Job 17:7
New International Version
My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.

New Living Translation
My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self.

English Standard Version
My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow.

Berean Standard Bible
My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.

King James Bible
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

New King James Version
My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow, And all my members are like shadows.

New American Standard Bible
“My eye has also become inexpressive because of grief, And all my body parts are like a shadow.

NASB 1995
“My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow.

NASB 1977
“My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow.

Legacy Standard Bible
My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow.

Amplified Bible
“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief, And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

Christian Standard Bible
My eyes have grown dim from grief, and my whole body has become but a shadow.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My eyes have grown dim from grief, and my whole body has become but a shadow.

American Standard Version
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow.

Contemporary English Version
I am almost blind with grief; my body is a mere shadow.

English Revised Version
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now my eyes are blurred from grief. Now all my limbs are like a shadow.

Good News Translation
My grief has almost made me blind; my arms and legs are as thin as shadows.

International Standard Version
My eyes have grown weak from grief; and my whole body is as thin as a shadow.

Majority Standard Bible
My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.

NET Bible
My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.

New Heart English Bible
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.

Webster's Bible Translation
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shade.

World English Bible
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And my eye is dim from sorrow, "" And my members—all of them—as a shadow.

Young's Literal Translation
And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.

Smith's Literal Translation
And mine eye shall be weak from vexation, and my thoughts as a shadow all of them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
My eye is dim through indignation, and my limbs are brought as it were to nothing.

Catholic Public Domain Version
My eyesight has been clouded by indignation, and my limbs have been reduced, as if to nothing.

New American Bible
My eyes are blind with anguish, and my whole frame is like a shadow.

New Revised Standard Version
My eye has grown dim from grief, and all my members are like a shadow.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
My eye is dim because of anger, and all my senses are like a shadow.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
My eye aches from passion and all my senses are as a shadow
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Mine eye also is dimmed by reason of vexation, And all my members are as a shadow.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For my eyes are dimmed through pain; I have been grievously beset by all.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Prepares for Death
6He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit. 7My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow. 8The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless.…

Cross References
Psalm 6:7
My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.

Psalm 31:9
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well.

Lamentations 5:17
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—

Psalm 38:10
My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded.

Psalm 88:9
My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

Psalm 69:3
I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Isaiah 38:14
I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

Psalm 119:82
My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I ask, “When will You comfort me?”

Psalm 119:123
My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.

Psalm 13:3
Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,

Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. / That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Hebrews 12:3
Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

Mine eye

Job 16:16
My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

Psalm 6:7
Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

Psalm 31:9,10
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly…

members.

Job 17:11
My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

shadow

Psalm 109:23
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

Ecclesiastes 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

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Body Dark Dim Dimmed Eye Eyes Frame Grief Grown Members Pain Reason Shade Shadow Sorrow Vexation Wasted Whole
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Body Dark Dim Dimmed Eye Eyes Frame Grief Grown Members Pain Reason Shade Shadow Sorrow Vexation Wasted Whole
Job 17
1. Job appeals from men to God
6. The unmerciful dealing of men with the afflicted may astonish,
9. but not discourage the righteous
11. His hope is not in life, but in death














My eyes have grown dim with grief
This phrase reflects Job's intense emotional and physical suffering. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the eyes were often seen as a window to one's health and vitality. Dimming eyes symbolize not only physical weakness but also deep sorrow and despair. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages where grief and suffering are depicted as affecting one's vision, such as in Psalm 6:7, where the psalmist's eyes waste away because of grief. Job's lamentation here underscores the depth of his affliction, both in his personal loss and in his perceived abandonment by God. The dimming of eyes can also be seen as a metaphor for a loss of hope or clarity in understanding God's purposes.

and my whole body is but a shadow
The imagery of the body as a shadow conveys a sense of frailty and transience. In biblical literature, a shadow often represents something insubstantial or fleeting, as seen in passages like Psalm 144:4, where human life is described as a passing shadow. Job's description of his body as a shadow emphasizes his weakened state and the brevity of life, a theme that resonates throughout the book of Job. This metaphor also points to the existential crisis Job faces, as he grapples with the meaning of his suffering and the seeming elusiveness of God's justice. The shadow can be seen as a type of Christ, who, in His suffering, took on the frailty of human flesh and experienced the depths of human sorrow, yet brought hope and redemption through His resurrection.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, known for his immense suffering and perseverance.

2. Uz
The land where Job lived. It is often associated with the region east of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia.

3. Job's Suffering
The context of this verse is Job's lament over his physical and emotional suffering. He has lost his wealth, children, and health, and is grappling with deep grief and despair.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Suffering
Job's experience reminds us that suffering is a part of the human condition. Even the righteous can face immense trials and tribulations.

Physical Manifestations of Grief
Grief can affect us physically, as seen in Job's dim eyes and shadow-like body. It's important to acknowledge and address the physical aspects of emotional pain.

Endurance in Faith
Despite his suffering, Job continues to engage with God. His perseverance is a model for maintaining faith even when circumstances are dire.

Empathy for the Suffering
Understanding Job's plight encourages us to be compassionate and supportive to those who are grieving or in distress.

Hope Beyond Despair
While Job's situation seems hopeless, the broader biblical account assures us of God's presence and eventual restoration.Verse 7. - Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow (comp. Psalm 6:7; Psalm 31:9). Excessive weeping, such as stains the cheeks (Job 16:16), will also in most cases dim and dull the eyesight. And all my members are as a shadow. Weak, that is, worn out, unstable, fleeting, ready to pass away.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
My eyes
עֵינִ֑י (‘ê·nî)
Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

have grown dim
וַתֵּ֣כַהּ (wat·tê·ḵah)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3543: To be weak, to despond, to grow dull

with grief,
מִכַּ֣עַשׂ (mik·ka·‘aś)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3708: Vexation, anger

and my whole
כֻּלָּֽם׃ (kul·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

body
וִֽיצֻרַ֖י (wî·ṣu·ray)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3338: Structure, limb, part

is but a shadow.
כַּצֵּ֣ל (kaṣ·ṣêl)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6738: A shadow


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OT Poetry: Job 17:7 My eye also is dim by reason (Jb)
Job 17:6
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