Job 30: Job is mocked and his days are dark
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job says that men younger than he now mock him, men whose fathers he would not have set with his sheep dogs, a people driven out and living on roots and in holes of the earth. He says they spit in his face, and that terrors have turned on him and his bones are pierced by night. He cries to God who does not answer him, says God has become cruel to him and will bring him to death, and ends with his skin black, his harp turned to mourning and his pipe to the voice of those who weep.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Job speaks the whole chapter, as the speech that began in [[JOB 29:1|Job 29:1]] goes on. In verses 20 to 23 Job speaks to God, using "you". The younger men who mock him are described by Job, and no words of theirs are quoted. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with my sheep dogs.
In plain English: "But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, men whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with the dogs of my flock.
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2Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
In plain English: Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age (or: vigor) has perished?
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3They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
In plain English: They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom (the Hebrew word is the one for yesterday: see the note) of waste and desolation.
The Hebrew word: "Gloom" is emesh, which the dictionary gives as "yesterday or last night". It is in 5 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "last night" in 3 of them, "yesterday" in 1 and "gloom" in 1, this one. The Hebrew of this verse is hard, and translations differ on it.
What changes: With the dictionary meaning the line reads "the yesterday of waste and desolation". The text does not say what that would mean, and the plain line follows the WEB.
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4They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
In plain English: They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
The Hebrew words: "Salt herbs" is mallu'ach, which the dictionary gives as "sea-purslain (from its saltness)". It is in 1 verse of the Bible, this one. "Broom tree" is rethem, which the dictionary gives as "the Spanish broom (from its pole-like stems)". It is in 4 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "broom" in 1 of them, this one, and "juniper" in 3.
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5They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief,
In plain English: They are driven out from among men (the Hebrew says: from the community). People shout after them as after a thief,
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6so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
In plain English: so that they live in frightful valleys (or: on the slopes of dry stream beds), and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
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7They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
In plain English: They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
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8They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land.
In plain English: They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men (the Hebrew says: children of no name). They were flogged out of the land.
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9“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
In plain English: "Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
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10They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
In plain English: They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don't hesitate to spit in my face.
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11For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
In plain English: For he has untied his cord (or: my cord), and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
The Hebrew words: The word-by-word Hebrew reads "my cord", where the WEB prints "his cord". The word is yether, which the dictionary gives as "properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free)". The verse does not name who "he" is.
What changes: With "his cord" the one who loosens it is "he", as the WEB reads. With "my cord" the line is about Job's own cord being loosened. The text does not rule between them.
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12On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me.
In plain English: On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me.
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13They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
In plain English: They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone's help.
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14As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
In plain English: As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
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15Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
In plain English: Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor like the wind. My welfare has passed away like a cloud.
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16“Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
In plain English: "Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
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17In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
In plain English: In the night my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
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18My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as the collar of my tunic.
In plain English: My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
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19He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
In plain English: He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
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20I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
In plain English: I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
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21You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
In plain English: You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
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22You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.
In plain English: You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm (or: the last word may mean success, or may come from a word meaning to destroy: see the note).
The Hebrew word: The last word of the line is hard. The WEB reads "storm". The Hebrew letters as written are a form of shavah, which the dictionary gives as "to destroy". The word-by-word meaning of the Hebrew is "success", which points to tushiyyah, which the dictionary gives as "support or (by implication) ability, i.e. (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding". Tushiyyah is in 11 other verses of the Bible, 5 of them in Job, and the WEB does not say "storm" in any of them.
What changes: With "storm" the line is about being dissolved in a storm. With "success" the last word of the line is "success", and the line is hard to read as one sentence. With "to destroy" the line speaks of destroying. The text does not settle it.
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23For I know that you will bring me to death, to the house appointed for all living.
In plain English: For I know that you will bring me to death, to the house appointed for all living.
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24“However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
In plain English: "However, doesn't one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
Good to know: This verse is hard in the Hebrew, and translations read it in different ways. The plain line gives the WEB's words and nothing more.
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25Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?
In plain English: Didn't I weep for him who was in trouble (the Hebrew says: for the one whose day was hard)? Wasn't my soul grieved for the needy?
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26When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.
In plain English: When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.
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27My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
In plain English: My heart is troubled, and doesn't rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
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28I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
In plain English: I go mourning without the sun (or: darkened, but not by the sun). I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
The Hebrew words: "Mourning" is qadar, which the dictionary gives as "to be ashy, i.e. darkcolored; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments)". It is in 17 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "mourn" or a longer form in 10 of them and "dark" or a longer form in 5. "Without the sun" is the Hebrew "not in sun".
What changes: With "without the sun", Job goes about in mourning where there is no sunlight. With "darkened, but not by the sun", he goes about dark in color, though not from the sun. The text does not rule between them.
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29I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
In plain English: I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches (the Hebrew says: daughters of the ostrich).
The Hebrew words: "Jackals" is tannin, which the dictionary gives as "a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal". It is in 26 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "jackal" or "jackals" in 13 of them, "serpent" or "serpents" in 6, "monster" or "monsters" in 5 and "dragon" in 1. "Ostriches" is the Hebrew "daughters of an ostrich". The word for ostrich is ya'anah, which the dictionary gives as "the ostrich (probably from its answering cry)". It is in 8 verses of the Bible.
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30My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
In plain English: My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
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31Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
In plain English: Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
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