Bible Commentaries

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.

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.