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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 24:13–17. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
These verses describe another sort of sinners who therefore go unpunished, because they go undiscovered. They rebel against the light, Job 24:13. Some understand it figuratively: they sin against the light of nature, the light of God's law, and that of their own consciences; they profess to know God, but they rebel against the knowledge they have of him, and will not be guided and governed, commanded and controlled, by it. Others understand it literally: they have the day-light and choose the night as the most advantageous season for their wickedness. Sinful works are therefore called works of darkness, because he that does evil hates the light (Joh 3:20), knows not the ways thereof, that is, keeps out of the way of it, or, if he happen to be seen, abides not where he thinks he is known. So that he here describes the worst of sinners, - those that sin wilfully, and against the convictions of their own consciences, whereby they add rebellion to their sin, - those that sin deliberately, and with a great deal of plot and contrivance, using a thousand arts to conceal their villanies, fondly imagining that, if they can but hide them from the eye of men, they are safe, but forgetting that there is no darkness or shadow of death in which the workers of iniquity can hide themselves from God's eye, Job 34:22. In this paragraph Job specifies three sorts of sinners that shun the light: - 1. Murderers, Job 24:14. They rise with the light, as soon as ever the day breaks, to kill the poor travellers that are up early and abroad about their business, going to market with a little money or goods; and though it is so little that they are really to be called poor and needy, who with much ado get a sorry livelihood by their marketings, yet, to get it, the murderer will both take his neighbour's life and venture his own, will rather play at such small game than not play at all; nay, he kills for killing sake, thirsting more for blood than for booty. See what care and pains wicked men take to compass their wicked designs, and let the sight shame us out of our negligence and slothfulness in doing good.
Ut jugulent homines, surgunt de nocte latrones,
Tuque ut te serves non expergisceris? -
Rogues nightly rise to murder men for pelf;
Will you not rouse you to preserve yourself?
2.Adulterers. The eyes that are full of adultery (Pe2 2:14), the unclean and wanton eyes, wait for the twilight, Job 24:15. The eye of the adulteress did so, Pro 7:9. Adultery hides its head for shame. The sinners themselves, even the most impudent, do what they can to hide their sin: si non caste, tamen caute - if not chastely, yet cautiously; and after all the wretched endeavours of the factors for hell to take away the reproach of it, it is and ever will be a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret, Eph 5:12. It hides its head also for fear, knowing that jealousy is the rage of a husband, who will not spare in the day of vengeance, Pro 6:24, Pro 6:25. See what pains those take that make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it, pains to compass, and then to conceal, that provision which, after all, will be death and hell at last. Less pains would serve to mortify and crucify the flesh, which would be life and heaven at last. Let the sinner change his heart, and then he needs not disguise his face, but may lift it up without spot.
3.House-breakers, Job 24:16. These mark houses in the day-time, mark the avenues of a house, and on which side they can most easily force their entrance, and then, in the night, dig through them, either to kill, or steal, or commit adultery. The night favours the assault, and makes the defence the more difficult; for the good man of the house knows not what hour the thief will come and therefore is asleep (Luk 12:39) and he and his lie exposed. For this reason our law makes burglary, which is the breaking and entering of a dwelling-house in the night time with a felonious intent, to be felony without benefit of clergy.
And, lastly, Job observes (and perhaps observes it as part of the present, though secret, punishment of such sinners as these) that they are in a continual terror for fear of being discovered (Job 24:17): The morning is to them even as the shadow of death. The light of the day, which is welcome to honest people, is a terror to bad people. They curse the sun, not as the Moors, because it scorches them, but because it discovers them. If one know them, their consciences fly in their faces, and they are ready to become their own accusers; for they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. Shame came in with sin, and everlasting shame is at the end of it. See the misery of sinners - they are exposed to continual frights; and yet see their folly - they are afraid of coming under the eye of men, but have no dread of God's eye, which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing that which yet they are so terribly afraid of being known to do.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
77. For the wicked look for the afflicting of the righteous, and long to see them in distress, and ‘in the dark they dig through houses,’ when the heart of the innocent but weak ones they corrupt in the season of their casting down by the worst mode of discourse. But it commonly happens that when they see the good in a sunken state, on a sudden, by the secret appointment of God, any righteous one that seemed to be borne down is upheld by some share of the world’s power, and the prosperity of the present life smiles on him, whom the darkness of adversity before overlaid. Which same prosperity of that man when the wicked behold, as it has been said, they are troubled. For directly they turn back to their own hearts, they bring back before their minds’ eye whatever they remember themselves to have done amiss, they fear for every particular sinful habit to be avenged in them, and by the same means by which he that receives power is made to shine the bad man who dreads to be corrected is darkened in sorrow. And so it is well said, If the morning suddenly appear, they think it is the shadow of death. For ‘the morning’ is the mind of the righteous man, which quitting the darkness of its sin, now breaks out unto the light of eternity, as it is said of Holy Church likewise; Who is she that looketh forth as the morning? [Cant. 6, 10] Therefore in the same measure that every righteous person shining with the light of righteousness is in the present life reared to a height with honours, in the same measure before the eyes of the wicked comes the ‘darkness of death,’ in that they who remember that they have done bad things are in fear of being corrected. For they desire always to have a loose given them in their iniquities, to live free from correction, and from sin to have delight; whose fatal mirth is itself appropriately described in the words that are directly introduced,
And they walk so in darkness, as in the light.
78. For with a froward mind they delight in deeds of wickedness, through their sin they are day by day being dragged to punishment, and are full of assurance. Hence it is said by Solomon, And there are wicked men that are as secure as if they had the deeds of the righteous. Concerning whom it is written again, Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the most wicked doings. Thus ‘they walk in darkness as in the light,’ in that they so delight in the night of sin as if the light of righteousness spread around them. Or otherwise, whereas darkness not inappropriately represents the present life, wherein the consciences of other men are not seen, whilst our light is the eternal land, in which when we look at faces, our hearts within us we mutually see; and because the wicked so love the present life, and embrace these times of exile, as if they already reigned in their native country, it is rightly said, They walk in darkness as in the light, in that they are as full of gladness in the present state of blindness, as if they already enjoyed the light of the eternal country.
And so it is well said, “If the morning suddenly appears, it is to them even as the shadow of death.” For “the morning” is the mind of the righteous, which, leaving behind the darkness of sin, now breaks out into the light of eternity. As it is also said of the holy church, “Who is she that looks forth as the morning?” Therefore, in the same measure that every righteous person shining with the light of righteousness in this present life is reared to a height with honors, so the same measure of the darkness of death comes before the eyes of the wicked, in that they who remember that they have done bad things are in fear of being corrected. They always desire to be free in their iniquities, to live free from correction and to delight from sin. Its fatal mirth is itself appropriately described in the words that are directly introduced: “And they walk so in darkness, as in the light.” For with an evil mind they delight in deeds of wickedness. Through their sin they are day by day being dragged to punishment and are full of assurance. Hence it is said by Solomon that “there are wicked people who are as secure as if they had done the deeds of righteous.” Concerning them it is written that they “rejoice to do evil and delight in the most wicked doings.” Thus “they walk in darkness as in the light,” in that they delight in the night of sin as if the light of righteousness were spread around them.…“He is light on the face of the water.” From the plural number he returns to the singular, because most frequently one person begins what is bad, and numbers follow after by imitating him, but the fault is primarily his, whom the bad people follow after being furnished examples of wickedness; and hence the sentence frequently returns to him who was the leader in sin. Now the surface of water is carried here and there by the breath of air. Not being steadied with any stability it is put in motion everywhere. And so the mind of the wicked is “lighter than the surface of water,” in that every breath of temptation that touches it, draws it in without any retarding resistance. For if we imagine the unstable heart of any bad person, what do we discover but a surface of water set in the wind?
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Summary
Job 24:17 offers a profound psychological portrait of the wicked, whose deeds are committed under the veil of darkness. Far from welcoming the dawn as a symbol of new beginnings, they dread its arrival, for the morning light threatens to expose their hidden sins and bring the dreaded specter of accountability. This verse powerfully underscores the inherent terror and self-inflicted torment that accompanies a life of unrighteousness, where the very light that brings comfort and clarity to the righteous becomes a terrifying harbinger of potential exposure and judgment for those who choose to dwell in moral obscurity.
Context
Literary Context
Job 24:17 is embedded within Job's fourth and final discourse (chapters 21-24), a section where he continues his impassioned argument against the conventional wisdom espoused by his friends. Throughout this discourse, Job challenges the simplistic notion that suffering is always a direct consequence of personal sin, and prosperity a sign of righteousness. Instead, he observes and articulates the uncomfortable reality that many wicked individuals appear to flourish, committing acts of injustice, oppression, and violence without immediate divine retribution. Chapter 24 specifically details a catalog of such transgressions—including moving boundary markers, stealing, exploiting the vulnerable, and committing murder—many of which are executed under the cover of night. Verse 17 serves as a poignant psychological climax to this enumeration, shifting focus from the outward actions of the wicked to their internal state. It reveals that despite their apparent impunity, these evildoers are plagued by an internal dread, a fear of exposure that makes the morning light as terrifying as death itself. This internal torment stands as a subtle counterpoint to Job's broader struggle with the timing and nature of God's justice.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the stark contrast between day and night carried significant practical, social, and moral implications. Daylight was universally associated with honest labor, public life, and transparent dealings, while the darkness of night provided a natural cloak for illicit activities, conspiracies, and crimes. Robbers, murderers, and adulterers, as described in Job 24, routinely exploited the cover of darkness to avoid detection and public shame. The imagery of "light" often symbolized truth, revelation, divine presence, and moral purity, whereas "darkness" represented ignorance, evil, chaos, and judgment. The Hebrew phrase "shadow of death" (Hebrew: tsalmaveth) was a well-understood and potent idiom, denoting not merely physical darkness but a profound, oppressive gloom, a state of extreme peril, or the very brink of the grave. For the wicked depicted by Job, the morning light, which typically brings relief and renewal, becomes a source of terror precisely because it threatens to strip away their protective cloak of darkness, exposing their deeds to the light of day, and potentially, to human justice or divine judgment.
Key Themes
This verse significantly contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the aversion to light and preference for darkness characteristic of those whose deeds are evil, a profound spiritual truth echoed by Jesus in John 3:19, where He states, "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." The wicked in Job 24:17 view dawn not as a welcome return but as a menacing threat, symbolizing exposure and accountability. Secondly, the verse highlights the profound guilt and internal terror that plague those who commit wicked acts. Despite any outward prosperity or temporary success in evading capture, their inner world is one of constant dread, where the anticipation of discovery makes the morning as ominous as the "shadow of death." This internal suffering serves as a form of self-punishment, hinting at the inherent, inescapable consequences of sin even before external judgment. Thirdly, while Job grapples with the perceived delay of God's justice, this verse subtly points to the reality of divine justice (implicit). Even if delayed, the fear and internal torment experienced by the wicked are a testament to the ultimate truth that hidden deeds will eventually be brought to light, a principle affirmed in 1 Corinthians 4:5. The verse suggests that the wicked's own conscience and fear of exposure serve as a precursor to the ultimate reckoning.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the root meaning "to cleave" or "to break forth," this word properly denotes the "dawn" or the "break of day." It signifies the time when light first appears, dispelling the darkness of night. In Job 24:17, its use is deeply ironic, as this natural symbol of renewal, clarity, and the start of honest labor becomes, for the wicked, a terrifying harbinger of exposure and judgment, rather than a welcome sight.
This powerful compound noun, derived from "shadow" (צֵל, tsel) and "death" (מָוֶת, māvet), signifies a profound, oppressive gloom, a place of extreme peril, despair, and the very brink of the grave. It is not merely a physical shadow but an existential darkness that evokes ultimate dread. Its repeated use in this verse emphasizes the overwhelming and life-threatening nature of the fear that grips the wicked at the prospect of dawn.
Derived from a root meaning "to be startled" or "to be terrified," this noun refers to sudden, overwhelming fears, horrors, or dreadful things. It conveys an intense, visceral fright that grips the wicked, emphasizing the psychological anguish they experience. This is not mere discomfort but a paralyzing, horrifying dread that consumes them, often associated with divine judgment or the consequences of their own actions.
Verse Breakdown
"For the morning [is] to them even as the shadow of death:"
This clause establishes a profound and ironic inversion of natural order and human expectation. For most, the morning symbolizes hope, new beginnings, and the dispelling of fears associated with the night. However, for the wicked, whose transgressions are committed under the cloak of darkness (as described in the preceding verses of Job 24), the morning light is not a welcome sight but a terrifying harbinger. It is directly compared to the "shadow of death," signifying that the light of day, with its potential for exposure and accountability, is as dreadful and ominous to them as the deepest, most perilous darkness or the very approach of death itself. Their internal state is one of existential dread at the thought of their hidden deeds being brought to light.
"if [one] know [them, they are in] the terrors of the shadow of death."
This second clause intensifies and clarifies the nature of the dread described in the first. The phrase "if one know them" implies recognition, identification, or, more critically, exposure of their true character or illicit activities. The terror of the morning is not merely abstract; it becomes intensely personal and overwhelming when their hidden identity or wicked deeds are on the verge of being revealed. The "terrors of the shadow of death" are not just a general sense of foreboding but a specific, intense, and horrifying fear that grips them when they realize their anonymity is compromised, and their actions are about to be laid bare. This suggests that the ultimate fear for the wicked is not just punishment, but public shame, the loss of their deceptive cover, and the inevitable confrontation with truth.
Literary Devices
Job 24:17 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message about the internal torment of the wicked. The most prominent is Simile, where the morning is directly compared to "the shadow of death" using the linking word "as" (Hebrew: yachad, meaning "alike" or "together with"). This comparison creates a striking Irony, as dawn, typically a universal symbol of hope, renewal, and safety, is transformed into a terrifying omen for those who operate in darkness. The phrase "shadow of death" itself is a potent Metaphor for profound dread, extreme danger, and the very brink of annihilation, intensifying the psychological state of the wicked. The use of "terrors" alongside "shadow of death" also employs Hyperbole, exaggerating the extent of their fear to emphasize its overwhelming, paralyzing nature. Finally, there is a clear Contrast between the typical human experience of dawn as a time of comfort and the wicked's experience of it as a source of dread, powerfully highlighting their perverse moral state and the inescapable internal consequences of their actions.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse profoundly illustrates the biblical principle that sin, particularly when hidden and unconfessed, creates an internal prison of fear and dread. It speaks to the inherent self-punishment that accompanies a life lived in opposition to God's light and truth. While the book of Job grapples extensively with the external prosperity of the wicked and the apparent delay of divine retribution, this verse offers a crucial insight into their internal spiritual bankruptcy and torment. It underscores that God's justice is not always immediate or externally manifest, but often begins with the conscience, where the light of truth, even if only anticipated, becomes a source of terror for those who love darkness more than light. This internal dread serves as a powerful theological foreshadowing of the ultimate revelation of all hidden deeds before God's righteous judgment seat.
Reflection and Application
Job 24:17 serves as a stark and piercing reminder that a life lived in the shadows of hidden sin, deceit, and injustice ultimately leads to profound internal fear and spiritual death, regardless of outward appearances or temporary prosperity. The peace that comes from living in integrity and transparency is a profound and incomparable blessing, for those who walk in the light have nothing to hide and can genuinely welcome the dawn as a symbol of God's faithfulness and new mercies. This verse challenges us to deeply examine our own lives: are there areas where we consciously or unconsciously prefer darkness to light, where we dread the possibility of exposure or accountability? True freedom and genuine security are found not in successfully concealing our wrongs, but in humbly bringing them into the illuminating light of God's grace and truth, confessing them, and embracing the path of repentance and transformation. For the believer, the morning should always bring hope, renewal, and the joy of God's presence, never the terror of anticipated judgment.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "shadow of death" in Job 24:17?
The phrase "shadow of death" (Hebrew: tsalmaveth) is a highly evocative and profound term that extends far beyond mere physical darkness. It signifies an oppressive, existential gloom, a place of extreme peril, deep despair, and the very brink of the grave. In Job 24:17, its significance lies in its powerful portrayal of the psychological state of the wicked. For them, the morning light, which typically brings comfort, hope, and clarity, is as terrifying and foreboding as encountering death itself. It symbolizes the profound existential dread and intense terror that accompanies their hidden deeds, making the dawn a harbinger of potential exposure and judgment, rather than a source of relief. This term is also famously used in Psalm 23:4 to describe a place of ultimate danger and fear, from which God's presence provides comfort.
How does this verse relate to God's justice, given Job's struggle with it?
While Job spends much of his discourse lamenting the apparent lack of immediate divine justice for the wicked, Job 24:17 subtly hints at an inherent, internal form of justice that is already at work. Even if the wicked escape human detection and outward punishment, they cannot escape the torment of their own conscience and the constant dread of exposure. The "terrors of the shadow of death" they experience at dawn are a form of self-inflicted punishment, a psychological consequence of their evil deeds. This suggests that God's justice is not solely external or delayed, but also works internally, creating an inescapable fear and unrest within the hearts of those who defy His moral order. It foreshadows the ultimate truth that nothing is hidden from God, and all deeds will eventually be brought to light, as stated in Hebrews 4:13, which declares that "all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 24:17, with its stark portrayal of the wicked dreading the light and dwelling in the "shadow of death," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Jesus declares Himself to be the Light of the World, who came precisely to dispel the spiritual darkness of sin and the ultimate "shadow of death." For those who choose to remain in their wickedness and refuse His light, His coming is indeed a terrifying reality, exposing their deeds and bringing judgment, as prophesied in John 3:19-20: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." However, for those who come to Him in faith and repentance, His light brings not terror, but salvation, peace, and eternal life. Christ Himself entered the ultimate "shadow of death" through His crucifixion, not as one dreading exposure, but as the sinless Lamb of God who willingly bore the darkness of the world's sin and its judgment. By conquering death and rising gloriously from the grave, He forever abolished the power of the "shadow of death" for all who believe in Him, offering them true freedom from fear and the promise of eternal light (Hebrews 2:14-15). His glorious return will be the ultimate dawn, a glorious revelation that will bring unending joy to the righteous and inescapable, just judgment to those who persist in darkness (Revelation 1:7).