness of body and soul—that intense emotional distress can indeed manifest physically—it does not teach that all physical ailments are a direct result of personal sin or sorrow. Jesus Himself directly refutes this notion in John 9:1-3 when asked about the man born blind, stating that his blindness was "not that this man sinned, or his parents." Job's case is unique in its intensity and its divinely permitted nature, serving as a profound exploration of undeserved suffering and the mystery of God's sovereignty rather than a general rule for all illness or affliction.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Job's lament in Job 17:7, where he describes himself as having a dimming eye and his members becoming a fading shadow due to overwhelming sorrow, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's suffering, though immense and deeply personal, was a finite human experience; Christ's suffering, however, was infinite, bearing the full, crushing weight of the world's sin and sorrow. The prophet Isaiah foreshadowed Christ as one whose "visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14), a description that echoes and surpasses Job's physical decay. On the cross, Jesus truly became "as a shadow," not merely from personal sorrow but from the crushing burden of divine wrath and separation, experiencing the ultimate physical and spiritual abandonment. He was "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5), taking on the very dimness and shadow of death that Job feared. Yet, unlike Job, Christ's suffering was not for His own sin, but for ours, and it culminated not in permanent decay but in glorious resurrection and triumphant victory over the grave. Through His victory over death, Christ transforms the "shadow" of human frailty, suffering, and mortality into the substance of eternal life and enduring hope. He is our sympathetic High Priest who fully understands our weakness and suffering (Hebrews 4:15), having experienced all things as we do, yet without sin. In Him, those who feel like fading shadows find their true light, enduring hope, and ultimate vindication, knowing that our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2-corinthians/4-17).

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Commentary on Job 17 verses 1–9

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

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.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
41. For ‘the eye is dim for indignation,’ when those very persons likewise, who in the Lord’s Body, i.e. in the Church, are endued with the light of truth, whilst they see themselves too long despised and disdained by the wicked, are confounded in astonishment at the inscrutable judgment, and fail to fathom the secret of God; for what reason it is that the wicked are suffered to prevail against the innocence of the good? For who is not amazed, when Herodias by her daughter’s dancing obtains at the hands of the drunken king, that the head of that Friend of the Bridegroom, that ‘Prophet, and more than a Prophet,’ should be brought before the faces of his guests upon a charger? Now when the just are ‘dimmed in indignation,’ the weak very commonly go headlong into actual infidelity; whence it is added, And any members are as it were brought to nothing. For by the term of ‘members,’ we have the tenderness of the weak set forth, who, while they behold bad men flourishing, and good men tormented, are sometimes brought to this pass, that they regret that they even began in good things, and so speedily fall back to doing evil things, as if the good they had begun were a detriment to their life.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON JOB 17:6
“I will rise in authority among peoples,” because of the stupefaction for all that has happened to me. And the words, “I will be a veil on their faces,” that is, whoever hears about my horrible misfortunes will veil his face. This is said as an analogy of the fact that when one hears a horrible thing, he brings his hand to his forehead and veils his eyes.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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