Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 17:12
They change the night into day: the light [is] short because of darkness.
12. This verse appears to be a description by Job of the delusive and foolish proceeding of his friends.
They change the night into day ] The night of calamity and death in which Job is enveloped and into which he is entering more deeply they change into the day of life and renewed prosperity. While in truth the shadows of the final night encompass Job the friends are for ever pretending that the bright day of restoration is going to dawn (cf. ch. Job 5:17 seq., Job 8:20 seq. &c.). The second clause of the verse is obscure.
the light is short because of darkness ] The meaning of the A.V. is not easy to perceive. The words most naturally continue Job’s account of the representations of his friends, and express what they hold out. The fair literal rendering is either, the light is near the face of darkness; or, the light is nearer than the face of darkness. The light, the same as the “day” of the first clause, is life and prosperity; this the friends make out to be near, close upon, the face of darkness Job’s present condition of affliction. The other translation, “nearer than the face of darkness,” gives a fuller sense to the phrase face of darkness. By this expression Job means the darkness of death, whose face was visible and manifest, so close was it upon him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They change – The word they in this place, some understand as referring to his friends; others, to his thoughts. Rosenmuller supposes it is to be taken impersonally, and that the meaning is, night is become day to me. Wemyss translates it, night is assigned me for day. So Dr. Good renders it. The meaning may be, that the night was to him as the day. He had no rest. The period when he had formerly sought repose, was now made like the day, and all was alike gloom and sadness.
The light is short because of darkness – Margin, near. The meaning is, probably, even the day has lost its usual brilliancy and cheerfulness, and has become gloomy and sad. It seems to be like night. Neither night nor day is natural to me; the one is restless and full of cares like the usual employments of day, and the other is gloomy, or almost night, where there is no comfort and peace. Day brings to me none of its usual enjoyments. It is short, gloomy, sad, and hastens away, and a distressing and restless night soon comes on.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. They change the night into day] These purposes and thoughts are so very gloomy, that they change day into night.
The light is short because of darkness.] or karob mippeney choshek, “The light is near from the face of darkness.” I have scarcely any light: what is called light is so near akin to darkness, that it is scarcely severed from it. There is either no light, or merely such as is sufficient to render darkness visible. A fine picture of the state of his mind-he was generally in darkness; but had occasional gleams of hope.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They; either,
1. My friends. Or,
2. My sorrows, of which he is here speaking. Or,
3. My thoughts, last mentioned. Possibly these words may be joined with them thus, The thoughts of my heart change the night into day.
Change the night into day; they do so incessantly pursue and disturb me, that I can no more rest and sleep in the dark and silent nights, than in the midst of the light and tumults of the day. Or,
they change the day into night, Heb. they put the night for or instead of (as the Hebrew lamed is elsewhere used) the day, i.e. they make the day as sad and dark as the night to me. So it seems best to agree with the following branch of the verse.
The light is short, i.e. the day-light, which ofttimes gives some little comfort and refreshment to men in misery, seems to be gone and fled as soon as it is begun.
Because of darkness, i.e. because of my grievous pains and torments, which follow me by day as well as by night.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Theynamely, “myfriends.”
change the night intodaythat is, would try to persuade me of the change of mymisery into joy, which is impossible [UMBREIT](Job 11:17); (but) the lightof prosperity (could it be enjoyed) would be short because of thedarkness of adversity. Or better for “short,” the Hebrew“near”; “and the light of new prosperity should benear in the face of (before) the darkness of death”; that is,they would persuade me that light is near, even though darknessapproaches.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They change the night into day,…. Meaning either his friends, by what they had said unto him, or the thoughts of his heart, which comes to the same sense; these being in the night season employed about what had been said to him in the day, insomuch that he could get no sleep, the night was as broad day unto him; or they put the day before the night, contrary to the order of nature, as Noldius z observes, whereas the night is before the day, Ge 1:5; his friends promising him long days, and an age clearer than noon day, as bright as the morning, Job 11:17; when the night of death was coming on, and he was hastening to the dark and silent grave:
the light [is] short because of darkness; the morning light, or light of the day, when that comes continues but for a short time, because of the darkness of the evening, which quickly follows; or because of the darkness of fiction, which fills it up, and makes it uncomfortable; or the light of prosperity, could it be enjoyed, is but short, because of the darkness of adversity; or “the light is near” a, as in the original text; though Jarchi interprets the word “short” as we do; Noldius renders it, “the light is rather nearer than darkness” b; after the night has been spent without sleep, the morning light is nearer than darkness; that may soon be expected, and so an end to sleep and rest.
z Ebr. Part. Concord. No. 1931. a “propinquam”, Pagninus, Montanus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c. b Ib. p. 642.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) They change the night into day.Comp. Job. 11:17. So little did his friends enter into his case that they wanted him to believe that his night of trial was the reverse of darkness, and that there was light at hand. This was to him only the more painful mockery, because of its contrast to his felt condition. He, on the contrary, says that his only hope is in the grave. The light, say they, is near unto the darkness; that it is near before the darkness cometh; they try to persuade me that prosperity is close at hand.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Night into day Literally, they put night for the day That is, day hath become night to me. , is used impersonally. Conant’s rendering, “Night is joined to day.” is not sustained.
The light is short. Among the various readings is that of Hahn and Zockler: “Light is near in the presence of darkness:” that is, such is the representation made by the friends when really there is nothing but darkness. Dillmann and Ewald make a comparative, nearer than a feeble and inconsequential thought. The reading of Hengstenberg, the light is near to darkness, which substantially agrees with that of Evans, is decidedly to be preferred. The light of my life is near the darkness of death. The Latin language, like the Arabic, has a similar construction to express “nearness from” prope abesse a. The full development of this thought, says Wordsworth, (following the first reading above,) is found in the sublime speech of the Christian martyr Saint Ignatius, on the eve of suffering, to his friends who persuaded him to sue for a prolongation of life: “My birth is at hand. O, my friends, do not hinder me from living. Do not desire that I should die. Let me have a sight of that pure light. Let me have a sunset to the world, that I may have a sunrise to God.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 17:12 They change the night into day: the light [is] short because of darkness.
Ver. 12. They change the night into day ] i.e. My troubled thoughts render my nights restless, filling me with confusion. When the mind is unsettled the man cannot rest.
The light is short because of darkness
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
darkness. Hebrew. hashak. See note on Job 3:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
change: Job 7:3, Job 7:4, Job 7:13, Job 7:14, Job 24:14-16, Deu 28:67
short: Heb. near
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 17:12. They change the night into day My distressing thoughts, griefs, and fears, so incessantly pursue and disturb me, that I can no more sleep in the night than in the day. The light is short The day-light, which often gives some comfort to men in misery, seems to be gone and fled as soon as it is begun; because of darkness Because of my grievous pains and torments, which follow me by day as well as by night.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:12 They change the {m} night into day: the light [is] short because of darkness.
(m) That is, have brought me sorrow instead of comfort.