Job 17
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CHAPTER 17
Job Continues (17:1–16)
1–2 Job's spirit is broken. His spirit is broken because he believes he'll never be vindicated in the eyes of the mockers—such as his three friends. He will soon die, and all his acquaintances will remain convinced he was a terrible sinner.
We can see here that Job is feeling sorry for himself; he also is very concerned about his reputation. From a Christian perspective, we can understand that Job's concerns for himself are signs of weakness, manifestations of pride and self-centeredness. And indeed we must not justify the feelings he expresses here. But neither are we in a place to condemn them—as Job's three friends were doing. Who of us could have endured Job's trials without succumbing to some feelings of self-pity and wounded pride?38
3–5 Despairing of any consolation from his three friends, Job turns to God and says: “Give me . . . the pledge you demand” (verse 3). God demands innocence and uprightness from humans; therefore, Job is asking God Himself to guarantee his innocence, to put up security for him. Job's friends certainly won't guarantee his innocence; God has already closed their minds (verse 4). Therefore, Job's only hope is in God Himself.39
6–9 In these verses, Job speaks as if God has not given him the pledge he had asked for (verse 3); he becomes depressed again.40
10–16 Here Job mocks his three friends. They turn night into day, he says. They tell Job, “Light is near,” when in fact he is on his way to the grave! (see Job 11:17).
Then Job once more sinks into hopelessness. The only home he has to look forward to is the grave, where his only “family” will be corruption and the worm41 (verses 13–14). When Job dies, he and his hope will descend together into the dust (verse 16).