New International VersionHe is driven from light into the realm of darkness and is banished from the world.
New Living TranslationThey will be thrust from light into darkness, driven from the world.
English Standard VersionHe is thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the world.
Berean Standard BibleHe is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
King James BibleHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
New King James VersionHe is driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
New American Standard Bible“He is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
NASB 1995“He is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
NASB 1977“He is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
Legacy Standard BibleHe is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
Amplified Bible“He is driven and propelled from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
Christian Standard BibleHe is driven from light to darkness and chased from the inhabited world.
Holman Christian Standard BibleHe is driven from light to darkness and chased from the inhabited world.
American Standard VersionHe shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
Contemporary English Versionthrown far from the light into a world of darkness,
English Revised VersionHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationHe will be driven from the light into the dark and chased out of the world.
Good News TranslationThey will be driven out of the land of the living, driven from light into darkness.
International Standard VersionHe is driven away from light to darkness, made to wander the landscape.
NET BibleHe is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.
New Heart English BibleHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
Webster's Bible TranslationHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleHe is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
World English BibleHe will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThey thrust him from light to darkness, "" And cast him out from the habitable earth.
Young's Literal Translation They thrust him from light unto darkness, And from the habitable earth cast him out.
Smith's Literal TranslationThey shall drive him out of light into darkness, and they shall exclude him from the habitable globe. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleHe shall drive him out of light into darkness, and shall remove him out of the world.
Catholic Public Domain VersionHe will expel him from light into darkness, and he will remove him from the world.
New American BibleHe is driven from light into darkness, and banished from the world.
New Revised Standard VersionThey are thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the world. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedHe will be thrown out from light into darkness and from the world they will reject him OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationLet one drive him from light into darkness.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Bildad: God Punishes the Wicked… 17The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. 18He is drivenfrom lightintodarknessand is chasedfrom the inhabited world.19He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived.…
Cross References Job 20:8He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
Psalm 37:10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
Psalm 73:19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
Proverbs 10:25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.
Isaiah 17:13The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale.
Isaiah 29:5But your many foes will be like fine dust, the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff. Then suddenly, in an instant,
Isaiah 41:11-12Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. / You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
Isaiah 57:20-21But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck. / “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Jeremiah 23:12“Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the darkness and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.
Daniel 2:35Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Matthew 7:23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Matthew 13:41-42The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. / And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Luke 13:27-28And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’ / There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
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.
Treasury of Scripture He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. He shall be driven. Job 3:20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitterin soul; Job 10:22 A land of darkness, as darknessitself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, andwhere the lightis as darkness. Job 11:14 If iniquitybe in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. chased Job 20:8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death. Isaiah 17:13,14 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: butGod shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind… Jump to Previous BanishedCastChasedDarkDarknessDrivenEarthForcedHabitableInhabitedLightThrustWorldJump to Next BanishedCastChasedDarkDarknessDrivenEarthForcedHabitableInhabitedLightThrustWorldJob 18 1.Bildad reproves Job for presumption and impatience5.The calamities of the wickedHe is driven from light into darknessThis phrase reflects the fate of the wicked, a recurring theme in the Book of Job. The imagery of moving from light to darkness symbolizes a transition from life, prosperity, and divine favor to death, despair, and divine judgment. Biblically, light often represents God's presence and truth ( Psalm 27:1, John 8:12), while darkness signifies separation from God and evil ( Isaiah 5:20, John 3:19). Theologically, this can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual death and eternal separation from God, aligning with the New Testament's depiction of hell as "outer darkness" ( Matthew 8:12). The phrase also echoes the fate of those who reject God, as seen in Romans 1:21, where their foolish hearts are darkened. and is chased from the inhabited world
This part of the verse suggests a complete removal from society and community, indicating both physical and social death. In the ancient Near Eastern context, being cut off from the community was a severe punishment, often equated with being cursed or exiled. This reflects the ultimate disgrace and loss of identity, as seen in the fate of Cain (Genesis 4:12-14) and the Israelites during the Babylonian exile (2 Kings 25:21). Theologically, it can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the final judgment, where the unrighteous are separated from the righteous (Matthew 25:32-33). This separation underscores the biblical principle that sin leads to isolation from God and others, contrasting with the communal and eternal life promised to believers (Revelation 21:3-4). Persons / Places / Events 1. Bildad the ShuhiteOne of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Bildad is speaking, offering his perspective on the fate of the wicked. 2. JobThe central figure of the book, a man of great faith and patience who endures immense suffering and loss. 3. The WickedIn this context, Bildad describes the fate of the wicked, implying that Job's suffering is due to some hidden sin. 4. DarknessSymbolic of judgment, despair, and separation from God's favor. 5. The Inhabited WorldRepresents the community or society from which the wicked are ostracized. Teaching Points The Consequences of WickednessBildad's speech, though misapplied to Job, highlights a biblical truth that wickedness leads to separation from God and community. Misjudging OthersBildad's error serves as a caution against assuming that suffering is always a result of personal sin. The Symbolism of Light and DarknessLight represents God's presence and truth, while darkness symbolizes separation and judgment. Community and IsolationThe wicked being "chased from the inhabited world" underscores the importance of community and the consequences of sin leading to isolation. God's Sovereignty in JudgmentUltimately, it is God who judges and determines the fate of individuals, not human assumptions or accusations. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Job 18
What does the Bible say about Christian secret societies?
How can Job 18's portrayal of swift divine retribution be reconciled with real-world cases where the wicked seem to escape judgment?
Amos 5:18 - If the 'Day of the Lord' is described here as darkness, does this contradict other biblical texts that portray it as a time of hope or victory?
What does 'The Lord is my light and salvation' mean?Verse 18. - He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world (comp. Job 10:21, 22; Job 17:16). What Job represents as a welcome retreat, whither he would gladly withdraw himself, Bildad depicts as a banishment, into which he will be driven on account of his sins.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew He is drivenיֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ(yeh·də·p̄u·hū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1920:To thrust, drive, pushfrom lightמֵא֣וֹר(mê·’ō·wr)Preposition-m | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216:Illumination, luminaryintoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, todarknessחֹ֑שֶׁךְ(ḥō·šeḵ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822:The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickednessand is chasedיְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃(yə·nid·du·hū)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5074:To wave to and fro, to rove, flee, to drive awayfrom the inhabited world.וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל(ū·mit·tê·ḇêl)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8398:The earth, the globe, its inhabitants, a particular land
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OT Poetry: Job 18:18 He shall be driven from light into (Jb) |
