Job 24:17
in Job 24For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
KJV
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
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This verse in Job 24
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death - They dread the light as one does usually the deepest darkness. The morning or light would reveal their deeds of wickedness, and they therefore avoid it. As the shadow of death - As the deepest darkness; see the notes at Job 3:5. If one know them - If they are recognized. Or, more probably, this means “they,” that is, each one of them, “are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death,” or with the deepest darkness.
This site's exposition
those who rebel against the light
on Job 24:13-17
A second group joins the list, "those who rebel against the light". The murderer rises when "daylight is gone", and housebreakers "dig through houses" and "shut themselves in" by day. Clarke notes the reversal these men live by, since for them "deep darkness is their morning" and daylight threatens exposure.
This site's exposition
deep darkness is their morning
The men of verses 13 to 16 invert the day. Barnes says they dread the light as other men dread the deepest darkness, for morning would expose their deeds. Maurer, cited by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, reads the terrors as those of the morning light.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
"If suddenly," as though unprepared, because the time seems short to them when they are occupied in carnal pleasure, "the dawn should appear," which is the beginning of daylight, "they think of it as the shadow of death," that is, they think it is as …
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them even as the shadow of death. He is light above the face of the water. Let their portion be cursed in the earth; and let him not walk by the way of the vineyards. For the wicked look for the afflicting of the righteous, and long to see them in distress, and 'in the dark they dig through houses,' when the heart of the innocent but weak ones they corrupt in the season of their casting down by the worst mode of discourse.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death,.... It is as disagreeable, and as hateful, and as terrible to them as the grossest and thickest darkness can be to others.
Shame came in with sin, and everlasting shame is at the end of it. See the misery of sinners--they are exposed to continual frights; and yet see their folly--they are afraid of coming under the eye of men, but have no dread of God's eye, which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing that which yet they are so terribly afraid of being known to do.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rather, "They know well (are familiar with) the terrors of," &c. [UMBREIT]. Or, as MAURER, "They know the terrors of (this) darkness," namely, of morning, the light, which is as terrible to them as darkness ("the shadow of death") is to other men.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יַחְדָּ֨ו׀ | yachdav | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
| בֹּ֣קֶר | boker | [is] morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| לָ֣מוֹ | lamo | for them | ||
| צַלְמָ֑וֶת | tzalmavet | deep darkness | H6757 → | 18 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יַ֝כִּ֗יר | yakir | he is acquainted with | H5234 → | 49 times |
| בַּלְה֥וֹת | balhot | [the] terrors of | H1091 → | 10 times |
| צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | tzalmavet | deep darkness | H6757 → | 18 times |
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יַחְדָּ֨ו׀together
yachdavH3162 →141 times
בֹּ֣קֶר[is] morning
bokerH1242 →214 times
לָ֣מוֹfor them
lamo
צַלְמָ֑וֶתdeep darkness
tzalmavetH6757 →18 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יַ֝כִּ֗ירhe is acquainted with
yakirH5234 →49 times
בַּלְה֥וֹת[the] terrors of
balhotH1091 →10 times
צַלְמָֽוֶת׃deep darkness
tzalmavetH6757 →18 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 3:5May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
it leads to
- Job 10:21–22
before I go—never to return—to a land of darkness and gloom,
- Job 28:3
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
- Jeremiah 2:6
They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought…
- Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- Deuteronomy 4:11
You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.
- Job 10:21–22
Through
Jeremiah 2:26As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:32–34
So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders,…
- Ezra 9:7
From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of…
- Jeremiah 32:32
because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents…
- Nehemiah 9:32–34
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.