The Meaning of Job 11:17 Explained

Job 11:17

KJV: And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

YLT: And above the noon doth age rise, Thou fliest -- as the morning thou art.

Darby: And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,

ASV: And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [thine] age  shall be clearer  than the noonday;  thou shalt shine forth,  thou shalt be as the morning. 

What does Job 11:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 11:1-20 - "canst Thou By Searching Find Out God?"
Zophar waxes vehement as he censures Job's self-justification and his refusal to acknowledge the guilt which his friends attribute to him. There is some truth in his allegations, though it was cruel to goad Job with them, notwithstanding his repeated protestations.
It is quite true that many of us are filled with self-complacency, because we judge our best by others' worst. It may be also that we have a very poor conception of what God is and asks. It is best for us to strike our breasts with the publican and to confess ourselves the chief of sinners.
What a magnificent challenge is that of Job 11:7-12! Canst thou reach God's depths, or His perfections, or His heights? But, oh my soul, remember that through all His unsearchable depths God is love. For the closing paragraph see r.v. Job had said he could not lift up his face, Job 10:15, but when sin is put away, we may exchange glances with our Father. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 11

1  Zophar reproves Job for justifying himself
5  God's wisdom is unsearchable
13  The assured blessing of repentance

What do the individual words in Job 11:17 mean?

And than noonday would be brighter [your] life [Though] you were dark like the morning you would be
וּֽ֭מִצָּהֳרַיִם יָק֣וּם חָ֑לֶד תָּ֝עֻ֗פָה כַּבֹּ֥קֶר תִּהְיֶֽה

וּֽ֭מִצָּהֳרַיִם  And  than  noonday 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֹהַר 
Sense: noon, midday.
יָק֣וּם  would  be  brighter 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
חָ֑לֶד  [your]  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶלֶד  
Sense: age, duration of life, the world.
תָּ֝עֻ֗פָה  [Though]  you  were  dark 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, third person feminine singular
Root: עוּף 
Sense: to fly, fly about, fly away.
כַּבֹּ֥קֶר  like  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
תִּהְיֶֽה  you  would  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.