Job 17:7 — Word Study
WLCוַתֵּ֣כַהּ מִכַּ֣עַשׂ עֵינִ֑י וִֽיצֻרַ֖י כַּצֵּ֣ל כֻּלָּֽם׃
BSAMy eyesʻayin [dimmed by sorrow, worn out from crying] have grown dimkâhâh▸ [to rebuke, become weak] with griefkaʻaç [vexation, deep emotional pain] and my wholekôl bodyyâtsur△ [all my members, limbs] is but a shadowtsêl [faint, mere, dark area, shade]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֣כַהּ | and it has grown dim | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person feminine singular |
| מִכַּ֣עַשׂ | from grief | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| עֵינִ֑י | eye my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וִֽיצֻרַ֖י | and members my | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| כַּצֵּ֣ל | [are] like shadow | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| כֻּלָּֽם׃ | all of them | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow. |
| KJV | Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. |
| ASV | Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow. |
| YLT | And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them. |
| WEB | My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow. |
| BBE | My eyes have become dark because of my pain, and all my body is wasted to a shade. |
Where they part company is כָּהָה — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents Job's condition, supported by a prepositional phrase explaining the cause and a noun phrase describing his physical state.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּהָה
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 17:7
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 17:7 captures Job's profound sorrow as he describes how his grief has affected him physically. He feels that his eyes have grown dim and his body is like a shadow, reflecting the weight of his emotional turmoil. This verse is part of Job's larger discourse on suffering and the human condition, as he grapples with his misfortunes and the reactions of those around him.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 16:16 | My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes; |
| 2 | Psalm 6:7 | My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes. |
| 3 | Psalm 31:9–10 | Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. |
| 4 | Lamentations 5:17 | Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim— |
| 5 | Psalm 109:23 | I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כָּהָה, va.Te.khahgenerated
The verb כָּהָה (kahah) means to grow dim or faint, often used in the context of light or vision diminishing. It can also imply a sense of weakness or despondency. In this verse, it describes Job's eyes, indicating not just physical dimness but a deeper emotional state, as his sorrow overwhelms him.
The passive nature of the verb suggests that this dimming is not merely a natural occurrence but is a result of external circumstances, highlighting the intensity of Job's grief. The word appears frequently in the Old Testament, often in contexts that convey loss or emotional pain.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb governing the verse is תֵּ֣כַהּ (tekhah), meaning 'has grown dim.' The structure of the verse includes a subject (Job's eyes), a prepositional phrase (from grief), and a predicate describing Job's body as a shadow. This arrangement emphasizes Job's physical suffering as a reflection of his emotional state.
The Hebrew word order places significance on Job's eyes first, underscoring the immediate impact of his grief before addressing the condition of his body.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כָּהָה as πεπώρωνται (peporōntai), which suggests a sense of being hardened or made dull. This choice may reflect an interpretation that emphasizes the emotional numbness Job feels rather than just the physical dimming of his eyes.
This translation indicates a broader understanding of Job's condition, linking his emotional suffering to a sense of loss of vitality.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 17:7 expresses how Job's grief has caused his eyes to grow dim and his body to feel like a shadow. This verse highlights the deep emotional pain he is experiencing, showing the connection between his sorrow and physical state.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing that his sorrow has affected him to the point where he can hardly see, symbolizing his emotional pain.
Describing his body as a shadow conveys a sense of insubstantiality and weakness, reflecting his overall state of despair.
This verse encapsulates Job's physical and emotional suffering, illustrating the profound impact of his trials on his well-being.
Job conveys deep grief and sorrow, showing how his circumstances have led to feelings of despair and insignificance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I relate to Job's feelings of grief and despair in my own life?
- What are some ways I can support others who are experiencing deep sorrow?
- In what situations have I felt like my emotions affected my physical state?
- How does understanding Job's suffering help me in my own struggles?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentary from Gregory the Dialogist reflects on Job's emotional state, using this verse to discuss the impact of indignation on the body and spirit.
Ver. 7. Mine eye is dim, for indignation, and all my members are as it were brought to nothing. For 'the eye is dim for indignation,' when those very persons likewise, who in the Lord's Body, i.e.Early Church Fathers on Job 17 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 17:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow,.... Through excessive weeping, and the abundance of tears he shed, so that he had almost lost his eyesight, or however it was greatly weakened and impaired
Read John Gill on Job 17 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. (Psalms 6:7; Psalms 31:9 ; Deuteronomy 34:7).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 17 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleBy reason of sorrow; through excessive weeping and decay of spirits, which cause a dimness in the sight. All my members are as a shadow; my body is so consumed, and my colour so wan and ghastly, that I look more like a ghost, or a shadow, than like a man.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 17 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 17:7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members [are] as a shadow.Ver. 7. Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow] Not only is my good name blasted, but my body also is wasted; the nerves of mine eyes are contracted, the visual faculty decayed, Psalms 6:7. "Mine eye is consumed because of grief; yea, my soul and my belly," Psalms 31:9. Not the visual only, but the vital powers are wasted; yea, the intellectual part as well as the sensitive, understood by the formations in the next clause, that is, the cogitations, say they, according to Genesis 6:5. But I rather take it according to our translation, for the members of the body. And all my members are as a shadow] My…
Read John Trapp on Job 17 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Mine eye also is dim] Continual weeping impairs the sight; and indeed any affliction that debilitates the frame generally weakens the sight in the same proportion. All my members are as a shadow.] Nothing is left but skin and bone. I am but the shadow of my former self.
Read AdamClarke on Job 17 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. The sorrowful condition to which Job was reduced by his afflictions.
Read Cambridge on Job 17 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMine eye is dim by reason of sorrow - Schultens supposes that this refers to his external appearance in general, as being worn down, exhausted, “defaced” by his many troubles; but it seems rather to
Read Albert Barnes on Job 17 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible7. Eye also is dim — Dimness of the eye is a figure frequently employed in Scripture to indicate the effects of grief, or of advanced age. As a shadow. See note Job 8:9.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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 eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.
Tyndale line
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shade.
Mine eye therefore is dimme for griefe, and all my strength is like a shadowe.
Strictly literal
And mine eye is dim by reason of grief, and all my members are as a shadow.
And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
And my eye is dim from sorrow, || And my members—all of them—as a shadow.
Therefore is my eye dim from vexation, and my limbs are all of them like a shadow.
My eye is also dim because of sorrow; all my body parts are as thin as shadows.
From the Latin
My eye is dim through indignation, and my limbs are brought as it were to nothing.
Simplified
My eyes are worn out from crying and my body is a shadow of its former self.
My eyes have become dark because of my pain, and all my body is wasted to a shade.
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 largely agree on the wording of this verse, with five of the six Hebrew words matched. The differences lie primarily in the word order and grammatical structure, reflecting the translation choices of the Septuagint rather than significant variations in meaning.
וַתֵּ֣כַהּ מִכַּ֣עַשׂ עֵינִ֑י וִֽיצֻרַ֖י כַּצֵּ֣ל כֻּלָּֽם׃
5 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 17:7
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.
כָּהָה (kahah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to grow dim or faint. It can refer to light or the eye becoming dull, as well as to feelings of weakness or despondency. In the Piel stem, it can also mean to rebuke, as noted in 1 Samuel 3:13. The entries highlight its various uses, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[כָּהָה] vb. be or grow dim, faint
Qal grow dim
Pi. grow faint
base
[כָּהָה] vb. Pi. rebuke, only 1 S 3:13
ref
H3543a כָּהָה be or grow dim, faint H3543b כָּהָה Pi. rebuke
3543 kahah kaw-haw'
a primitive root; to be weak, i.e. (figuratively) to despond
(causatively, rebuke), or (of light, the eye) to grow dull:--
darken, be dim, fail, faint, restrain, X utterly.
כָּהָה (ka.hah) — to grow dim.
1) to grow weak, grow dim, grow faint, falter, be weak, be dim, be darkened, be restrained, be faint, fail
1a) (Qal) to grow dim
1b) (Piel) to faint, grow weak, grow faint
כָּהָה (ka.hah) — to rebuke.
to rebuke
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singularHc/Vqw3fs
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) refers to feelings of vexation and anger, encompassing grief and provocation. It is derived from a root that suggests a sense of irritation or sorrow. The word appears in contexts relating to both human and divine emotions, indicating a range of feelings from frustration to wrath.
כַּ֫עַס n.m. vexation, anger
base
כַּ֫עַשׂ n.m.
vexation, grief
vexation, anger
base
H3708a כַּ֫עַס vexation, anger H3708b כַּ֫עַשׂ . vexation, grief
. vexation, anger
3708 ka`ac kah'-as
or (in Job) kaoas {kah'-as}; from 3707; vexation: -anger,
angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, X sore,
sorrow, spite, wrath.
see HEBREW for 03707
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) — vexation.
anger, vexation
Also means: ka.as (כַּ֫עַשׂ "vexation" H3708B)
כַּ֫עַשׂ (ka.as) — vexation.
1) anger, vexation, provocation, grief
1a) vexation
1a1) of men
1a2) of God
1b) vexation, grief, frustration
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
יְצֻרִים (yatsurim) refers to 'members' or 'forms' of the body, derived from the root word for 'structure.' It appears in Job 17:7, where it denotes parts of the body. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to bodily members.
[יְצֻרִים] n.m.pl. my forms, members of my body Jb 17:7.
ref
H3338 יְצֻרִים, יָצֻר
3338 yatsur yaw-tsoor'
passive participle of 3335; structure, i.e. limb or
part:--member.ql
see HEBREW for 03335
יְצֻרִים (ya.tsur) — member.
forms, members (of the body)
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp1bs
צֵל (tsel) means 'shadow' or 'shade,' encompassing both literal and figurative uses. It can refer to a physical shadow, as well as a protective shade or a symbol of life's transience. The word is derived from a root meaning to shade, and it is related to another term, צֵלֶל (tselel), which also means 'shadow.'
H6738 צֵל shadow
6738 tsel tsale
from 6751; shade, whether literal or figurative:--defence,
shade(-ow).
see HEBREW for 06751
צֵל (tsel) — shadow.
1) shadow, shade
1a) shadow (on dial)
1b) shadow, shade (as protection)
1c) shadow (symbolic of transitoriness of life)
Also means: tse.lel (צֵלֶל "shadow" H6752)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
Sometimes denotes intense darkness and gloom, Ps 23:4, and sometimes a cool retreat, Isa 33:2, or perfect protection, Ps 17:8 Isa 49:2 Da 4:12.
The long shadows cast by the declining sun are alluded to in Job 7:2 Jer 6:4. The swift, never ceasing motion of a shadow is an emblem of human life, 1Ch 29:15 Ps 102:11.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp