Job 17 (KJV)
Read Job chapter 17 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Job 17
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Job 17 Summary
Job feels his spirit is broken and his days are extinct. He sees no human hope and asks God to be his surety since no one else will vouch for him. He describes the mockery he endures and questions where hope can be found when the grave seems imminent.
This short, dark chapter represents Job at his lowest point emotionally. The repeated theme of exhaustion—broken spirit, spent days, fading hope—creates a portrait of someone who has hit bottom but still clings to the faintest thread of faith.
Key Themes
Broken spiritNeed for a suretyMockery enduredSearching for hopeHitting bottom
Key Verses in Job 17
"Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?"
— Job 17:3
Job asks God to guarantee his case—again reaching toward the mediator concept fulfilled in Christ.
"And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?"
— Job 17:15
Job's darkest question—yet the fact that he asks it shows hope hasn't entirely died.
Life Application
When you hit bottom, keep asking the question of hope. The very act of asking 'where is my hope?' keeps the door open for God to answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Job mean by 'surety'?
A surety is someone who pledges themselves as guarantee for another. Job asks God to be his guarantor since no human will stand for him—another foreshadowing of Christ as our guarantee before God.
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