Job 17:12

Job 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
• New International Version (NIV)turn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They make night into day: 'The light,' they say, 'is near to the darkness.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)They change the night into day; ‘The light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.

Context of Job 17:12

10“But now, all of you, come and try again! I won’t find one wise man among you. 11My days are passing by. My plans are broken. My dreams ⌞are shattered⌟. You say that night is day. Light has nearly become darkness. 13If I look for the grave as my home and make my bed in the darkness, 14if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘You are my mother and sister,’

Job 17:12 word by word

לַ֭יְלָה לְי֣וֹם יָשִׂ֑ימוּ א֝֗וֹר קָר֥וֹב מִפְּנֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They changeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• into dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• the lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• shortקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• of darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822

Cross-references for Job 17:12

• Job 7:3Likewise, I have been given months that are of no use, and I have inherited nights filled with misery.
• Job 24:14At dawn murderers rise; they kill the poor and needy. At night they become thieves.
• Deuteronomy 28:67In the morning you’ll say, “If only it were evening!” And in the evening you’ll say, “If only it were morning!” You’ll talk this way because of the things that will terrify you and because of the things you’ll see.

Commentaries on Job 17:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12They 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 - חשך מפני קרוב אור 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12They 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Job's friends had pretended to comfort him with the hope of his return to a prosperous estate; he here shows that those do not go wisely about the work of comforting the afflicted, who fetch their comforts from the possibility of recovery in this world. It is our wisdom to comfort ourselves, and others, in distress, with that which will not fail; the promise of God, his love and grace, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life. See how Job…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-16Job no longer trusted his friends and thought he would die without hope (6:15–21; 13:4–5; 16:2–3; compare 12:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. They--namely, "my friends." change the night into day--that is, would try to persuade me of the change of my misery into joy, which is impossible [Umbreit] (Job 11:17); (but) the light of prosperity (could it be enjoyed) would be short because of the darkness of adversity. Or better for "short," the Hebrew "near"; "and the light of new prosperity should be near in the face of (before) the darkness of death"; that is, they would persuade me that light…Read the comment

Topics related to Job 17:12

• Afflictions and Adversities

In the dictionaries

• Extinct
• Hold
• Change

Commentaries on Job 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings