Job 10:21 Meaning and Explanation
“Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Job speaks of death as a journey to a land of darkness from which he will not come back.
What Does Job 10:21 Mean?
Job presses his plea by naming what waits ahead. He longs for comfort before he goes to a place from which there is no return -- 'the land of darkness and the shadow of death.' His view of the grave here is shadowed and dim, the limited vision of one looking forward without the full light later given.
Job speaks from within the long night before the dawn. He does not yet see clearly beyond the grave, yet even his words about 'the shadow of death' would be answered ages later: Christ walked into that very darkness and rose, turning the land of no return into a country from which He brings His own home. What Job dreaded, the gospel transforms.
Job 10:21 in the Original Language
tsalmaveth (צַלְמָוֶת), 'shadow of death' -- deep gloom or darkness, the densest shade imaginable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 10:21
What does Job 10:21 mean?
Job speaks of death as a journey to a land of darkness from which he will not come back.