27 The meaning of the verse is that God will relent, but it will be too late. God now sees him with a hostile eye; when he looks for him, or looks upon him in friendliness, it will be too late.
28 This verse is omitted in the and so by several commentators. But the verb שׁוּר (shur, “turn, return”) is so characteristic of Job (10 times) that the verse seems appropriate here.
29 The comparison is implied; “as” is therefore supplied in the translation.
30 The two verbs כָּלַה (kalah) and הָלַךְ (halakh) mean “to come to an end” and “to go” respectively. The picture is of the cloud that breaks up, comes to an end, is dispersed so that it is no longer a cloud; it then fades away or vanishes. This line forms a good simile for the situation of a man who comes to his end and disappears.
31 The noun שְׁאוֹל (shé’ol) can mean “the grave,” “death,” or “Sheol”—the realm of departed spirits. In Job this is a land from which there is no return (10:21 and here). It is a place of darkness and gloom (10:21–22), a place where the dead lie hidden (14:13); as a place appointed for all no matter what their standing on earth might have been (30:23). In each case the precise meaning has to be determined. Here the grave makes the most sense, for Job is simply talking about death.
32 It is not correct to try to draw theological implications from this statement or the preceding verse (Rashi said Job was denying the resurrection). Job is simply stating that when people die they are gone—they do not return to this present life on earth. Most commentators and theologians believe that theological knowledge was very limited at such an early stage, so they would not think it possible for Job to have bodily resurrection in view. (See notes on ch. 14 and 19:25–27.)
33 M. Dahood suggests the meaning is the same as “his abode” (“Hebrew-Ugaritic Lexicography V,” 48 [1967]: 421–38).
34 The verb means “to recognize” by seeing. “His place,” the place where he was living, is the subject of the verb. This personification is intended simply to say that the place where he lived will not have him any more. The line is very similar to Ps 103:16b—when the wind blows the flower away, its place knows it no more.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;

while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.

As the cloud fades and vanishes,

so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;

he returns no more to his house,

nor does his place know him anymore.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;

you will look for me, but I will be no more.

As a cloud vanishes and is gone,

so one who goes down to the grave does not return.

He will never come to his house again;

his place will know him no more.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The eye of anyone who looks on me

will no longer see me.

Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.

As a cloud fades away and vanishes,

so the one who goes down to Sheol will never rise again.

He will never return to his house;

his hometown will no longer remember him.

NLTNew Living Translation

You see me now, but not for long.

You will look for me, but I will be gone.

Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes,

those who die will not come back.

They are gone forever from their home—

never to be seen again.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The eye of the one seeing me will not see me;

your eyes are upon me, but I will be gone.

A cloud vanishes, and it goes away,

so he who goes down to Sheol will not come up.

He does not return again to his house,

and his place does not recognize him again.

KJV 1900King James Version

The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more:

Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away:

So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

He shall return no more to his house,

Neither shall his place know him any more.

Public Domain