Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 23:17
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, [neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face.
17. This verse reads,
For I am not dismayed because of the darkness,
Nor because of myself whom thick darkness covereth.
The words refer back to the language of Eliphaz, ch. Job 22:11, “or seest thou not the darkness?” The “darkness” is the fatal calamity that has overtaken Job, a frequent use of the word. What dismays Job, or strikes him dumb with moral awe, is not his calamity in itself, nor himself (or, his face) marred and distorted by disease, but this, that it is God who has inflicted the calamity upon him, not because he is guilty, but in the arbitrary and unjust exercise of His almighty power. This is the point in this whole speech, both in ch. 23 and ch. 24; Job misses any true moral rule in the world. The A. V. seems to make the enigma consist in this, that Job was not removed by death before such afflictions overtook him. But this would at best have substituted one enigma for another.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Because I was not cut off before the darkness – Before these calamities came upon me. Because I was not taken away in the midst of prosperity, and while I was enjoying his smiles and the proofs of his love. His trouble is, that he was spared to pass through these trials, and to be treated as if he were one of the worst of men. This is what now perplexes him, and what he cannot understand. He does not know why God had reserved him to treat him as if he were the chief of sinners.
Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face – The word neither is supplied here by our translators, but not improperly. The difficulty with Job was, that God had not hidden this darkness and calamity so that he had not seen it. He could not understand why, since he was his friend, God had not taken him away, so that all should have seen, even in his death, that he was the friend of God. This feeling is not, perhaps, very uncommon among those who are called to pass through trials. They do not understand why they were reserved to these sufferings, and why God did not take them away before the billows of calamity rolled over them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Because I was not cut off] “O, why can I not draw darkness over my face? Why may not thick darkness cover my face?” Mr. Good. This verse should be read in connection with the preceding; and then we shall have the following sense.
Ver. 16: “The Lord hath beaten down my strength, and my soul has been terrified by his fear.”
Ver. 17: “For it is not this deep night in which I am enveloped, nor the evils which I suffer, that have overwhelmed me; I sink only through the fear which the presence of his Majesty inspires. This is my greatest affliction; sufferings, diseases, yea, death itself, are nothing in comparison of the terror which my soul feels in the presence of his tremendous holiness and justice.”
NOTHING can humble a pious mind so much as Scriptural apprehensions of the majesty of God. It is easy to contemplate his goodness, loving-kindness, and mercy; in all these we have an interest, and from them we expect the greatest good: but to consider his holiness and justice, the infinite righteousness of his nature, under the conviction that we have sinned, and broken the laws prescribed by his sovereign Majesty, and to feel ourselves brought as into the presence of his judgment-seat, – who can bear the thought? If cherubim and seraphim veil their faces before his throne, and the holiest soul exclaims,
I loathe myself when God I see,
And into nothing fall;
what must a sinner feel, whose conscience is not yet purged from dead works and who feels the wrath of God abiding on him? And how without such a mediator and sacrifice as Jesus Christ is, can any human spirit come into the presence of its Judge? Those who can approach him without terror, know little of his justice and nothing of their sin. When we approach him in prayer, or in any ordinance, should we not feel more reverence than we generally do?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Because I was not cut off; because God did not cut me off by death. Before the darkness, i.e. before these dark and dismal miseries came upon me. Or, before the face, or by reason of the darkness, i.e. that God hath not yet cut me off by these calamities, but prolonged nay days under them, that he might increase my torment.
Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face; so that I might no longer see or feel my miseries, but might be taken out of them by my long-desired death. Seeing (and consequently having before ones face) is oft put for experiencing, for enjoying good, or feeling evil, as Job 20:17; Psa 16:10, &c. Or, but he hath covered darkness, to wit, death, which is so called Job 10:21,22, and elsewhere, from my face, i.e. he will not allow me the favour to see death.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Because I was not taken awayby death from the evil to come (literally, “from before the faceof the darkness,” Isa 57:1).Alluding to the words of Eliphaz (Job22:11), “darkness,” that is, calamity.
cut offrather, in theArabic sense, brought to the land of silence; mysad complaint hushed in death [UMBREIT].”Darkness” in the second clause, not the same Hebrewword as in the first, “cloud,” “obscurity.”Instead of “covering the cloud (of evil) from my face,” He”covers” me with it (Job22:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because I was not cut off before the darkness,…. That is, it was amazing to him, and troubled him when he thought of it, that he was not cut off by death, before the darkness of afflictions, or this dark dispensation came upon him; as sometimes righteous ones are taken from the evil to come, as Methuselah was before the flood, Ge 5:27; and Job wonders this was not his case, or at least he wishes it had been; for so Aben Ezra seems to understand and read the words, “why was I not cut off?” c. as if it was a wish, and expressive of his desire, that this had been done which was what he had expostulated with God about at first, in the third chapter, and death was what he always desired, and still continued to wish for: or else the sense is, that he was amazed that he “was not cut off, because”, “at”, “through”, or “by darkness” b; by means of his afflictions; he wondered how he was supported under them, and carried through them, that they did not press him down to death; how such a poor wasted creature as he was, reduced to skin and bones, should ever be able to endure what he did;
[neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face; that I should not see and feel the afflictions I do; or rather, “he hath covered the darkness from my face”, for the word “neither” is not in the text, though repeated by many interpreters from the foregoing clause; and then the sense is though I am sensible of the darkness of affliction upon me, yet he has covered it so from me, that I cannot see an end of it, or any way to escape out of it; or, which is the sense Drusius gives, he hath covered death and the grave from me, which is a state of darkness, a land of darkness, or darkness itself, as he calls
Job 10:21; that he could not see it, and enjoy it; he wished for death, but could not have it, it was hid from him. Cocceius renders the words very differently, he, that is, “God, hath covered himself with darkness from my face”; and interprets it of divine desertion, which troubled and terrified Job; and because he thus covered himself as it were with a cloud, this was the reason why he knew not where he was, and could not find him, when he made the most diligent search for him, and this grieved and astonished him, see La 3:44.
b “propter tenebras”, Pagninus, Piscator, Cocceius; so V. L. “a tenebris”, Drusius; “a praesentibus, tenebris”, Beza.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. Cut off The key to this much-vexed passage lies in nitsmath, “cut off,” which should bear its Arabic meaning of brought to silence. Eliphaz (Job 22:11) had taunted Job not only with his fear, but with the darkness and deluge that covered him. He replies, For I grow not dumb because of (or before) the darkness, nor because of (or before) myself, whom thick darkness hath covered. Thus most moderns. Job is still ready to maintain what he believes to be the right; he will “not be reduced to silence,” notwithstanding the black midnight darkness ( ) which had overwhelmed him. This bold and defiant declaration is transitional to the awful arraignment of God’s ways in the following chapter. “From the incomprehensible punishment which, without reason, is passing over him, he now again comes to speak of the incomprehensible connivance of God, which permits the godlessness of the world to go on unpunished.” Delitzsch.
REFLECTIONS
READER, I cannot beg a greater blessing from our gracious Covenant GOD in CHRIST, either for you or for myself, than that a Spirit of grace may be poured out upon us both, to lead us with similar breathings of soul, and earnest desires of spirit, for drawing near to the footstool of the mercy seat, which Job here desired to approach. Depend upon it, the nearest and sweetest communion believers have with GOD, rests upon this very method, when their whole souls are going forth, in pleading justification before GOD, upon the pure footing of righteousness: not of our righteousness, you may well suppose, for we have none, but that of JESUS. This is the strength, Job saith, GOD will put in his pleading, praying people. And here, and here alone it is, that either now, at a mercy seat, or hereafter, at a throne of judgment, poor sinners can ever be delivered from their judge!
Pause, Reader, and contemplate the vast privilege! Count over, if it be possible, the immense mercy; and then think what everlasting love, what a revenue of everlasting praise will be forever offered to the Father’s grace in providing, and the Son’s tenderness and mercy in accomplishing, such a redemption, by his righteousness, and blood. Oh! Holy FATHER! never, never suffer me to lose sight of thy rich, free, and sovereign grace, in thus providing strength for a poor sinner to lay hold of, to make peace with thee by thy dear and ever blessed SON! And oh, thou lovely, and all loving LAMB of GOD, that art as well the Lion of the tribe of Judah, give me to see how, in thy complete righteousness, my soul finds strength to plead for salvation, on the ground of justice. Yes, blessed JESUS! in thee, and thy strength and holiness, may come, even to GOD the FATHER’S seat. I may tell him of justice, and plead for acceptance on the score of righteousness; for thou art made of GOD to me, both wisdom and righteousness; and therefore GOD is just, in being the justifier of every poor sinner that believeth in JESUS. All hail! thou holy, righteous Saviour of sinners! Oh! for more of this blessed communion at a mercy seat, in having fellowship with GOD in CHRIST! Oh, for grace to maintain a constant intercourse at the gate of heaven, in finding strength, even the strength of JESUS’S righteousness, to plead this, and this only, before my GOD, for sure acceptance in the beloved.
Job 23:17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, [neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face.
Ver. 17. Because I was not cut off before the darkness ] i.e. The afflictions that now are upon me. It is a mercy to some to die sometimes, as Josiah, and those righteous ones, Isa 57:1 , who were taken away from the evil to come. When God’s glory was to pass by, he put Moses into the hole of the rock; so he sometimes doth his servants, till the glory of his justice hath passed upon others.
Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face Because, &c. See translation below.
darkness. Hebrew. hashak. See note on Job 3:6.
darkness. Hebrew. ‘ophel. See note on Job 3:6.
cut off: Job 6:9, 2Ki 22:20, Isa 57:1
the darkness from: Job 15:22, Job 18:6, Job 18:18, Job 19:8, Job 22:11
Reciprocal: Job 30:26 – light
23:17 Because I was not cut off before the {l} darkness, [neither] hath he covered the darkness from my face.
(l) He shows the cause for his fear, which is, that he being in trouble sees no end, nor yet knows the cause.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes