Job 33:28
He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Original Language Analysis
פָּדָ֣ה
He will deliver
H6299
פָּדָ֣ה
He will deliver
Strong's:
H6299
Word #:
1 of 7
to sever, i.e., ransom; generally to release, preserve
נַ֭פְשׁיֹ
his soul
H5315
נַ֭פְשׁיֹ
his soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
2 of 7
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
מֵעֲבֹ֣ר
from going
H5674
מֵעֲבֹ֣ר
from going
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
3 of 7
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
בַּשָּׁ֑חַת
into the pit
H7845
בַּשָּׁ֑חַת
into the pit
Strong's:
H7845
Word #:
4 of 7
a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively, destruction
וְ֝חַיָּת֗יֹ
and his life
H2416
וְ֝חַיָּת֗יֹ
and his life
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
5 of 7
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
Cross References
Job 33:24Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.Job 3:9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:Job 33:22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.Job 3:16Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
Historical Context
Israelite theology struggled with death and afterlife understanding. The pit (shachat) or Sheol represented the grave, shadowy existence. Early OT texts offer limited hope beyond death (Ecclesiastes 9:10), but later texts develop resurrection hope (Daniel 12:2, Isaiah 26:19). Elihu's language of redemption from the pit suggests emerging confidence in God's power over death, fully revealed in Christ's resurrection (2 Timothy 1:10, "abolished death").
Questions for Reflection
- How does Christ's redemption fulfill Elihu's vision of deliverance from the pit?
- What does seeing "the light" mean in terms of salvation and eternal life?
- How should the certainty of redemption shape our view of physical death?
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Analysis & Commentary
He will deliver his soul from going into the pit (פָּדָה נַפְשׁוֹ מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁחַת, padah naphsho me'avor bashachat)—The verb padah (פָּדָה) means "to ransom, redeem" through payment of a price. This is Exodus redemption language (Exodus 13:13, 15:13). The noun nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ, soul/life) represents the whole person. The shachat (שַׁחַת, pit) symbolizes death, Sheol, destruction (Psalm 30:3, 103:4). Elihu describes divine rescue from death. The phrase his life shall see the light (וְחַיָּתוֹ בָּאוֹר תִּרְאֶה) uses chayyah (חַיָּה, life) and or (אוֹר, light), symbol of life, favor, salvation (Psalm 36:9, 56:13).
This is proto-gospel language: redemption by ransom from death to life and light. Job 19:25's confession, "I know that my redeemer liveth," uses the same ga'al redemption terminology. Elihu's theology anticipates Christ, the ultimate Redeemer who paid the ransom (Mark 10:45, 1 Timothy 2:6) to deliver souls from the pit. Christ descended into death (1 Peter 3:19, Apostles' Creed) and rose, bringing believers from darkness to light (Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9).