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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 17:1 "My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/17-1.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/16/18_Job_17_01.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 17:1 - Job Prepares for Death" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/job/17-1.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/job/17-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/job/">Job</a> > <a href="/job/17.htm">Chapter 17</a> > Verse 1</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/16-22.htm" title="Job 16:22">◄</a> Job 17:1 <a href="/job/17-2.htm" title="Job 17:2">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/17.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/17.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/17.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/17.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/17.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/17.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves <i>are ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/17.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave <i>is ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/17.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is <i>ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/17.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/17.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is <i>ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/17.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; The grave is <i>ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/17.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is <i>ready</i> for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/17.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My spirit is broken. My days are extinguished. A graveyard awaits me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/17.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My spirit is broken. My days are extinguished. A graveyard awaits me. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/17.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/17.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />My hopes have died, my time is up, and the grave is ready. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/17.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/17.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"My spirit is broken. My days have been snuffed out. The cemetery [is waiting] for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/17.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The end of my life is near. I can hardly breathe; there is nothing left for me but the grave. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/17.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"My spirit is crushed, my days are over; it's the grave for me!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/17.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />?My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/17.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />My spirit is broken, my days have faded out, the grave awaits me. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/17.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, And the grave is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/17.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/17.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/17.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />“My spirit has been destroyed, "" My days extinguished—graves [are] for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/17.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished -- graves are for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/17.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />My spirit being destroyed my days were extinct; the graves are for me.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/17.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />My spirit shall be wasted, my days shall be shortened, and only the grave remaineth for me. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/17.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />My spirit will be wasted, my days will be shortened, and only the grave will left for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/17.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />My spirit is broken, my days finished, my burial at hand. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/17.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />My spirit is broken, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/17.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />MY spirit is weary, my days are extinct; the grave is ready for me,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/17.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />My spirit is exhausted and my days have become extinct! The tomb is ready for me!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/17.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/17.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />I perish, carried away by the wind, and I seek for burial, and obtain <i>it</i> not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/17-1.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=2605" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/17.htm">Job Prepares for Death</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">1</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7307.htm" title="7307: rū·ḥî (N-csc:: 1cs) -- Breath, wind, spirit. From ruwach; wind; by resemblance breath.">“My spirit</a> <a href="/hebrew/2254.htm" title="2254: ḥub·bā·lāh (V-Pual-Perf-3fs) -- A primitive root; to wind tightly, i.e. To bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain.">is broken;</a> <a href="/hebrew/3117.htm" title="3117: yā·may (N-mpc:: 1cs) -- Day. From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day, whether literal, or figurative.">my days</a> <a href="/hebrew/2193.htm" title="2193: niz·‘ā·ḵū (V-Nifal-Perf-3cp) -- To extinguish. A primitive root; to extinguish.">are extinguished;</a> <a href="/hebrew/6913.htm" title="6913: qə·ḇā·rîm (N-mp) -- A grave, sepulcher. Or qibrah; from qabar; a sepulchre.">the grave</a> <a href="/hebrew/lî (Prep:: 1cs) -- ">awaits me.</a> </span><span class="reftext">2</span>Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/88-3.htm">Psalm 88:3-5</a></span><br />For 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/38-10.htm">Isaiah 38:10-12</a></span><br />I 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/7-6.htm">Job 7:6-7</a></span><br />My 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/14-1.htm">Job 14:1-2</a></span><br />“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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/12-5.htm">Ecclesiastes 12:5-7</a></span><br />when 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/39-4.htm">Psalm 39:4-5</a></span><br />“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<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/5-1.htm">2 Corinthians 5:1-4</a></span><br />For 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. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_timothy/4-6.htm">2 Timothy 4:6-8</a></span><br />For 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/102-3.htm">Psalm 102:3-11</a></span><br />For 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. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/10-20.htm">Job 10:20-22</a></span><br />Are 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.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/6-5.htm">Psalm 6:5</a></span><br />For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/philippians/1-23.htm">Philippians 1:23-24</a></span><br />I 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/16-22.htm">Job 16:22</a></span><br />For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/31-12.htm">Psalm 31:12</a></span><br />I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a></span><br />For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.</p><p class="hdg">breath is corrupt.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/19-17.htm">Job 19:17</a></b></br> My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's <i>sake</i> of mine own body.</p><p class="hdg">my days</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/6-11.htm">Job 6:11</a></b></br> What <i>is</i> my strength, that I should hope? and what <i>is</i> mine end, that I should prolong my life?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/42-16.htm">Job 42:16</a></b></br> After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, <i>even</i> four generations.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/57-16.htm">Isaiah 57:16</a></b></br> For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls <i>which</i> I have made.</p><p class="hdg">the graves</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/17-13.htm">Job 17:13,14</a></b></br> If I wait, the grave <i>is</i> mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/88-3.htm">Psalm 88:3-5</a></b></br> For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/38-10.htm">Isaiah 38:10-14</a></b></br> 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… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/habakkuk/2-3.htm">Awaits</a> <a href="/job/15-30.htm">Breath</a> <a href="/job/16-14.htm">Broken</a> <a href="/job/15-34.htm">Consumed</a> <a href="/job/15-34.htm">Corrupt</a> <a href="/job/15-32.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/job/14-19.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/job/7-21.htm">Ended</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/25-6.htm">Extinct</a> <a href="/job/6-17.htm">Extinguished</a> <a href="/job/14-13.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-5.htm">Graves</a> <a href="/job/14-12.htm">Last</a> <a href="/job/15-28.htm">Ready</a> <a href="/job/16-18.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/job/16-22.htm">Short</a> <a href="/job/15-13.htm">Spirit</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/65-1.htm">Awaits</a> <a href="/job/19-17.htm">Breath</a> <a href="/job/17-11.htm">Broken</a> <a href="/job/17-5.htm">Consumed</a> <a href="/psalms/14-1.htm">Corrupt</a> <a href="/job/17-5.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/job/19-10.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/job/21-21.htm">Ended</a> <a href="/isaiah/43-17.htm">Extinct</a> <a href="/job/18-5.htm">Extinguished</a> <a href="/job/17-13.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/job/21-32.htm">Graves</a> <a href="/job/21-32.htm">Last</a> <a href="/job/18-12.htm">Ready</a> <a href="/job/21-32.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/job/17-12.htm">Short</a> <a href="/job/19-17.htm">Spirit</a><div class="vheading2">Job 17</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/17-1.htm">Job appeals from men to God</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/17-6.htm">The unmerciful dealing of men with the afflicted may astonish, </a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/17-9.htm">but not discourage the righteous</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/17-11.htm">His hope is not in life, but in death</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/17.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/job/17.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>My spirit is broken;</b><br>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" (<a href="/isaiah/53-3.htm">Isaiah 53:3</a>). Job's lamentation here is a precursor to the suffering servant motif found in the prophecies about Jesus.<p><b>my days are extinguished;</b><br>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 to <a href="/psalms/39-4.htm">Psalm 39:4-5</a>, where the brevity of life is acknowledged, and to <a href="/james/4-14.htm">James 4:14</a>, which describes life as a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.<p><b>the grave awaits me.</b><br>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 (<a href="/1_corinthians/15-20.htm">1 Corinthians 15:20-22</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/job.htm">Job</a></b><br>The 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.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_grave.htm">The Grave (Sheol)</a></b><br>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.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/j/job's_suffering.htm">Job's Suffering</a></b><br>The 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.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_despair.htm">Understanding Despair</a></b><br>Job'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.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_suffering.htm">The Reality of Suffering</a></b><br>Suffering 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.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_beyond_the_grave.htm">Hope Beyond the Grave</a></b><br>While Job speaks of the grave as his destination, the broader biblical account offers hope of resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_community.htm">The Importance of Community</a></b><br>Job's friends failed to provide the support he needed. This highlights the importance of being present and compassionate to those in distress.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trusting_god's_sovereignty.htm">Trusting God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>Even 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.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_job_17.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Job 17</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_job's_spirit_broken_in_17_1.htm">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? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_job_17's_despair_contradict_deliverance.htm">Does the profound hopelessness expressed in Job 17 contradict other scriptures that promise divine deliverance for the faithful?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_for_job_17__historical_or_allegory.htm">Is there any historical or archaeological evidence to support the events in Job 17, or does it appear solely allegorical? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_acts_13_36-37_align_with_scripture.htm">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?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/job/17.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>XVII.</span><p>(1) <span class= "bld">My breath is corrupt.</span>--As it is said to be in Elephantiasis. Some understand it, "My spirit is consumed." (See margin.)<p><span class= "bld">The graves.</span>--<span class= "ital">i.e., the grave is mine</span>--<span class= "ital">my portion. </span>The plural is frequently used for the singular in Hebrew, as, <span class= "ital">e.g., </span>in the case of the word <span class= "ital">blood, </span>which is commonly plural, though with us it is never so used.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/17.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 1-16.</span> - 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). <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 1.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">My breath is corrupt</span>; or, <span class="accented">my spirit is oppressed.</span> But the physical meaning is the more probable one. A fetid breath is one of the surest signs of approaching dissolution. <span class="cmt_word">My days are extinct</span>; or, <span class="accented">cut off</span>. The verb used does not occur elsewhere. <span class="cmt_word">The graves are ready for me</span>; or, <span class="accented">the chambers of the grave are mine already.</span> 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). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/17-1.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">My spirit</span><br /><span class="heb">רוּחִ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(rū·ḥî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7307.htm">Strong's 7307: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit</span><br /><br /><span class="word">is broken;</span><br /><span class="heb">חֻ֭בָּלָה</span> <span class="translit">(ḥub·bā·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2254.htm">Strong's 2254: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">my days</span><br /><span class="heb">יָמַ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(yā·may)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3117.htm">Strong's 3117: </a> </span><span class="str2">A day</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are extinguished;</span><br /><span class="heb">נִזְעָ֗כוּ</span> <span class="translit">(niz·‘ā·ḵū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2193.htm">Strong's 2193: </a> </span><span class="str2">To extinguish</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the grave</span><br /><span class="heb">קְבָרִ֥ים</span> <span class="translit">(qə·ḇā·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6913.htm">Strong's 6913: </a> </span><span class="str2">A grave, sepulcher</span><br /><br /><span class="word">awaits me.</span><br /><span class="heb">לִֽי׃</span> <span class="translit">(lî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/17-1.htm">Job 17:1 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/17-1.htm">OT Poetry: Job 17:1 My spirit is consumed (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/16-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 16:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 16:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/17-2.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 17:2"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 17:2" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>