Job 24:17

17 si subito apparuerit aurora arbitrantur umbram mortis et sic in tenebris quasi in luce ambulant

Job 24:17 Meaning and Commentary

Job 24:17

For the morning [is] to them even as the shadow of death
It is as disagreeable, and as hateful, and as terrible to them as the grossest and thickest darkness can be to others. The word (wdxy) is to be rendered either "alike" or "altogether", and not "even", as in our version: "the morning is to them equally" or "together" F23; that is, to the murderer, robber, thief, adulterer, and housebreaker, "as the shadow of death"; alike disagreeable to them all; or "the shadow of death is to them together" or "alike [as the] morning"; what the morning is to others, exceeding pleasant and delightful, that to them is the shadow of death, or the darkest night; they love darkness rather than light:

if [one] know [them, they are in] the terrors of the shadow of death;
they are frightened unto death, they are in as great terror as a man is to whom death is the king of terrors; and who is sensible of the near approach of it, the plain and manifest symptoms of it being upon him: this is the case of the murderer, adulterer, and thief, when they are caught in the fact; or are known by such who are capable of giving notice of them, detecting them, and bearing witness against them: or "he", each and everyone of these, "knows the terrors of the shadow of death" F24; the darkest night, which strikes terrors into others, is known by them, is delighted in by them, is familiar with them, and friendly to them, and is as pleasing as the brightest day to others.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Pariter, Pagninus, Montanus
F24 (twmlu twhlb ryky) "agnoscit terrores umbrae mortis", Mercerus, Cocceius; so Codurcus, Schmidt.

Job 24:17 In-Context

15 oculus adulteri observat caliginem dicens non me videbit oculus et operiet vultum suum
16 perfodit in tenebris domos sicut in die condixerant sibi et ignoraverunt lucem
17 si subito apparuerit aurora arbitrantur umbram mortis et sic in tenebris quasi in luce ambulant
18 levis est super faciem aquae maledicta sit pars eius in terra nec ambulet per viam vinearum
19 ad nimium calorem transeat ab aquis nivium et usque ad inferos peccatum illius
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.