He is lamenting the dark night of his soul, but the sovereign hand of God still holds him even in his deepest despair.
“If I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness” (v.13). In this passage, Job—an upright man who may have lived during the time of the patriarchs (around 2000-1500 BC)—expresses the depths of his despair. He is describing a condition where hope seems lost, and even the grave appears to be his only refuge. By referencing Sheol, Job conveys his sense of descending into the place of the dead, where gloom and darkness overshadow any glimmer of light. Ancient Israelites often understood Sheol to be both the physical grave and a spiritual realm of the departed. It was sometimes seen as a place of finality, underscoring Job’s profound desperation.
When Job says he will “make [his] bed in the darkness,” he paints a vivid picture of concluding that only the grave can offer peace. Yet this stark image also reveals his inward struggle. He feels cut off from human comfort, sensing that the darkness has enveloped his existence. The term darkness here implies more than the mere absence of light; it conveys anguish, isolation, and the formidable reality that he is powerless to change his circumstances. Job is using poetic language to unveil the full weight of his suffering, believing it might lead him to the edge of death itself.
Despite these somber words, the greater message of the Book of Job includes the possibility that God can redeem every form of suffering. When paralleled with the New Testament, we see that Jesus overcame death, offering a new perspective of hope for those who feel enclosed by darkness (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Job’s cry is a part of humanity’s deep yearning for deliverance from sorrow and mortality—an ultimate deliverance that believers find fulfilled in Christ’s victory over the grave.
Set to dark mode
Job 17:13 meaning
“If I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness” (v.13). In this passage, Job—an upright man who may have lived during the time of the patriarchs (around 2000-1500 BC)—expresses the depths of his despair. He is describing a condition where hope seems lost, and even the grave appears to be his only refuge. By referencing Sheol, Job conveys his sense of descending into the place of the dead, where gloom and darkness overshadow any glimmer of light. Ancient Israelites often understood Sheol to be both the physical grave and a spiritual realm of the departed. It was sometimes seen as a place of finality, underscoring Job’s profound desperation.
When Job says he will “make [his] bed in the darkness,” he paints a vivid picture of concluding that only the grave can offer peace. Yet this stark image also reveals his inward struggle. He feels cut off from human comfort, sensing that the darkness has enveloped his existence. The term darkness here implies more than the mere absence of light; it conveys anguish, isolation, and the formidable reality that he is powerless to change his circumstances. Job is using poetic language to unveil the full weight of his suffering, believing it might lead him to the edge of death itself.
Despite these somber words, the greater message of the Book of Job includes the possibility that God can redeem every form of suffering. When paralleled with the New Testament, we see that Jesus overcame death, offering a new perspective of hope for those who feel enclosed by darkness (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Job’s cry is a part of humanity’s deep yearning for deliverance from sorrow and mortality—an ultimate deliverance that believers find fulfilled in Christ’s victory over the grave.