New International VersionMy spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.
New Living Translation“My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me.
English Standard Version“My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me.
Berean Standard Bible“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
King James BibleMy breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
New King James Version“My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
New American Standard Bible“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
NASB 1995“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
NASB 1977“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
Legacy Standard Bible“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; The grave is ready for me.
Amplified Bible“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
Christian Standard BibleMy spirit is broken. My days are extinguished. A graveyard awaits me.
Holman Christian Standard BibleMy spirit is broken. My days are extinguished. A graveyard awaits me.
American Standard VersionMy spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.
Contemporary English VersionMy hopes have died, my time is up, and the grave is ready.
English Revised VersionMy spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.
GOD'S WORD® Translation"My spirit is broken. My days have been snuffed out. The cemetery [is waiting] for me.
Good News TranslationThe end of my life is near. I can hardly breathe; there is nothing left for me but the grave.
International Standard Version"My spirit is crushed, my days are over; it's the grave for me!
NET BibleMy spirit is broken, my days have faded out, the grave awaits me.
New Heart English Bible"My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, And the grave is ready for me.
Webster's Bible TranslationMy breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Bible“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
World English Bible“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me. Literal Translations Literal Standard Version“My spirit has been destroyed, "" My days extinguished—graves [are] for me.
Young's Literal Translation My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished -- graves are for me.
Smith's Literal TranslationMy spirit being destroyed my days were extinct; the graves are for me. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleMy spirit shall be wasted, my days shall be shortened, and only the grave remaineth for me.
Catholic Public Domain VersionMy spirit will be wasted, my days will be shortened, and only the grave will left for me.
New American BibleMy spirit is broken, my days finished, my burial at hand.
New Revised Standard VersionMy spirit is broken, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMY spirit is weary, my days are extinct; the grave is ready for me,
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedMy spirit is exhausted and my days have become extinct! The tomb is ready for me! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationI perish, carried away by the wind, and I seek for burial, and obtain it not.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Job Prepares for Death1“My spiritis broken;my daysare extinguished;the graveawaits me.2Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.…
Cross References Psalm 88:3-5For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. / I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength. / I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.
Isaiah 38:10-12I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” / I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world. / My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.
Job 7:6-7My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. / Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.
Job 14:1-2“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Ecclesiastes 12:5-7when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets. / Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well, / before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Psalm 39:4-5“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
2 Corinthians 5:1-4For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. / For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, / because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ...
2 Timothy 4:6-8For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. / I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. / From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
Psalm 102:3-11For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers. / My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread. / Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones. ...
Job 10:20-22Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort, / before I go—never to return—to a land of darkness and gloom, / to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
Psalm 6:5For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
Philippians 1:23-24I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed. / But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Job 16:22For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.
Psalm 31:12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.
1 Peter 1:24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
Treasury of Scripture My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. breath is corrupt. Job 19:17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children'ssake of mine own body. my days Job 6:11 Whatis my strength, that I should hope? and whatis mine end, that I should prolong my life? Job 42:16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons,even four generations. Isaiah 57:16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the soulswhich I have made. the graves Job 17:13,14 If I wait, the graveis mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness… Psalm 88:3-5 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave… Isaiah 38:10-14 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years… Jump to Previous AwaitsBreathBrokenConsumedCorruptCutDestroyedEndedExtinctExtinguishedGraveGravesLastReadyResting-PlaceShortSpiritJump to Next AwaitsBreathBrokenConsumedCorruptCutDestroyedEndedExtinctExtinguishedGraveGravesLastReadyResting-PlaceShortSpiritJob 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 deathMy spirit is broken;This phrase reflects Job's deep emotional and spiritual anguish. In the context of the Book of Job, Job is a man who has lost everything: his wealth, his children, and his health. His spirit being "broken" indicates a state of despair and hopelessness. This mirrors the human condition when faced with overwhelming suffering. The broken spirit can also be seen as a type of Christ, who was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" ( Isaiah 53:3). Job's lamentation here is a precursor to the suffering servant motif found in the prophecies about Jesus. my days are extinguished;
Job feels that his life is coming to an end, as if the light of his life is being snuffed out. This imagery of extinguished days suggests a life that is no longer vibrant or full of hope. In the ancient Near Eastern context, life was often compared to a flame or light, and its extinguishing symbolized death or the end of one's earthly journey. This phrase can be connected toPsalm 39:4-5, where the brevity of life is acknowledged, and toJames 4:14, which describes life as a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. the grave awaits me.
The grave, or Sheol in Hebrew, is depicted as the inevitable destination for all humans, a place of darkness and silence. In Job's time, Sheol was understood as a shadowy place where the dead reside, regardless of their righteousness. This reflects the ancient belief in a common fate for all, contrasting with later biblical revelations of resurrection and eternal life. Job's statement here underscores his belief that death is imminent. This anticipation of the grave can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's own death and burial, yet with the hope of resurrection, as later revealed in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Persons / Places / Events 1. JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man described as blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He is undergoing intense suffering and is expressing his despair in this verse. 2. The Grave (Sheol)In Hebrew, "Sheol" refers to the realm of the dead. It is often depicted as a place of darkness and silence, reflecting Job's sense of hopelessness and the finality of death. 3. Job's SufferingThe context of this verse is Job's lament over his physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish. He feels abandoned and is grappling with the seeming injustice of his suffering. Teaching Points Understanding DespairJob's words reflect a deep sense of hopelessness that many people experience. Recognizing this can help us empathize with those who are suffering and feel abandoned. The Reality of SufferingSuffering is a part of the human experience, and even the righteous are not exempt. Job's account reminds us that faith does not shield us from trials but can sustain us through them. Hope Beyond the GraveWhile Job speaks of the grave as his destination, the broader biblical account offers hope of resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ. The Importance of CommunityJob's friends failed to provide the support he needed. This highlights the importance of being present and compassionate to those in distress. Trusting God's SovereigntyEven when we do not understand our circumstances, we are called to trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty, as ultimately revealed in the conclusion of Job's account. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Job 17
In Job 17:1, how can Job claim his spirit is broken if he continues to speak and survive throughout the rest of the narrative?
Does the profound hopelessness expressed in Job 17 contradict other scriptures that promise divine deliverance for the faithful?
Is there any historical or archaeological evidence to support the events in Job 17, or does it appear solely allegorical?
Acts 13:36-37: Paul claims David 'saw corruption' while Jesus did not; how is this consistent with other scriptural passages about bodily decay and resurrection?XVII. (1)My breath is corrupt.--As it is said to be in Elephantiasis. Some understand it, "My spirit is consumed." (See margin.) The graves.--i.e., the grave is mine--my portion.The plural is frequently used for the singular in Hebrew, as,e.g.,in the case of the wordblood,which is commonly plural, though with us it is never so used. Verses 1-16. - The general character of this chapter has been considered in the introductory section to ch. 16. It is occupied mainly with Job's complaints of his treatment by his friends, and his lamentations over his sufferings (vers. 1-12). At the end he appeals to the grave, as the only hope or comfort left to him (vers. 13-16). Verse 1. - My breath is corrupt; or, my spirit is oppressed. But the physical meaning is the more probable one. A fetid breath is one of the surest signs of approaching dissolution. My days are extinct; or, cut off. The verb used does not occur elsewhere. The graves are ready for me; or, the chambers of the grave are mine already. The plural form is best explained by regarding it as referring to the niches commonly cut in a sepulchral chamber to receive the bodies of the departed (see Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' vol. 3. pp. 1528-1536).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew My spiritרוּחִ֣י(rū·ḥî)Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7307:Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spiritis broken;חֻ֭בָּלָה(ḥub·bā·lāh)Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2254:To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in painmy daysיָמַ֥י(yā·may)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3117:A dayare extinguished;נִזְעָ֗כוּ(niz·‘ā·ḵū)Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2193:To extinguishthe graveקְבָרִ֥ים(qə·ḇā·rîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6913:A grave, sepulcherawaits me.לִֽי׃(lî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew
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OT Poetry: Job 17:1 My spirit is consumed (Jb) |
