New International Versionturn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near.
New Living TranslationThese men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light.
English Standard VersionThey make night into day: ‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’
Berean Standard BibleThey have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.
King James BibleThey change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
New King James VersionThey change the night into day; ‘The light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.
New American Standard Bible“They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
NASB 1995“They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
NASB 1977“They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
Legacy Standard BibleThey make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
Amplified Bible“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day; ‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].
Christian Standard BibleThey turned night into day and made light seem near in the face of darkness.
Holman Christian Standard BibleThey turned night into day and made light seem near in the face of darkness.
American Standard VersionThey change the night into day: The light, say they, is near unto the darkness.
Contemporary English VersionBut all my friends can do is offer empty hopes.
English Revised VersionThey change the night into a day: the fight, say they, is near unto the darkness.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationYou say that night is day. Light has nearly become darkness.
Good News TranslationBut my friends say night is daylight; they say that light is near, but I know I remain in darkness.
International Standard VersionThey have transformed night into day— 'The light,' they say, 'is about to become dark.'
NET BibleThese men change night into day; they say, 'The light is near in the face of darkness.'
New Heart English BibleThey change the night into day, saying 'The light is near' in the presence of darkness.
Webster's Bible TranslationThey change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThey have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.
World English BibleThey change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThey appoint night for day, "" Light [is] near because of darkness.
Young's Literal Translation Night for day they appoint, Light is near because of darkness.
Smith's Literal TranslationThey will set the night for day: the light being near from the face of darkness. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThey have turned night into day, and after darkness I hope for light again.
Catholic Public Domain VersionThey have turned night into day, and I hope for light again after the darkness.
New American BibleThey would change the night into day; where there is darkness they talk of approaching light.
New Revised Standard VersionThey make night into day; ‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’ Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou change the night into day; and you bring forth the light before the darkness is over.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedYou put the night for day, and you sacrifice the light to the darkness OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917They change the night into day; The light is short because of darkness.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationI have turned the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Job Prepares for Death… 11My days have passed; my plans are broken off—even the desires of my heart. 12They have turnednightinto day,making lightseem nearin the faceof darkness.13If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness,…
Cross References Isaiah 5:20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.
Micah 3:6Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.
Amos 5:18-20Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. / It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. / Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?
Jeremiah 13:16Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
Isaiah 59:9-10Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom. / Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
Psalm 139:11-12If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”— / even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Isaiah 50:10Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
John 11:10But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5-7For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness. / So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. / For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
Matthew 6:23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Luke 11:34-36Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness. / Be careful, then, that the light within you is not darkness. / So if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.”
John 12:35Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
Romans 13:12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
2 Corinthians 6:14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Ephesians 5:8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
Treasury of Scripture They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. change Job 7:3,4,13,14 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me… Job 24:14-16 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief… Deuteronomy 28:67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. short. Jump to Previous AppointChangeChangingDarkDarknessFaceImagineIsLightNightPresenceShortTurnJump to Next AppointChangeChangingDarkDarknessFaceImagineIsLightNightPresenceShortTurnJob 17 1.Job appeals from men to God6.The unmerciful dealing of men with the afflicted may astonish,9.but not discourage the righteous11.His hope is not in life, but in deathThey have turned night into dayThis phrase reflects Job's lament about his friends' misunderstanding and misrepresentation of his situation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, night often symbolized distress, suffering, or judgment, while day symbolized clarity, understanding, and divine favor. Job's friends, by insisting on their own interpretation of his suffering, are metaphorically turning the natural order upside down. This inversion can be seen as a reflection of Isaiah 5:20, where woe is pronounced on those who call evil good and good evil. Theologically, this phrase underscores the theme of human misunderstanding of divine purposes, a recurring theme in the wisdom literature. making light seem near
In the biblical context, light often symbolizes hope, truth, and God's presence. Job's friends, by offering simplistic explanations and false hope, are presenting a false light. This can be connected to2 Corinthians 11:14, where Satan masquerades as an angel of light, suggesting that not all that appears hopeful or truthful is genuinely so. The phrase also highlights the tension between human perception and divine reality, a central theme in the Book of Job. in the face of darkness
Darkness in scripture frequently represents chaos, evil, or divine judgment. Job feels surrounded by darkness due to his immense suffering and the perceived absence of God's presence. This darkness is not just physical but spiritual and emotional, reflecting Job's inner turmoil. The phrase echoes the existential struggle found inPsalm 88, a psalm of lament where the psalmist feels abandoned by God. In a typological sense, this darkness can be seen as a precursor to the darkness Christ experienced on the cross, as described inMatthew 27:45, symbolizing the weight of sin and separation from God. Persons / Places / Events 1. JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man of great faith and integrity who undergoes severe trials and suffering. In this chapter, Job is expressing his despair and the distortion of reality by his friends. 2. Job's FriendsEliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who attempt to counsel Job but often misinterpret his situation and God's will, leading to further distress for Job. 3. Darkness and LightSymbolic elements representing despair and hope, respectively. In this verse, Job uses these symbols to describe the false hope offered by his friends. Teaching Points Discernment in CounselBe cautious of advice that distorts reality. Like Job's friends, well-meaning individuals can sometimes offer counsel that doesn't align with God's truth. Hope in DarknessEven when circumstances seem bleak, remember that God's light is always near. Trust in His presence and promises. The Reality of SufferingAcknowledge the reality of suffering without sugarcoating it. Job's honesty about his pain is a model for how we can bring our struggles before God. The Power of WordsWords have the power to either uplift or mislead. Strive to speak truth and encouragement, especially to those who are suffering. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Job 17
Is the day approaching as the night ends?
What does Satan's intent to steal, kill, destroy mean?
Matthew 12:39-40: If Jesus parallels his time in the tomb to Jonah's 'three days and three nights,' how does the typical Friday-to-Sunday timeline align with a literal 72-hour period?
In Job 12:16, how can God be responsible for both the deceiver and the deceived without contradicting verses that uphold His truthfulness?(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." Verse 12. - They change the night into day. They, my detractors, who are also my so-called "comforters," pretend to change my night into day; assure me that the cloud which rests on me is only for a time, and will ere long give place to the brightness of day, to a glorious burst of sunshine (see Job 5:18-26; Job 8:21, 22; Job 11:15-19). The light (they say) is short because of darkness; or, rather, isnear because of the darkness. To extreme darkness shows that dawn must be near, that the day must soon break when my sorrow will be turned into joy. Job had not found himself comforted by these assurances, which lacked the ring of sincerity, and could not be accomplished except by miracle, which he did not feel that he had any right to expect.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew They have turnedיָשִׂ֑ימוּ(yā·śî·mū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7760:Put -- to put, place, setnightלַ֭יְלָה(lay·lāh)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915:A twist, night, adversityinto dayלְי֣וֹם(lə·yō·wm)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117:A dayand have made lightא֝֗וֹר(’ō·wr)Noun - common singular
Strong's 216:Illumination, luminaryseem nearקָר֥וֹב(qā·rō·wḇ)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7138:Nearin the faceמִפְּנֵי־(mip·pə·nê-)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440:The faceof darkness.חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃(ḥō·šeḵ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822:The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
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OT Poetry: Job 17:12 They change the night into day saying (Jb) |
