What is the meaning of Job 17:7? My eyes have grown dim Job begins with a vivid image: “My eyes have grown dim…” He is not exaggerating; long-lasting sorrow can literally blur vision. • Psalm 6:7 echoes this: “My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes”. • Psalm 88:9 says, “My eyes grow dim with grief.” Both passages show that real believers, even while trusting God, may feel their physical strength waning under emotional weight. Like Job, we acknowledge the reality of the pain without denying God’s sovereignty (Job 1:21). with grief The dimming is “with grief,” not simple fatigue. • Jesus Himself wept openly at Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:35), proving that sorrow is not a sign of weak faith. • Isaiah 53:3 describes the Messiah as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Job’s grief is therefore part of the broader biblical pattern: righteous people sometimes endure piercing heartache, yet God remains present (Psalm 34:18). and my whole body The suffering moves from the eyes to “my whole body,” showing that anguish seeps into every fiber of being. • In Psalm 31:9–10 David writes, “My eye and my soul and my body are consumed with grief”. • Lamentations 3:4, “He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.” Physical, emotional, and spiritual pain often interlink. Job’s statement reminds us that Scripture speaks to the total person; God cares about body as well as soul (1 Kings 19:4-8). is but a shadow Job concludes, “…is but a shadow.” He feels like a faint outline of who he once was. • Psalm 102:11: “My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass”. • Psalm 109:23: “I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.” A shadow lacks substance, just as Job senses his vitality slipping. Yet even when life feels insubstantial, the Lord does not abandon His child (Hebrews 13:5). This honest confession sets the stage for God’s later response in Job 38–41, where divine presence dispels despair’s darkness. summary Job 17:7 paints a step-by-step portrait of suffering: fading eyesight, grief-soaked emotion, bodily weakness, and a shadow-like existence. Scripture consistently affirms such experiences among the faithful, assuring us that God sees, understands, and ultimately redeems even the deepest distress. |
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