Job 18:18 — Word Study
WLCיֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃
BSAHe is drivenHâdaph▸ [thrust away, expelled] from lightʼôwr [natural and spiritual illumination] intoʼêl darknesschôshek [physical and spiritual gloom, misery] and is chasednâdad▸ [forced to wander, expelled] from the inhabited worldtêbêl [the earth and its inhabitants, the global community]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ | people drive him | Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| מֵא֣וֹר | from light | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| אֶל־ | into | Preposition |
| חֹ֑שֶׁךְ | darkness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל | and from [the] world | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃ | they chase away him | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world. |
| KJV | He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. |
| ASV | He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world. |
| YLT | They thrust him from light unto darkness, And from the habitable earth cast him out. |
| WEB | He will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. |
| BBE | He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence features two main actions, each with accompanying prepositional phrases that clarify the direction of the actions.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 18:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Fate of the Wickedgenerated
Job 18:18 reveals the dire consequences for the wicked, emphasizing their removal from both light and community. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job describes the downfall of those who oppose God, contrasting their fate with that of the righteous. The surrounding verses further illustrate the themes of memory, legacy, and the reaction of others to their demise, as seen in Job 18:17 and Job 18:19.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 3:20 | Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, |
| 2 | Job 10:22 | to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.” |
| 3 | Job 11:14 | if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, |
| 4 | Isaiah 8:21–22 | They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God. |
| 5 | Jude 1:13 | They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ, Yeh.de.fu.hugenerated
The verb יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ (yeh.de.fu.hu) is a third person masculine plural form of the verb הָדַף (Hadaph), meaning 'to thrust' or 'to drive away'. It indicates an action of being forcefully expelled or removed, suggesting a strong sense of rejection.
This form implies that the subject is being acted upon by a collective group, emphasizing the communal aspect of the expulsion from light and society. The use of this verb paints a vivid picture of the fate awaiting the wicked, thrust out from the presence of light and community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse centers around two finite verbs: יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ and יְנִדֻּֽהוּ, both expressing actions taken against the subject. The first verb describes the act of being driven from light into darkness, while the second indicates being chased from the inhabited world.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of being thrust away and chased, highlighting the severity of the fate that befalls the wicked.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ is rendered as αὐτὸν (auton), meaning 'him'. This choice reflects a direct translation that maintains the subject's identity while omitting the forceful connotation of being thrust away.
The Greek translation does not carry the same weight of expulsion as the Hebrew, indicating a potential interpretative shift in understanding the nature of the subject's removal from light.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 18:18 describes the fate of the wicked, who are driven from light into darkness and chased from the inhabited world. This verse highlights the consequences of opposing God, illustrating a complete removal from community and illumination.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase signifies a transition from a state of clarity and life to one of confusion and despair, often associated with judgment.
The term emphasizes the social and communal aspects of life that the wicked are expelled from, highlighting their isolation.
It underscores the themes of justice and retribution, illustrating the consequences of wickedness in contrast to the fate of the righteous.
The verse serves as a warning about the consequences of turning away from God and the importance of living in accordance with His ways.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see the consequences of wickedness in the world around me?
- How can I ensure that I remain in the light and not fall into darkness?
- What steps can I take to foster community and support among those around me?
- How does understanding the fate of the wicked shape my view of justice and mercy?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights the consequences faced by the wicked, as seen in the work of Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses their expulsion from light.
He shall drive him from light into darkness. He is led 'from light to darkness,' when for honour in the present life, he is condemned to eternal punishments. And hence it is more plainly added, And translate him out of the world.Early Church Fathers on Job 18 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 18:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe shall be driven from light into darkness,.... Either from the light of outward prosperity, formerly enjoyed by him, into the darkness of adversity; or rather from the light of the living, the
Read John Gill on Job 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. Light ... darkness - existence-nonexistence.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 18 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe shall be driven, Heb. they shall drive him, i.e. his enemies, or those whom he hath oppressed; or they whom God shall appoint to do it, whether angels or men. Or it is an impersonal speech, and to be rendered passively, as it is also 16:9. From light into darkness; from a splendid and prosperous life to disgrace and misery, and to the grave, the land of darkness and forgetfulness, as the following words explain it.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 18:18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.Ver. 18. He shall be driven out of light into darkness] Heb. They shall drive him; sc. the devils shall drive him out of the light of life into outer darkness, as they did that rich wretch, Luke 12:20; confer Matthew 8:12; Matthew 25:30. The Dutch translation readeth it, Men shall drive him. Others understand it to be his troubles and sorrows. And chased out of the world] As Tarquin was by Collatine, as Phocas was by Heraclius; kicked off the stage of the world, as one phraseth it; or, as Job saith of some wicked, buried before half dead, Job 27:15. "Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out…
Read John Trapp on Job 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. He shall be driven from light] He shall be taken off by a violent death. And chased out of the world.] The wicked is DRIVEN AWAY in his iniquity. This shows his reluctance to depart from life.
Read AdamClarke on Job 18 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5–21. The disastrous end of the wicked, in the moral order of the world, is certain The last verse naturally led over to this idea, which is the theme of the speech. The idea is set out in a great variety of graphic figures, and the speech is studded with sententious and proverbial sayings in the manner of the speaker’s first discourse (ch. 8). The history of the wicked man’s downfall is followed through all its stages:— Job 18:5-7. The principle—the sinner’s light goes out. Job 18:8-11. The progress of his downfall. Job 18:12-14. The final scenes. Job 18:15-17. The extinction of his race and name. Job 18:18-21. Men’s horror of his fate and memory. –7. The principle—the sinner’s light goes…
Read Cambridge on Job 18 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe shall be driven from light into darkness - Margin, “They shall drive him.” The meaning is, that he should be driven from a state of prosperity to one of calamity.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 18 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. Chased out of the world — He shall not be conducted out of life, as Plato expresses it, with funereal pomp, by a numerous train of mourning citizens and relations, but shall be cast out of human
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 18 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
He will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.
Tyndale line
He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
They shall driue him out of the light vnto darkenesse, and chase him out of the world.
Strictly literal
He is driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
They thrust him from light unto darkness, And from the habitable earth cast him out.
They thrust him from light to darkness, || And cast him out from the habitable earth.
Men will thrust him out from light into darkness, and out of the world will they drive him.
He will be driven from light into darkness and be chased out of this world.
From the Latin
He shall drive him out of light into darkness, and shall remove him out of the world.
Simplified
They are thrown out of light into darkness, driven from the world.
He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃. The Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words, indicating a close alignment with the Hebrew text, though its word order differs.
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 18:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הָדַף (Hadaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to thrust, push, or drive away. It encompasses actions like casting out or expelling, and can also imply deposing someone. The entries consistently highlight its use in the context of physical force or removal.
[הָדַף] vb. thrust, push, drive
Qal
thrust, push
thrust out, drive out
= depose
base
H1920 [הָדַף] thrust, push, drive
1920 Hadaph haw-daf'
a prim root; to push away or down:--cast away (out), drive,
expel, thrust (away).
הָדַף (ha.daph) — to thrust.
1) to thrust, push, drive, cast away, cast out, expel, thrust away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to thrust, push
1a2) to drive out, thrust out
1a3) to depose
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVqi3mp/Sp3ms
אוֹר (or) means 'light' and encompasses various forms of illumination, including daylight, dawn, and the light of heavenly bodies like the sun and stars. It can also refer to metaphorical concepts such as the light of life, prosperity, and instruction, as well as Yahweh as a source of light.
אוֹר 121 n.m. light
light as diffused in nature, light of day
morning light, dawn
light of the heavenly luminaries
daylight
lightning
light of lamp
light of life
light of prosperity
light of instruction
light of face
Yahweh
base
H216 אוֹר light . light as diffused in nature, light of day
. morning light, dawn
. light of the heavenly luminaries
. daylight
. lightning
. light of lamp
. light of life
. light of prosperity
. light of instruction
. light of face
. Yahweh
216 'owr ore
from 215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every
sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):--bright, clear,
+ day, light (-ning), morning, sun.
see HEBREW for 0215
אוֹר (or) — light.
1) light
1a) light of day
1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)
1c) day-break, dawn, morning light
1d) daylight
1e) lightning
1f) light of lamp
1g) light of life
1h) light of prosperity
1i) light of instruction
1j) light of face (fig.)
1k) Jehovah as Israel's light
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):
1. Origin of Light
2. A Comprehensive Term
(1) Natural Light
(2) Artificial Light
(3) Miraculous Light
(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light
3. An Attribute of Holiness
(1) God
(2) Christ
(3) Christians
(4) The Church
4. Symbolism
5. Expressive Terms
1. Origin of Light:
The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Ge 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation,
Light
The offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). “All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived from light” (1 Kings 11:36; Isa. 58:8; Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11). Light came also naturally to typify true religion and the felicity it imparts (Ps. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 4:16, etc.), and the glorious inheritance…
One of the most wonderful, cheering, and useful of all the works of God; called into being on the first of the six days of creation, by his voice: "Let there be light;" and there was light. No object better illustrates whatever is pure, glorious, spiritual, joyful, and beneficent. Hence the beauty and force of the expressions, "God is light," 1Jo 1:5, and "the Father of lights," Jas 1:17; Christ is the "Sun of righteousness," and "the light of the world," Joh 1:9 8:12. So also the word of God is "a light," Ps 119:105; truth and Christians are lights, Joh 3:19 12:36; prosperity is "light," Es 8:16; and heaven is full of…
The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),
prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place
Where the limit is actually entered, into
Of direction towards anything
Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
Of rule or standard according to (rare)
Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
base
H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place
. Where the limit is actually entered, into
. Of direction towards anything
. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
413 'el ale
(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});
a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but
occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or
among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,
against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,
by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,
over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,
with(-in).
אֶל (el) — to(wards).
1) to, toward, unto (of motion)
2) into (limit is actually entered)
2a) in among
3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)
4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)
5) in addition to, to
6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of
7) according to (rule or standard)
8) at, by, against (of one's presence)
9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Prep — PrepositionHR
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (choshek) refers to darkness or obscurity, both in a literal sense and in various figurative contexts such as distress, ignorance, and evil. It can also denote secret or hiding places. The word is built from a root meaning 'dark' and encompasses a range of meanings related to judgment and confusion.
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ n.m. darkness, obscurity
darkness (opp. אוֹר)
= secret place(s); = hiding-place
fig.
= distress
= dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
= mourning
= perplexity; confusion
= ignorance
= evil, sin
= obscurity
base
H2822 חֹ֫שֶׁךְ darkness, obscurity . darkness (opp. אוֹר)
. = secret place(s); = hiding-place
. fig. . = distress
. = dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
. = mourning
. = perplexity; confusion
. = ignorance
. = evil, sin
. = obscurity
2822 choshek kho-shek'
from 2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness;
figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow,
wickedness:--dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
see HEBREW for 02821
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) — darkness.
1) darkness, obscurity
1a) darkness
1b) secret place
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Darkness
The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).
When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (
The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,
תֵּבֵל (tebel) means 'world' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be moist.' It refers to the earth as a habitable place, encompassing both the globe and its inhabitants, and can specifically denote regions like Babylonia and Palestine. The entries consistently highlight its connection to the concept of a productive, inhabited land.
תֵּבֵל n.f. world (perh. orig. as productive)
base
H8398 תֵּבֵל world
8398 tebel tay-bale'
from 2986; the earth (as moist and therefore inhabited); by
extension, the globe; by implication, its inhabitants;
specifically, a partic. land, as Babylonia,
Palestine:--habitable part, world.
see HEBREW for 02986
תֵּבֵל (te.vel) — world.
world
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncfsa
The earth on which we dwell, 1Sa 2:8; its inhabitants, Joh 3:16, or a large number of them, Joh 12:19. In several places it is equivalent to "land," meaning the Roman Empire, or Judea and its vicinity, Lu 2:1 4:3 Ac 11:28. It also denotes the objects and interests of time and sense, Ga 6:14 1Jo 2:15.
→ See EARTH
נָדַד (nadad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses meanings related to movement, such as retreating, fleeing, departing, straying, and wandering. It can also refer to the fluttering of wings. The word has various forms, including Qal, Poal, Hiphil, Hophil, and Hithpolel, indicating different nuances of fleeing or being chased. Its Aramaic equivalent is נְדַד (H5075), meaning 'to flee.'
[נָדַד] vb. retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter
Qal
retreat, flee
flee, depart
wander, stray
trans. flutter wings
Po‛ēl the sun hath arisen and it (the locust swarm) fleeth away
Hiph. chase away
Hoph. be chased away
Hithpo‛l. flee away
base
H5074 [נָדַד] retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter
5074 nadad naw-dad'
a primitive root; properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to
flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or
(causatively) to drive away:--chase (away), X could not,
depart, flee (X apace, away), (re-)move, thrust away, wander
(abroad, -er, -ing).
נָדַד (na.dad) — to wander.
1) to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to retreat, flee
1a2) to flee, depart
1a3) to wander, stray
1a4) to flutter (of birds)
1b) (Poal) to flee away, be chased
1c) (Hiphil) to chase away
1d) (Hophal) to be chased away
1e) (Hithpolel) to flee away
Aramaic equivalent: ne.dad (נְדַד "to flee" H5075)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVhi3mp/Sp3ms
