Job 38 · Verse 17

Job 38:17

Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
Job 38:17, King James Version

Job 38:17 in other translations

BSBHave the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
WEBHave the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
ASVHave the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
YLTRevealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
DARBYHave the gates of death been revealed unto thee? and hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
BBEHave the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
WebsterHave the gates of death been opened to thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shades of death?

What does Job 38:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. seen--The second clause heightens the thought in the first. Man during life does not even "see" the gates of the realm of the dead ("death," Job 10:21); much less are they "opened" to him. But those are "naked before God" (Job 26:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? - Dost thou know in what the article of death consists? This is as inexplicable as the question, What is animal life? The doors of the shallow of death? - צלמות tsalmaveth, the intermediate state, the openings into the place of separate spirits. Here two places are distinguished: מות maveth, death, and צלמות tsalmaveth, the shadow of death. It will not do to say, death is the privation of life, for what then would be the shadow of that privation?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 38:12-24

The Lord questions Job, to convince him of his ignorance, and shame him for his folly in prescribing to God. If we thus try ourselves, we shall soon be brought to own that what we know is nothing in comparison with what we know not. By the tender mercy of our God, the Day-spring from on high has visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, whose hearts are turned to it as clay to the seal, 2Co 4:6. God's…

Read the full comment on Job 38:12-24 →

Job 38:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֲנִגְל֣וּha.nig.Lu¿ have they been revealedH1540
לְ֭ךָLe.khato you
שַׁעֲרֵי\־sha.'a.rei-[the] gates ofH8179
מָ֑וֶתMa.vetdeathH4194
וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖יve.sha.'a.Reiand [the] gates ofH8179
צַלְמָ֣וֶתtzal.Ma.vetdeep darknessH6757
תִּרְאֶֽה\׃tir.'Ehhave you seen?H7200

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 38:17

  • Psalms 9:13

    Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

  • Psalms 107:18

    Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

  • Job 3:5

    Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

  • Job 12:22

    He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

  • Psalms 107:14

    He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

  • Psalms 107:10

    Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

  • Psalms 23:4

    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

  • Matthew 4:16

    The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

  • Amos 5:8

    Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:

  • Psalms 116:3

    The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the gates.
Ps 9:13; 107:18; 116:3
the shadow.
3:5; 12:22; Ps 23:4; 107:10,14; Am 5:8; Mt 4:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 38:16

    Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

  • Job 38:17

    Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

  • Job 38:18

    Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

Read all of Job 38

Job 38:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Hante sido descubiertas las puertas de la muerte, y has visto las puertas de la sombra de muerte?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les portes de la mort se sont-elles découvertes à toi? Et as-tu vu les portes de l’ombre de la mort?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wurden dir die Pforten des Todes enthüllt, und sahest du die Pforten des Todesschattens?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Numquid apertæ sunt tibi portæ mortis, et ostia tenebrosa vidisti?