Matthew Henry Commentary Job 17:10-16

"But as for you all, come on now again; And I shall not find a wise man among you. My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day: The light, [say they], is near unto the darkness. If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness; If I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; To the worm, [Thou art] my mother, and my sister; Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it? It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, When once there is rest in the dust." — Job 17:10-16 (ASV)

Job's friends had pretended to comfort him with the hope of his return to a prosperous estate; here he shows that those who draw their comforts from the possibility of recovery in this world do not act wisely when comforting the afflicted. It is wise for us to comfort ourselves, and others, in distress, with what will not fail: the promise of God, his love and grace, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life.

See how Job reconciles himself to the grave. Let this make believers willing to die; it is merely going to bed; they are weary, and it is time for them to be in their beds. Why should they not go willingly when their Father calls them? Let us remember our bodies are subject to corruption, the worm, and the dust; and let us seek that lively hope which will be fulfilled, when the hope of the wicked will be put out in darkness; so that when our bodies are in the grave, our souls may enjoy the rest reserved for the people of God.