Job 23:17
New International Version
Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

New Living Translation
Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

English Standard Version
yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

King James Bible
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

New King James Version
Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness, And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.

New American Standard Bible
But I am not destroyed by darkness, Nor by deep gloom which covers me.

NASB 1995
But I am not silenced by the darkness, Nor deep gloom which covers me.

NASB 1977
But I am not silenced by the darkness, Nor deep gloom which covers me.

Legacy Standard Bible
But I am not silenced by the darkness, Nor thick darkness which covers me.

Amplified Bible
But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me], Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.

Christian Standard Bible
Yet I am not destroyed by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet I am not destroyed by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

American Standard Version
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

Contemporary English Version
God has covered me with darkness, but I refuse to be silent.

English Revised Version
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But I am not silenced by the dark or by the thick darkness that covers my face.

International Standard Version
Nevertheless, I haven't been silenced because of the darkness, even when thick darkness obscures my vision."

Majority Standard Bible
Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

NET Bible
Yet I have not been silent because of the darkness, because of the thick darkness that covered my face.

New Heart English Bible
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

Webster's Bible Translation
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

World English Bible
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For I have not been cut off before darkness, "" And before me He covered thick darkness.”

Young's Literal Translation
For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.

Smith's Literal Translation
For I was not cut off from the face of darkness, and he covered misfortune from my face.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I have not perished because of the darkness that hangs over me, neither hath the mist covered my face.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet I have not perished because of the threatening darkness, nor has gloom covered my face.

New American Bible
Yes, would that I had vanished in darkness, hidden by the thick gloom before me.

New Revised Standard Version
If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Because I was not silenced before the darkness, and before the covering of the blackness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because I was not silenced by the presence of the darkness and by the presence of the veil of gloom
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did He cover the thick darkness from my face.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For I knew not that darkness would come upon me, and thick darkness has covered me before my face.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Longs for God
16God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. 17Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

Cross References
Psalm 88:6-7
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths. / Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah

Lamentations 3:2-6
He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light. / Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long. / He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones. ...

Isaiah 50:10
Who 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.

Psalm 143:3
For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

Psalm 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.

Psalm 27:1
Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?

Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

Psalm 139:11-12
If 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.

Jeremiah 13:16
Give 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.

Micah 7:8-9
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. / Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.

John 12:35-36
Then 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. / While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.

Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

John 1:5
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

1 John 1:5-7
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. / If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. / But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.


Treasury of Scripture

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither has he covered the darkness from my face.

cut off

Job 6:9
Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

2 Kings 22:20
Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Isaiah 57:1
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

the darkness from

Job 15:22
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

Job 18:6,18
The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him…

Job 19:8
He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

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Job 23
1. Job longs to appear before God
6. in confidence of his mercy
8. God, who is invisible, observes our ways
11. Job's innocence
13. God's decree is immutable














Yet I am not silenced
The phrase "Yet I am not silenced" reflects Job's unwavering determination to express his anguish and seek understanding despite his suffering. The Hebrew root for "silenced" is "דָּמַם" (damam), which can mean to be still or silent. In the context of Job's trials, this phrase signifies his refusal to be subdued by his circumstances. Historically, Job's persistence in speaking out is a testament to his faith and desire for a dialogue with God, even when faced with overwhelming adversity. This reflects a broader biblical theme of the righteous crying out to God in times of distress, as seen in the Psalms.

by the darkness
The term "darkness" in Hebrew is "חֹשֶׁךְ" (choshek), often used to describe a state of chaos, ignorance, or evil. In the ancient Near Eastern context, darkness was associated with the absence of God's presence and order. Job's reference to darkness symbolizes the profound spiritual and emotional turmoil he is experiencing. Despite this, Job's faith remains intact, as he continues to seek God's presence and understanding. This highlights the biblical principle that faith can persist even in the absence of visible light or clarity.

by the thick darkness
The phrase "thick darkness" intensifies the previous mention of darkness, using the Hebrew word "עֲרָפֶל" (araphel), which conveys a sense of deep obscurity or gloom. This term is used in other parts of the Old Testament, such as in Exodus 20:21, where Moses approaches the thick darkness where God was. This suggests that even in the most profound obscurity, God's presence can be found. For Job, the thick darkness represents the depth of his suffering and confusion, yet it also implies the potential for divine encounter and revelation.

that covers my face
The imagery of darkness covering Job's face evokes a sense of being overwhelmed and unable to see or understand his situation. In Hebrew culture, the face is often symbolic of one's presence and identity. The covering of Job's face by darkness suggests a loss of clarity and personal connection with God. However, Job's statement that he is not silenced indicates his resilience and hope that God will eventually lift this veil of darkness. This reflects the Christian belief in the ultimate triumph of light over darkness, as seen in the promise of redemption and restoration through Christ.

Verse 17. - Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face. Job complains of two things:

(1) That he was not cut off (i.e. removed from earth) before the great darkness fell upon his life (comp. Job 3:11-13).

(2) That he was not "covered,' i.e. sheltered and protected, by the love and care of God when the dark days came.

. . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Yet
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I am not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

silenced
נִ֭צְמַתִּי (niṣ·mat·tî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6789: To put an end to, exterminate

by
מִפְּנֵי־ (mip·pə·nê-)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the darkness,
חֹ֑שֶׁךְ (ḥō·šeḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness

by the thick darkness
אֹֽפֶל׃ (’ō·p̄el)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 652: Darkness, gloom

that covers
כִּסָּה־ (kis·sāh-)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3680: To plump, fill up hollows, to cover

my face.
וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י (ū·mip·pā·nay)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face


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OT Poetry: Job 23:17 Because I was not cut off before (Jb)
Job 23:16
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