Job 30

1 "But now men who are younger than I make fun of me. I would not have even let their fathers sit with my sheep dogs.

2 What use did I have for their strength since they had lost their strength to work?

3 They were thin from hunger and wandered the dry and ruined land at night.

4 They gathered desert plants among the brush and ate the root of the broom tree.

5 They were forced to live away from people; people shouted at them as if they were thieves.

6 They lived in dried up streambeds, in caves, and among the rocks.

7 They howled like animals among the bushes and huddled together in the brush.

8 They are worthless people without names and were forced to leave the land.

9 "Now they make fun of me with songs; my name is a joke among them.

10 They hate me and stay far away from me, but they do not mind spitting in my face.

11 God has taken away my strength and made me suffer, so they attack me with all their anger.

12 On my right side they rise up like a mob. They lay traps for my feet and prepare to attack me.

13 They break up my road and work to destroy me, and no one helps me.

14 They come at me as if through a hole in the wall, and they roll in among the ruins.

15 Great fears overwhelm me. They blow my honor away as if by a great wind, and my safety disappears like a cloud.

16 "Now my life is almost over; my days are full of suffering.

17 At night my bones ache; gnawing pains never stop.

18 In his great power God grabs hold of my clothing and chokes me with the collar of my coat.

19 He throws me into the mud, and I become like dirt and ashes.

20 "I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you just look at me.

21 You have turned on me without mercy; with your powerful hand you attacked me.

22 You snatched me up and threw me into the wind and tossed me about in the storm.

23 I know you will bring me down to death, to the place where all living people must go.

24 "Surely no one would hurt a ruined man when he cries for help in his time of trouble.

25 I cried for those who were in trouble; I have been very sad for poor people.

26 But when I hoped for good, only evil came to me; when I looked for light, darkness came.

27 I never stop being upset; days of suffering are ahead of me.

28 I have turned black, but not by the sun. I stand up in public and cry for help.

29 I have become a brother to wild dogs and a friend to ostriches.

30 My skin has become black and peels off, as my body burns with fever.

31 My harp is tuned to sing a sad song, and my flute is tuned to moaning.

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Job 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

Job's honour is turned into contempt. (1-14) Job a burden to himself. (15-31)

Verses 1-14 Job contrasts his present condition with his former honour and authority. What little cause have men to be ambitious or proud of that which may be so easily lost, and what little confidence is to be put in it! We should not be cast down if we are despised, reviled, and hated by wicked men. We should look to Jesus, who endured the contradiction of sinners.

Verses 15-31 Job complains a great deal. Harbouring hard thoughts of God was the sin which did, at this time, most easily beset Job. When inward temptations join with outward calamities, the soul is hurried as in a tempest, and is filled with confusion. But woe be to those who really have God for an enemy! Compared with the awful state of ungodly men, what are all outward, or even inward temporal afflictions? There is something with which Job comforts himself, yet it is but a little. He foresees that death will be the end of all his troubles. God's wrath might bring him to death; but his soul would be safe and happy in the world of spirits. If none pity us, yet our God, who corrects, pities us, even as a father pitieth his own children. And let us look more to the things of eternity: then the believer will cease from mourning, and joyfully praise redeeming love.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 30

Job in this chapter sets forth his then unhappy state and condition, in contrast with his former state of prosperity described in the preceding chapter: things had taken a strange turn, and were just the reverse of what they were before; he that was before in such high esteem and credit with all sorts of men, young and old, high and low, rich and poor, now is had in derision by the meanest and basest of men, whose characters are described, Job 30:1-8; and the instances of their contempt of him by words and gestures are given, Job 30:9-14; he who enjoyed so much ease of mind, and health of body, is now filled with distresses of soul, and bodily diseases, Job 30:15-19; and he who enjoyed so much of the presence of God, and communion with him, and of his love and favour, was now disregarded, and, as he thought, cruelly used by him, who not only had destroyed his substance, but was about to bring him to the grave, Job 30:20-24; all which came upon him, though he had a sympathizing heart with the poor, and them that were in trouble, and when he expected better things, Job 30:25-28; and he close the chapter, lamenting his sad and sorrowful circumstances, Job 30:29-31.