Job 17:1 — Word Study
WLCרוּחִ֣י חֻ֭בָּלָה יָמַ֥י נִזְעָ֗כוּ קְבָרִ֥ים לִֽי׃
BSAMy spiritrûwach [breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions] is brokenchâbal■ [consumed, crushed, or corrupted] my daysyôwm [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] are extinguishedzâʻak△■ [put out, ended, or cut off] the graveqeber [a place where the dead are buried, often a tomb or burial site]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| רוּחִ֣י | spirit my | Noun common both singular construct, suffix |
| חֻ֭בָּלָה | it is broken | Verb, Pual, perfect third person feminine singular |
| יָמַ֥י | days my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| נִזְעָ֗כוּ | they are extinguished | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| קְבָרִ֥ים | grave | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| לִֽי׃ | [belong] to me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me. |
| KJV | My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. |
| ASV | My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me. |
| YLT | My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me. |
| WEB | “My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me. |
| BBE | My spirit is broken, my days are ended, the last resting-place is ready for me. |
The translations agree on the general meaning of Job's lament, focusing on his broken spirit and the finality of his days.
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a main clause followed by phrases that elaborate on Job's condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectקֶבֶר
verbחָבַל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 17:1
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Lamentgenerated
Job 17:1 reveals Job's profound sense of despair as he confronts his suffering. He feels that his spirit is broken, and his days are coming to an end, with the grave waiting for him. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job expresses his anguish and the mockery he faces from those around him, highlighting the emotional turmoil he experiences during his trials.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 19:17 | My breath is repulsive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own family. |
| 2 | Job 6:11 | What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What is my future, that I should be patient? |
| 3 | Job 42:16 | After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. |
| 4 | Isaiah 57:16 | For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me, with the breath of those I have made. |
| 5 | Job 17:13–14 | If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רוּחִ֣י, ru.Chigenerated
The word רוּחַ (ruach) translates as 'spirit' and encompasses meanings such as breath, wind, or a person's mind and emotions. In this context, it conveys Job's inner turmoil and the essence of his being that feels crushed under the weight of his suffering.
The parsing indicates that it is a noun in the singular form, constructed with a suffix, which emphasizes the personal nature of Job's lament. His spirit is not just any spirit; it is 'my spirit,' deeply connected to his identity and emotional state.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations of this verse generally agree, conveying Job's feelings of despair.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb חֻ֭בָּלָה (is broken) governs the main clause, expressing Job's state of being. The structure of the verse includes a series of phrases that elaborate on his condition: his spirit, his days, and the grave awaiting him.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on Job's spirit first, followed by the state of his days and the grave, creating a poignant flow that reflects his emotional state.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew חֻ֭בָּלָה is rendered as ὀλέκομαι, which means 'to be extinguished' or 'to perish.' This choice emphasizes the finality of Job's condition, aligning with the theme of despair present in the Hebrew text.
The translation choice reflects a narrowing of meaning, focusing on the aspect of destruction or loss inherent in Job's lament.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 17:1 expresses Job's deep sorrow, stating that his spirit is broken and his days are coming to an end, with the grave waiting for him. This verse captures the essence of Job's suffering and the emotional weight of his circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing a profound sense of despair and emotional pain, feeling that his essence and vitality have been crushed.
The grave symbolizes the end of life and the finality of death, reflecting Job's feelings of hopelessness in his suffering.
Job's lament highlights his isolation and the mockery he faces, contrasting with the advice and opinions of his friends.
Despite his despair, Job's acknowledgment of the grave indicates a confrontation with mortality and a search for understanding in his suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel my spirit is broken, like Job?
- What can I learn from Job's honesty about his suffering?
- In what ways do I confront feelings of despair in my own life?
- How can I support others who are experiencing deep emotional pain?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church fathers comment on Job's lament, interpreting it in the context of suffering and the human condition, as seen in their writings.
“My spirit is broken” in bitterness and pain, because my ulcers torture me, or, on the other hand, because of my friends, who are ready to burst out against their friend.Early Church Fathers on Job 17 →
Chap. xvii. Ver. 1. My spirit shall be wasted to thinness. 'My spirit is wasted to thinness,' by the fear of judgment; in that the minds of the Elect, the more they feel themselves to be approaching the final Judgment,Early Church Fathers on Job 17 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 17:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMy breath is corrupt,.... Through the force of his disease, which made it have an ill smell, so that it was strange and disagreeable to his wife, Job 19:17; passing through his lungs, or other parts,
Read John Gill on Job 17 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMy breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. Breath ... corrupt - result of elephantiasis. But (Umbreit) 'my strength (spirit) is spent' [ chubaalaah (H2254)] - destroyed. Extinct.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 17 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleJOB CHAPTER 17 His miserable life; false friends; their punishment, . His contempt, and sorrow, ,7. The righteous should be established, ,9; but he was given over to death, . My breath is corrupt, i.e. it stinks, as it doth in dying persons. Or, my spirit is corrupted, or spent, or lost, i.e. my vital spirits and natural powers are wasted; my soul is ready to leave the body. My days are extinct; the lamp of my life is wasted, and upon the point of going out, and that in a snuff. The graves, i.e. the grave; the plural number being put for the singular, as sepulchres, , cities, , asses, , are put for one of each of these. Are ready for me; open their mouths as ready to receive me. The sense…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 17 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 17:1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves [are ready] for me.Ver. 1. My breath is corrupt] Which argueth that my inwards are imposthumated and rotten, so that I cannot in likelihood have long to live; Oh therefore that I might have a day of hearing and clearing before I die! But Job should have remembered that there will be at the last day a resurrection of names as well as of bodies; which he that believeth maketh not haste. Howsoever, it was not amiss for Job, so grievously diseased, and now well in years, to have thought himself to be dying and to discourse about these three particulars, that speak of him as a dying man. In the old the palm tree is full of blooms…
Read John Trapp on Job 17 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXVII.(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 word blood, which is commonly plural, though with us it is never so used.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 17 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER XVII Job complains of the injustice of his friends, and compares his present state of want and wo with his former honour and affluence, 1-6. God's dealings with him will ever astonish upright men; yet the righteous shall not be discouraged, but hold on his way, 7-9. Asserts that there is not a wise man among his friends, and that he has no expectation but of a speedy death, 10-16. NOTES ON CHAP. XVII Verse 1. My breath is corrupt] Rather, My spirit is oppressed, רוחי חבלה ruchi chubbalah: My days are extinct, and the sepulchral cells are ready for me. - PARKHURST. There is probably a reference here to cemeteries, where were several niches, in each of which a corpse was deposited.…
Read AdamClarke on Job 17 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1. my breath] Rather as margin, my spirit is spent, i. e. consumed. The “spirit” is the principle of life. the graves are ready for me] lit. graves are mine; the meaning being: the grave is my portion; cf. Job 17:13 seq. Coverdale: I am harde at deathes dore.
Read Cambridge on Job 17 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMy breath is corrupt - Margin or “spirit is spent.” The idea is, that his vital powers were nearly extinct; his breath failed; his power was weakened, and he was ready to die.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 17 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me.
“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
My spirit is broken, my days have faded out, the grave awaits me.
Tyndale line
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.
My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
My breath is corrupt: my dayes are cut off, and the graue is readie for me.
Strictly literal
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are mine.
My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me.
“My spirit has been destroyed, || My days extinguished—graves [are] for me.
My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave is ready for me.
My spirit is consumed, and my days are over; the grave is ready for me.
From the Latin
My spirit shall be wasted, my days shall be shortened, and only the grave remaineth for me.
Simplified
“My spirit is crushed; my life is extinguished; the grave is ready for me.
My spirit is broken, my days are ended, the last resting-place is ready for me.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint differ in their word correspondence, with only 2 of the 6 words matched. The Septuagint's rendering does not preserve the same structure as the Hebrew, indicating a different interpretive approach.
רוּחִ֣י חֻ֭בָּלָה יָמַ֥י נִזְעָ֗כוּ קְבָרִ֥ים לִֽי׃
2 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 17:1
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.
רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit
breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
wind (117 t.)
spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
spirit of the living, breathing being
spirit as seat of emotion
occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
rarely of the will
רוּחַ esp. of moral character
spirit of God (94 t.)
base
H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
. wind (117 t.)
. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
. spirit of the living, breathing being
. spirit as seat of emotion
. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
. rarely of the will
. רוּחַ esp. of moral character
. spirit of God (94 t.)
7307 ruwach roo'-akh
from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or
even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,
unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by
resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including
its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X
cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),
tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
see HEBREW for 07306
רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.
: spirit
1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
1a) breath
1b) wind
1b1) of heaven
1b2) quarter (of wind), side
1b3) breath of air
1b4) air, gas
1b5) vain, empty thing
1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)
1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour
1c2) courage
1c3) temper, anger
1c4) impatience, patience
1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)
1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse
1c7) prophetic spirit
1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)
1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being
1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)
1e1) desire
1e2) sorrow, trouble
1f) spirit
1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts
1f2) rarely of the will
1f3) as seat especially of moral character
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffixHNcbsc/Sp1fs
חָבַל (chabal) is a Hebrew root meaning to bind or pledge, often in the context of taking a pledge. It also conveys the ideas of destruction or corruption, as well as the physical act of writhing or travailing, particularly in childbirth. The lexicons note its use in various forms, including to spoil or be ruined, but do not indicate significant disagreement among them.
[חָבַל] vb. bind, pledge
Qal
bind
bind by taking a pledge of
Niph. Impf. becometh pledged to it
Pi. writhe, twist, hence travail
base
חָבַל vb. act (ruinously) corruptly
Qal act corruptly against
Niph. Impf. shall be ruined
Pi. ruin, destroy
Pu. be ruined, broken
base
H2254a חָבַל bind, pledge .. bind
. bind by taking a pledge of
. Impf. becometh pledged to it
H2254b חָבַל act (ruinously) corruptly .act corruptly against
. Impf. shall be ruined
. ruin, destroy
. be ruined, broken
H2254c חָבַל bind, pledge . writhe, twist, hence travail
2254 chabal khaw-bal'
a primitive root; to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind;
specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy;
also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition):--X at all,
band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay
&Š to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, X very, withhold.
חָבַל (cha.val) — to pledge.
1) to bind
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind
2) to take a pledge, lay to pledge
2a) (Qal) to hold by a pledge, take in pledge, hold in pledge
2b) (Niphal) to give a pledge, become pledged
חָבַל (cha.val) — to destroy.
1) to destroy, spoil, deal corruptly, offend
1a) (Qal) to spoil, corrupt, offend
1b) (Niphal) to be ruined
1c) (Piel) to destroy, ruin
1d) (Pual) to be ruined, be broken
Aramaic equivalent: cha.val (חֲבַל "to destroy" H2255)
חָבַל (cha.val) — be in labour.
1) to bring forth, travail
1a) (Piel) to writhe, twist, travail
V-Pual-Perf-3fs — Verb · Pual · perfect third person feminine singularHVPp3fs
bro'-k'-n: Occurs both as past participle of the verb translated "to break" and as an adjective, the former use will be dealt with here only so far as verbs occur which are thus translated but do not present the non-participial forms. Such are: meroach = "bruised," "emasculated" (Le 21:20); chathath = "to frustrate," hence, "to break down" either by violence or by confusion and fear (1Sa 2:10; Jer 48:20,39); dakhah = "to collapse" (Ps 44:19; 51:8); ratsats = "to crack in pieces" "crush" (Ec 12:6); kathath = "to bruise or violently strike," "break in pieces" (Isa…
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
זָעַךְ (za'akh) is a Hebrew verb meaning to extinguish or be extinguished. It is a primitive root and appears in the Niphal form, specifically in Job 17:1, where it conveys the sense of something being extinguished.
[זָעַךְ] vb. extinguish, only Niph. be extinguished Jb 17:1
ref
H2193 זָעַךְ
2193 za`ak zaw-ak'
a primitive root; to extinguish:--be extinct.
זָעַךְ (za.akh) — to extinguish.
1) to extinguish, be extinct, be extinguished
1a) (Niphal) to be extinguished
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
קֶ֫בֶר (qeber) refers to a grave or sepulchre, indicating a burial place. It is derived from the root word for 'to bury' and is used in contexts related to tombs. The entries consistently define it as a place of interment without notable disagreement.
קֶ֫בֶר 67 n.m. grave, sepulchre
base
H6913 קֶ֫בֶר grave, sepulchre
6913 qeber, keh'-ber
or (feminine) qibrah {kib-raw'}; from 6912; a
sepulchre:--burying place, grave, sepulchre.
see HEBREW for 06912
קֶ֫בֶר (qe.ver) — grave.
grave, sepulchre, tomb
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Grave
Among the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Luke 7:12; John 11:30). Kings (1 Kings 2:10) and prophets (1 Sam. 25:1) were generally buried within cities. Graves were generally grottoes or caves, natural or hewn out in rocks (Isa. 22:16; Matt. 27:60). There were family cemeteries (Gen. 47:29; 50:5; 2 Sam. 19:37). Public burial-places were assigned to the poor (Jer.…
[BURIAL, SEPULCHRES]
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs