JobChapitre 17

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My spirit is broken, my days are snuffed out, the graves are ready for me.

Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

Give me, I pray, the pledge you require; who else will shake hands as my guarantor?

You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph.

Whoever betrays his friends for a share of the spoil, the eyes of his children will fail.

He has made me a byword among the peoples, a man in whose face they spit.

My eyes have grown dim with grief, and all my limbs are but a shadow.

The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred up against the godless.

Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he whose hands are clean grows stronger.

But turn, all of you, and come again, I beg you! Yet I will find no wise man among you.

My days are past, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.

These men turn night into day; in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.'

If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread out my bed in darkness,

if I say to the pit, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,'

where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?

Will it go down with me to the bars of the grave? Shall we rest together in the dust?

Recherche

Résumé2

Chapitre 17

Main Theme: Job expresses deep despair over his situation and sees only the grave as his future.

Content: Job describes how his spirit is crushed and his life is ebbing away. He asks God to be his guarantor, since no one else will stand in his place, and he accuses his friends of lacking wisdom and understanding. Job now regards Sheol (the realm of the dead) as his home and refers to the grave as his father, the worm as his mother and sister. He asks where his hope is, concluding that it descends into Sheol along with him.

Key Words/Images:

Guarantor (עָרְבֵנִי): Job asks God to act as his guarantor in a legal image, since no human being will take his side.
Sheol as home: Job describes the realm of the dead as his dwelling and the grave as his bed—death has become his only expectation.
The grave as family: In a poignant image, Job calls the grave his father and the worm his mother and sister—death is now his closest companion.
Hopelessness (תִקְוָה): Job asks rhetorically where his hope is, answering that it sinks into the dust along with him.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Job 17

Events and Customs

The chapter contains several references to legal and economic customs in the ancient Near East. In verse 3, Job asks God to "stand as guarantor" (עָרְבֵנִי, 'orveni) and mentions "striking the hand" (לְיָדִי יִתָּקֵעַ, leyadi yittaqa'). This refers to the ancient custom of a handshake as a binding guarantee in legal agreements and suretyship. A person who acted as guarantor for another would strike their hand against the other's hand as a sign that they assumed responsibility for the debt. This practice is warned against in several places in Proverbs (6:1; 11:15; 17:18).

In verse 6, Job says that God has "made me a byword among the peoples" (לִמְשֹׁל עַמִּים, limshol 'ammim) and that he has become "one whom people spit in the face" (וְתֹפֶת לְפָנִים, vetofet lefanim). Spitting in someone's face was an extreme form of public disgrace in ancient cultures, marking the outcast as socially dead (cf. Num 12:14; Deut 25:9).

Key Terms

The word שְׁאוֹל (she'ol) appears twice in this chapter (verses 13, 16) and represents the Hebrew concept of the abode of the dead. In contrast to later developed theology concerning heaven and hell, she'ol in the book of Job describes a dark, silent existence beneath the earth where all the dead—both righteous and unrighteous—are found. Job personifies she'ol as his future "home" and "bed," which reflects the pessimistic tone of the chapter.

In verse 14, Job addresses "corruption" (שַׁחַת, shachat) as his "father" and the "worm" (רִמָּה, rimmah) as his "mother and sister." This use of kinship terminology for the grave and decay is a powerful poetic depiction of how close Job feels to death. Such personifications of the realm of the dead are also found in Mesopotamian literature, where the underworld is described as a "place of no return."

Personnages

Aucun personnage connu dans ce chapitre.

Mots-clés7

Misery — A state of great distress, suffering, or misfortune that Job experiences due to his trials and losses.
Righteousness — The principle of acting in accordance with moral laws and ethics, which Job claims to have followed throughout his trial.
Hope — The expectation of a better future or outcome, even when facing severe trials and adversity.
Friend — A person who is close and offers support, but in Job's case, someone who criticizes and accuses him of sins he has not committed.
Accusation — Charges or criticism directed at Job by his friends, who believe that his suffering is the result of sin.
Darkness — A symbol of the suffering, despair, and isolation that Job experiences during his trials.
Prayer — Communication with God in which one seeks help, guidance, or comfort, something Job does several times in the book.