Job 23:17

KJV

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, [neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face.

KJV (with Strong's)

Because I was not cut off {H6789} before {H6440} the darkness {H2822}, neither hath he covered {H3680} the darkness {H652} from my face {H6440}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Yet I am not cut off by the darkness; he has protected me from the deepest gloom.

Berean Standard Bible

Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

American Standard Version

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 23:17 encapsulates Job's profound despair and his heart-wrenching lament that he was not "cut off" by death before the onset of his overwhelming suffering. This verse reveals his perception that God has neither spared him from the "darkness" of his trials nor shielded him from its full, unmitigated force, leaving him utterly exposed to an existence he finds more unbearable than death itself. It is a desperate cry from a man who feels abandoned to his torment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 23:17 is situated within Job's third major monologue (chapters 23-24), a passionate and increasingly desperate plea for a direct encounter with God. This section follows the silence of his friends, who, after their initial rounds of debate, have offered no satisfactory answers or comfort. Job's focus shifts entirely to God, whom he longs to confront directly and present his case, asserting his blamelessness and seeking an explanation for his suffering, as seen in his longing to find God's dwelling place ([Job 23:3-5](/job/23-3-5 "Job 23:3-5 - Job's Desire to Find God")). The monologue is characterized by Job's unwavering assertion of his integrity ([Job 23:10-12](/job/23-10-12 "Job 23:10-12 - Job's Integrity and Obedience")), his frustration with divine hiddenness ([Job 23:8-9](/job/23-8-9 "Job 23:8-9 - God's Elusiveness")), and his deep anguish over his unmerited trials. Verse 17 specifically articulates a lament that his life was not terminated before the calamities, echoing earlier expressions of despair from [Job 3](/job/3 "Job 3 - Job's Lament and Curse of His Birth"), thereby demonstrating a consistent and deepening theme of wishing for an escape from his torment through death.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, a prevalent theological framework, often termed "retribution theology," posited a direct correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and wickedness and suffering. Job's friends vehemently uphold this view, insisting that Job's immense suffering must be a consequence of hidden sin. Job's experience, however, directly challenges this prevailing worldview, as he maintains his innocence despite his unprecedented afflictions. His lament in [Job 23:17](/job/23-17 "Job 23:17 - Job's Despair") resonates with the universal human experience of desiring release from unbearable pain, a sentiment frequently expressed in ancient laments and wisdom literature across cultures. The metaphor of "darkness" would have been readily understood as a state of profound distress, chaos, and the absence of divine favor or light, contrasting sharply with the blessings of life and prosperity often associated with God's presence and blessing. Job's complaint, while intense and bordering on despair, is not an abandonment of God but a desperate cry within a covenantal relationship, seeking understanding and justice from the sovereign Lord.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **profound despair and the wish for death** as a release from unbearable suffering, a recurring motif for Job who feels his life has become a burden rather than a blessing, as articulated in [Job 7:15-16](/job/7-15-16 "Job 7:15-16 - Job's Weariness of Life"). Secondly, it highlights the **unrelieved nature of suffering** from Job's perspective; he feels utterly exposed to his trials, as if God has removed any protective covering, challenging the traditional understanding of divine protection for the righteous. Lastly, it touches upon the theme of **divine sovereignty and hiddenness**, as Job attributes his predicament to God's ultimate control, even though he cannot comprehend God's rationale for allowing such "darkness" to envelop him without intervention or explanation, a frustration evident in [Job 23:8-9](/job/23-8-9 "Job 23:8-9 - God's Hiddenness").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Cut off (Hebrew, _tsâmath'_):** This word (H6789) is a primitive root meaning "to extirpate (literally or figuratively); consume, cut off, destroy, vanish." In Job 23:17, Job's use of "cut off" refers to his desire for his life to have been terminated or ended prematurely. It expresses a deep longing for non-existence or a swift demise before the onset of his catastrophic suffering, highlighting the extreme anguish and despair that has made his current existence seem worse than death itself.
* **Darkness (Hebrew, _chôshek'_):** This term (H2822), derived from a root meaning "to be dark," signifies "the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness; dark(-ness), night, obscurity." In Job's context, "darkness" is a potent metaphor for his profound distress, sorrow, affliction, and the overwhelming misery of his life. It represents not merely his physical pain but the spiritual and emotional desolation, the absence of divine comfort, and the confusion surrounding God's actions. The parallel use of `ʼôphel` (H652), meaning "dusk; darkness, obscurity, privily," in the second clause reinforces this pervasive sense of gloom and hopelessness.
* **Covered (Hebrew, _kâçâh'_):** This verb (H3680) is a primitive root meaning "properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm." Job's complaint is that God has not "covered" or shielded him from the darkness. This implies a desire for divine protection, alleviation, or even a merciful concealment from the full brunt of his suffering. He feels utterly exposed and vulnerable, without any divine intervention to mitigate his pain or hide him from the overwhelming despair.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Because I was not cut off before the darkness":** This opening clause expresses Job's profound regret that he did not die prior to the onset of his immense suffering. He laments that his life continued, allowing him to experience the full, unmitigated force of his calamities. This is not a suicidal wish in the modern sense but a desperate cry for release, viewing death as a merciful escape from a life now consumed by pain and confusion. It underscores the depth of his physical, emotional, and spiritual torment, which has become so unbearable that non-existence is seen as a preferable alternative.
* **"[neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face":** This second clause intensifies Job's complaint by stating that God has not only allowed him to live to experience this "darkness" but has also failed to shield him from its overwhelming presence. The phrase "from my face" (Hebrew, _pânîym_, H6440, "the face (as the part that turns)") emphasizes the direct, personal, and inescapable nature of his suffering. Job perceives God as having withdrawn any protective covering, leaving him fully exposed to the relentless onslaught of his trials, without any comfort, relief, or understanding. This highlights his feeling of abandonment and the perceived absence of divine intervention to alleviate his plight, suggesting that God has allowed the "darkness" to confront him directly and without mercy.

#### Literary Devices
Job 23:17 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey Job's profound anguish. The most prominent is **Metaphor**, specifically the pervasive use of "darkness" to represent his suffering. This is not literal darkness but a comprehensive symbol for his profound distress, sorrow, affliction, and the chaotic, hopeless state of his life. It effectively communicates the absence of light, hope, understanding, and divine comfort. The verse also contains elements of **Hyperbole**, as Job's wish for death and his feeling of being utterly uncovered by God are expressions of extreme emotional pain, perhaps not meant to be taken literally as a precise theological statement but as an unvarnished outpouring of unbearable anguish. Furthermore, the verse functions as a **Lament**, a common genre in biblical literature where an individual expresses deep sorrow, complaint, and petition to God in times of distress. Job's lament here is raw and unvarnished, demonstrating the biblical allowance for honest expression of pain and confusion before God. The **Parallelism** between the two clauses, where the second clause intensifies the first, further emphasizes the dual nature of Job's complaint: not dying before the darkness, and God not shielding him from it.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 23:17 stands as a stark reminder of the human capacity for profound despair in the face of inexplicable suffering, challenging simplistic notions of divine justice and the easy answers offered by Job's friends. It forces us to grapple with the reality of God's apparent hiddenness or silence when the righteous suffer, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture. Job's lament is not a rejection of God but a desperate cry within a relationship, seeking understanding from a sovereign God whose ways are often inscrutable. This verse underscores the biblical truth that faith is not the absence of doubt or pain, but often a persistent wrestling with God in the midst of it, even when His presence seems withdrawn and His actions incomprehensible.

* [Psalm 88:6-7](/psalms/88-6-7 "Psalm 88:6-7 - A Psalm of Utter Despair")
* [Lamentations 3:1-6](/lamentations/3-1-6 "Lamentations 3:1-6 - The Prophet's Anguish")
* [Psalm 13:1-2](/psalms/13-1-2 "Psalm 13:1-2 - A Prayer for Deliverance from Trouble")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 23:17 offers a profound validation of the raw, unvarnished human experience of suffering, reminding us that the Bible does not shy away from depicting the depths of human despair. For those undergoing severe trials, Job's words resonate deeply: the feeling of being completely exposed to pain, with no apparent relief or divine intervention, is a real and valid human experience. This verse grants permission for honest lament, assuring sufferers that their darkest thoughts and feelings are not foreign to biblical experience and can be brought before God without shame. It teaches us that true faith is not always triumphant joy, but often a struggling, questioning, yet persistent clinging to God even when His ways are incomprehensible and His presence seems absent. We are invited to bring our full, broken selves to God, trusting that He can handle our pain and our questions, even when we wish for death or feel abandoned by His light. It challenges us to extend grace and empathy to those who voice such despair, rather than offering simplistic theological answers.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's raw honesty in this verse challenge your own understanding of expressing pain and despair to God?**
* **In what ways have you experienced "darkness" in your life, and how did you perceive God's presence or absence during those times?**
* **What comfort, if any, can be found in knowing that even a righteous man like Job experienced such profound wishes for an end to his suffering, and how does this inform your view of lament in faith?**

### FAQ
**Does Job's wish for death in Job 23:17 indicate a lack of faith or a sinful desire?**

Answer: Job's wish for death in [Job 23:17](/job/23-17 "Job 23:17 - Job's Despair"), and elsewhere in the book (e.g., [Job 3:11](/job/3-11 "Job 3:11 - Job's Wish for Death at Birth")), does not indicate a lack of faith but rather the extreme depth of his physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. It is a desperate cry for relief from unbearable torment, not a rebellious rejection of God. Throughout his ordeal, Job consistently maintains his integrity and a desire to meet God ([Job 23:3-7](/job/23-3-7 "Job 23:3-7 - Job's Desire to Find God")), even while questioning His actions and apparent hiddenness. Biblical figures often express profound despair and a longing for death when overwhelmed by suffering, as seen in the laments of Jeremiah ([Jeremiah 20:14-18](/jeremiah/20-14-18 "Jeremiah 20:14-18 - Jeremiah's Curse on His Birthday")) or Elijah ([1_kings/19-4](/1_kings/19-4 "1 Kings 19:4 - Elijah's Despair")). This demonstrates that honest, even agonizing, expressions of pain and confusion are permissible within a faithful relationship with God, and are not necessarily indicative of a sinful or faithless heart.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's lament in [Job 23:17](/job/23-17 "Job 23:17 - Job's Despair"), wishing he had been "cut off before the darkness" and that God had "covered the darkness from my face," finds its ultimate echo and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job's suffering was a mystery to him, Christ's suffering was a deliberate act of divine love, a descent into the deepest "darkness" for the sake of humanity. On the cross, Jesus experienced a profound abandonment, crying out, "[My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")" – a lament far deeper than Job's, as the Son of God bore the full weight of humanity's sin, experiencing the ultimate spiritual darkness of separation from the Father. Unlike Job, who wished to be spared the darkness, Jesus willingly entered it, becoming sin for us ([2_corinthians/5-21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")) so that we might be covered by His righteousness and never face the eternal darkness of judgment. His death was not a wish for escape but a purposeful, atoning sacrifice, conquering the darkness of sin and death, and offering the light of life to all who believe ([John 1:5](/john/1-5 "John 1:5 - The Light Shines in the Darkness")). Through Christ's triumph over the grave and the powers of darkness, the ultimate darkness that Job experienced is overcome, and believers are promised that they will never walk in darkness but have the light of life ([John 8:12](/john/8-12 "John 8:12 - Jesus, the Light of the World")), finding their true covering and refuge in Him.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 19:8

¶ He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

Isaiah 57:1

¶ The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth [it] to heart: and merciful men [are] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].

Job 18:18

He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

2 Kings 22:20

Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Job 15:22

He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

Job 22:11

Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

Job 6:9

Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!