Bible Commentaries
Job 17

Introduction

Job 16-17. Job’ s Answer.— We see that the speech of Eliphaz has not missed its mark. Job complains that everyone is against him. But Job’ s realisation how vain is the help of man, serves to drive him back to God. Thus the friends indirectly help Job.

Job 16-17. Job’ s Answer.— We see that the speech of Eliphaz has not missed its mark. Job complains that everyone is against him. But Job’ s realisation how vain is the help of man, serves to drive him back to God. Thus the friends indirectly help Job.

Verses 1-16

Job 16:22 to Job 17:16 . Job pleads in favour of his prayer for Divine vindication, that death is before him and he has no hope, if he must now die.

Job 17:2 is obscure; “ the general sense seems to be that Job complains of the delusive hopes, held out by the friends, of return to health and prosperity” (Peake).

Job 17:3 continues the idea of Job 16:20 f. God, as Job’ s advocate, is to give to God as his creditor a pledge that He will in the future vindicate him. Who else will “ strike hands” with Job over such a bargain?

Job 17:4 . Not Job’ s unintelligent friends.

Job 17:5 as translated in RV is a threat to the friends that their denunciations of Job will be punished by the suffering of their children (Duhm regards the verse as a gloss).

Job 17:6 f. resumes Job’ s complaint of his misery.

Job 17:8 f., its effect on the righteous. These verses, as they stand, must express Job’ s conviction of final victory. But are they not rather an extract from some speech of the friends? (Duhm, Peake).

Job 17:10-12 appears to be a repudiation of the friends’ delusive hopes of recovery. But the whole passage is very obscure except Job 16:11 a.

Job 17:13-15 . Translate as mg., Job has no hopes. In Job 16:16 b the sense is not certain.