My Hope Is Extinguished – Job 17:1-4

Welcome to the In All Wisdom blog post. A daily post dedicated to Wisdom for Life.

Today’s Title: My Hope Is Extinguished – Job 17:1-4

In today’s world, the following are frequent laments:

• “I have no hope!
• My hope is gone!
• Where’s the hope?”

Lamenting, “There’s just no hope!” faces all of us. We are not immune to hopelessness; it is a plague that destroys all hope.

Here is the surrounding Scripture for today’s blog post.
For Hebrew readers I have provided the Masoretic Text. English readers, you are free to ignore.

Job 16:1-4

רוּחִ֣י חֻ֭בָּלָה יָמַ֥י נִזְעָ֗כוּ קְבָרִ֥ים לִֽי׃
rūḥ=ī ḥubbalāyam-ay=[y] nizʿakū*qȧbarīm l=ī

My spirit is broken,
my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye gazes on their provocation.

Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will be my guarantor?

For You have kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.

Initial Thoughts:

• My spirit is broken, A broken spirit, seems too weak, when compared to extinguished days; followed by a grave.

• My days are extinguished, My days are being snuffed out, is the point.

• The grave is ready for me. That is stark enough.

• Surely mockers are with me, It’s a question: Are not mockers with me?

• And my eye gazes on their provocation. It’s another question: Does not my eye spend the night on their provocations?

• Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself, This is clear enough.

• Who is there that will be my guarantor? Who will strike hands with me, is the idea.

• For You have kept their heart from understanding, This idea is: You have hidden insight from them.

• Therefore You will not exalt them. This also, is clear.

Explanation:
My method of understanding the book of Job is to simply follow the first occurrence(s) of a Hebrew word; or the only other occurrence(s).

“My spirit is broken,” is the more common translation. However, “My spirit is “destroyed “ seems to better-fit: “extinguished days” and “grave (lit graves) ready for me (literally graves to me)”. 

Young’s Literal translation uses the word: “destroyed” as does The Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic Text (1917).

    Connections:

The specific Hebrew word, normally translated “broken” is found in only one other place: 

The book of Isaiah 10:22-23 where “a destruction has been determined”, “a complete destruction” against Assyria. Where 10:27 then reads: “the yoke will be broken”. Again, YLT and the Tanakh translate consistently: “A destruction has been determined”… a complete destruction”…”a destroyed yoke”.See extended note.

Specific Teaching:

“My spirit is destroyed, my days are extinguished, graves are mine.”
This is the pure lament of one’s soul on a hopeless day.

The lifting up of one’s soul to Almighty God. Telling God that mockers stand with you, and are all around you, there is no escape from their provocations. Your eye sees them through the night hours. The grave awaits your soul.

Then the cry” Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself; guarantee my safety with Yourself! Who is there that will be my guarantor? No one, But You!

Here in this passage of Job 17:1-4, it seems that the expectation of ongoing life becomes hopeless. The hopes and dreams of one’s days, are now being dashed to pieces. Life is about to abruptly, and prematurely end. A grave has been freshly dug.

Was that what Job really said? Note, that “grave” is literally “graves”. And they are his, “my graves”, that too is a literal rendering. Which begins to focus Job’s words on someone other than him.

So, what is Job talking about? Read on, you might be surprised with the rest of Job’s speech. It may just provide some insight, that you were not anticipating.

I will continue this particular blog next month.

I want to leave you with some encouragement.

The book of Job was written for you. Today’s text is “living and active”:

12  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 
13  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 
14  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 
15  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 
16  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:12–16, NASB).

We have come to the end of today’s blog.
A daily blog dedicated to wisdom for life.

Thank you for reading and pondering!

Please join me again for another interesting post about wisdom for Life.

Until he comes on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory,

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

Numbers 6:24–26, NASB