Job 23 17

Job 23:17 kjv

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

Job 23:17 nkjv

Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness, And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.

Job 23:17 niv

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

Job 23:17 esv

yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.

Job 23:17 nlt

Darkness is all around me;
thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

Job 23 verses

Job 23 17 Meaning

Job 23:17 expresses Job's deep anguish and despair not simply because he hasn't been "cut off" or destroyed by his suffering, but because the "thick darkness" of his affliction, mystery, and divine hiddenness persists, and God has apparently not removed it. He is not overwhelmed by physical ruin, but by the impenetrable spiritual darkness and the perceived silence or active concealment from God, implying he would rather have died than continue in this state of intense, unyielding obscurity and separation from divine understanding.

Job 23 17 Context

Job chapter 23 belongs to Job's third cycle of speeches, delivered in response to Bildad's short and harsh address in chapter 22. At this point, Job’s friends have exhausted their arguments based on the retribution principle—that Job must have sinned to deserve such suffering. Job, however, consistently maintains his innocence before God and expresses his desire for a direct audience with the Almighty to plead his case. This entire chapter portrays Job's profound longing to find God (Job 23:3), confidence in his own integrity (Job 23:10-12), and overwhelming fear of God's incomprehensible power and will (Job 23:15-16). Verse 17 articulates the unbearable nature of his current reality, not just the physical torment, but the spiritual darkness and God's perceived non-intervention or even active concealment of clarity, making his very survival feel like a prolonged agony rather than a deliverance. His polemic is subtle but direct: his experience contradicts the friends' tidy theological boxes, proving suffering can be utterly inscrutable and not necessarily punitive for sin.

Job 23 17 Word analysis

• Because / For (kî, כִּ֤י): A particle serving as a conjunction, here best understood as "For" or "Because," introducing the reason for Job's earlier lamentations or state of being. It connects his anguish to the prevailing darkness, indicating a causal link between his state and this reality.
• I was not cut off / I am not undone (lōʼ-nitzmatti, לֹֽא־נִצְמַ֙תִּי֙): Lōʼ is the negative particle "not." Nitzmatti is from the root tzamat (צָמַת), meaning to be cut off, exterminated, destroyed, silenced, or to perish. In the Niphal (passive) form, it signifies "I was cut off" or "I was put an end to." The nuance in Job 23:17 is crucial; Job laments that he has not been brought to a swift end by the darkness (suffering or God's hiddenness), suggesting he would prefer such a swift end to his current agony. Some translations interpret "undone" which suggests more than physical death but being overwhelmed, disheartened, or spiritually destroyed. Job implies his spirit remains, allowing him to experience the full agony of the darkness.
• before / by (mippəne, מִפְּנֵי־): Lit. "from the face of" or "on account of," indicating the source or cause. Here, it signifies "by reason of" or "because of" the darkness.
• darkness (ḥošeḵ, חֹ֔שֶׁךְ): Refers to a state of literal darkness, but consistently used metaphorically in Scripture to denote trouble, distress, misfortune, divine judgment, despair, or spiritual obscurity. Here, it primarily points to Job’s profound affliction, confusion, and the enigmatic nature of God's dealings with him. It signifies the overall despairing conditions.
• nor (û וּ): A conjunctive particle "and" or "nor," linking the two clauses and adding another element to Job's lament.
• did He cover (kissa-, כִּסָּה־): From the verb kasah (כָּסָה), meaning to cover, conceal, hide. In the Piel (intensive) form, "he has covered." The subject "He" refers implicitly to God, implying divine agency in the presence and persistence of the "thick darkness" over Job's face. Job sees God as the one who has not lifted the obscurity, or perhaps has even intensified it.
• the thick darkness (ʼōp̄el, אֹ֑פֶל): A stronger, more intense word for darkness than ḥošeḵ. It conveys deep gloom, murkiness, profound obscurity, and even the impenetrable darkness associated with the grave or utter despair. It amplifies the "darkness" (ḥošeḵ), emphasizing the density and unyielding nature of Job's predicament.
• from my face (mippānay, וּמִפָּנַ֥י): Lit. "from my face" or "over my face." This suggests the immediacy and overwhelming nature of the darkness. It covers his perception, his hope, and his very existence. He feels enveloped, unable to see clearly, either literally or spiritually.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "I was not cut off before the darkness": This phrase highlights Job's survival despite extreme circumstances. He isn't physically destroyed by the darkness (his suffering), which makes his existence in it more agonizing. He endures, making his torment prolonged and deep, instead of a quick, merciful end. This paradoxical endurance intensifies his suffering.
• "nor did He cover the thick darkness from my face": This directly addresses God. Job isn't just in darkness; he believes God has not intervened to lift it, or perhaps has actively caused it to remain. The use of "thick darkness" (ʼōp̄el) intensifies the dread and inscrutability. It signifies an enveloping gloom that obstructs his view and spiritual comprehension, making God appear veiled or hidden. This lack of divine clarity and removal of the "darkness" is the essence of his complaint.

Job 23 17 Bonus section

The verse employs a vivid image of enveloping darkness (hošeḵ progressing to ʼōp̄el) to describe Job's psychological and spiritual state. It moves beyond mere physical affliction to an inner despair caused by the seeming abandonment or hiddenness of God. Job’s plea also implicitly challenges the common wisdom of his day, which asserted that divine presence brings light and relief to the righteous. Here, despite his own perceived righteousness, Job experiences a pervasive divine obscurity, forcing him to wrestle with the nature of God's interaction with humanity when answers are withheld and suffering persists without clear cause.

Job 23 17 Commentary

Job 23:17 reveals the apex of Job's spiritual agony. It is not simply the physical suffering that tortures him, but the relentless and inexplicable darkness of his condition and, crucially, God's apparent hiddenness and refusal to clarify the situation or grant him release. He laments that he is still alive to experience this impenetrable gloom, which God has seemingly allowed to "cover his face," blocking all understanding, comfort, or sight of divine favor. Job would rather have been "cut off" and ceased to exist quickly, escaping this profound existential and spiritual despair, than endure this living death of unceasing darkness. The verse encapsulates his profound confusion, longing for divine encounter, and terror at the sovereign, yet silent, will of God in his life. It demonstrates his unyielding struggle with God's justice, even as he holds fast to his integrity.