Job 17:16

Will ¹  it ²  go down to the barred gates ³  of death? Will ⁴  we descend ⁵  together into the dust?”

Will it go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?"

"Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?"

No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust!"

No. If hope and I are to be buried together, I suppose you'll all come to the double funeral!"

Will they go down with me into the underworld? Will we go down together into the dust?

Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?"

Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest together in the dust?"

Will ¹  it ²  go down to the barred gates ³  of death? Will ⁴  we descend ⁵  together into the dust?”

¹ sn It is natural to assume that this verse continues the interrogative clause of the preceding verse.

² tn The plural form of the verb probably refers to the two words, or the two senses of the word in the preceding verse. Hope and what it produces will perish with Job.

³ tn The Hebrew word בַּדִּים (baddim) describes the “bars” or “bolts” of Sheol, referring (by synecdoche) to the “gates of Sheol.” The LXX has “with me to Sheol,” and many adopt that as “by my side.”

⁴ tn The conjunction אִם (’im) confirms the interrogative interpretation.

⁵ tn The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac versions with the change of vocalization in the MT. The MT has the noun “rest,” yielding, “will our rest be together in the dust?” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) in Aramaic means “to go down; to descend.” If that is the preferred reading – and it almost is universally accepted here – then it would be spelled נֵחַת (nekhat). In either case the point of the verse is clearly describing death and going to the grave.