Job 30 Summary

Job 30 Summary

But it’s as if those times never happened with how miserable an existence Job currently experiences. And so, for 31 verses in chapter 30, Job catalogs – for all of us to see – his present misery.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 1-14

The children of worthless men disrespect Job now | Job 30:1-14

To begin – remember how Job said young people used to respond to him back in chapter 29? With respect.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 1-8

Job describes the children now (1a) and their fathers in the old days (1b-8) | Job 30:1-8

But now, young people show him shameful disrespect.

And the ultimate insult to Job is that – not only are these young people showing themselves to be worthless people – but their fathers – and their fathers’ fathers – were worthless, too! – verses 1-8…

KJV Job 30:1 But now they that are younger than I [have me in derision/mock me],

whose fathers I would have disdained [too much…] to have [set/put] with [the dogs of my flock/my sheep dogs].

Job 30:2 [Yea/Indeed/Moreover], [whereto/how even] might the strength of their hands profit me,
in whom [old age/vigor/strength] [was/had] perished? {these fathers were too weak to work…}

Job 30:3 [For/From] want and [famine/hunger] {they/the fathers} were [solitary/gaunt];
[fleeing into/who gnaw/they would gnaw] the [wilderness/dry ground/parched land] in former time desolate and waste.

Job 30:4 Who [cut up/pluck] mallows by the bushes, [by the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes…]
and [juniper roots/the root of the broom shrub] [for/was]their [meat/food].

Job 30:5 They were [driven forth from among/driven from/banished from] [men/the community],
([they/people] [cried after/shout against/shouted after] them as [after/against/they would shout at]a thief;)

Job 30:6 [To/So that they] [dwell/had to live] in [the clifts of the valleys/dreadful valleys/the dry stream beds],
 in [caves/holes] of the [earth/ground], and [in/of/among]the rocks.

Job 30:7 Among the bushes they brayed [i.e., like animals…];
under the nettles they [were/are] [gathered/huddled] together.

Job 30:8 {They/the fathers of these worthless children} were [children/sons] of [fools/senseless], [yea/and], [children of base men/nameless people]:
they were [viler than/scourged from/driven out of] the [earth/land]. [i.e., with whips…]

So, these young people who are now disrespecting Job had fathers who were also disgraceful castaways from society. And those fathers themselves had fathers of the same dishonorable nature.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 9-14

Job returns to considering the children’s’ disgraceful behavior toward him | Job 30:9-14

And with that pedigree in mind, Job returns to the disgraceful children of the disgraceful children of disgraceful men – and Job consider how these youngsters are now acting toward him in a most disgraceful manner – verses 9-14… 

Job 30:9 And now [am I/I have become] their [song/taunt song],
yea, I [am/have become] their byword.

Job 30:10 They [abhor/detest] me, they [flee/stand] [far/aloof] from me, [i.e., maintaining their distance…]
and [spare/refrain/hesitate] not to spit in my face.

Job 30:11 Because {he/God} hath [loosed/untied] my [i.e., tent…] cord, and afflicted me,
[they/people] [have also let loose the bridle before me/throw off all restraint in my presence].

Job 30:12 [Upon/On] my right hand rise [the youth/their brood/the young rabble];
they [push away/thrust aside] my feet, [they drive me from place to place…]
and [they raise up/build up] against me [the ways of their/their ways of] destruction. [siege ramps…]

Job 30:13 They [mar/break up/destroy] my path,
they [set forward/profit from/succeed in] [my calamity/destroying me],
[they have/with] no [helper/assistant]. {they do it themselves…}

Job 30:14 They [came upon me/come in] as a wide [breaking in of waters/breach]:
[in/amid] the [desolation/tempest/crash] they [rolled themselves upon me/roll on/come rolling in].

And we wouldn’t know about this happening in Job’s life unless he had told us right here.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 15-17

Job reviews his physical and emotional turmoil | Job 30:15-17

Well, Job turns from considering these disrespectful and violent youth – to lament the current physical and emotional turmoil that he’s experiencing – verses 15-17…

Job 30:15 Terrors are turned [upon/against/loose on] me:
{they/the terrors} [pursue/drive away] my [soul/honor] [as/like] the wind:
and my [welfare/prosperity/deliverance] passeth away as a cloud.

Job 30:16 And now my soul [is poured/pours itself] out [upon/within] me;
the days of [affliction/suffering] have taken hold upon me.

Job 30:17 My bones are pierced in me [in/by] the night season:
and my [sinews/gnawing pains] [take no rest/never cease].

Job 30 Summary of Verses 18-22

God is the powerful and unresponsive cause of Job’s misery | Job 30:18-22

And where does Job place the blame for all of this happening to him? Job places the blame on God – whom Job perceives to be both powerful – and yet, unresponsive – when it comes to Job’s present misery – verses 18-22…

Job 30:18 [By/With] [the great force/great power] of my disease [is my garment changed/my garment is distorted/my garment is grasped by God]:
[it/he/God] bindeth me about as the collar of my [coat/tunic].

Job 30:19 {He/God} hath [cast/flung] me into the [mire/mud],
and I [am become like/have come to resemble] dust and ashes.

Job 30:20 I cry [unto/out to] {thee/God} [i.e., for help…],
and thou dost not [hear/answer] me:

I stand up,
and thou [regardest me not/turn your attention against me/only look at me].

Job 30:21 [Thou art/You have] become cruel to me:
with [thy strong hand/the might of your hand/the strength of your hand] thou [opposest thyself against/persecute/attack] me.

Job 30:22 Thou [liftest/pick] me up [to/on] the wind; thou [causest/make] me to ride upon it,
and [dissolvest/toss me about] [my substance/me in the storm].

Job 30 Summary of Verse 23

God is going to kill Job, and Job can hardly believe it | Job 30:23

And Job thinks – with all of God’s power directed against him – that God will surely put an end to his life soon – verse 23… 

Job 30:23 For I know that thou [wilt bring/are bringing] me to death,
and to the [house appointed/house of meeting/meeting place] for all [the…] living.

So, God – in Job’s mind – has determined to kill him and will not change his mind about that.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 24-26

Job was kind to the suffering, but he’s not experiencing any kindness in his suffering | Job 30:24-26

But this strikes Job as utterly unfair. Because Job used to be kind to the suffering – and yet he himself now is not experiencing any sort of that kindness from God or others in his suffering – verses 24-26…

Job 30:24 [Howbeit/Yet/Surely] [he will/one does] not stretch out his hand [to the grave/in a heap of ruins/against a broken man], {“heap” 4/5x in KJV…}
though [they/he] cry [out for help…] in his [destruction/disaster/distress]. {Maybe, God isn’t reaching out to me as I’m going to the grave, but as for me…}

Job 30:25 [Did/Have] not I [weep/wept] for [him that was in trouble/the one whose life is hard/the unfortunate]?
was not my soul grieved for the [poor/needy]?

Job 30:26 {But…} When I [looked for/expected/hoped for] good,
[then evil/trouble] came unto me:

and when I [waited for/expected] light,
[there/then] came darkness.

Job 30 Summary of Verses 27-31

Physical pain, deep sorrow, and ostracism | Job 30:27-31

An Job finishes this chapter expressing his physical pain, his deep sorrow, and the ostracism that he’s experiencing – verses 27-31 to finish the chapter…

Job 30:27 My [bowels/innards/heart] [boiled/are seething/is in turmoil], [and rested not/and cannot relax/unceasingly]:
the days of [my…] affliction [prevented/confront] me.

Job 30:28 I [went/go about] [mourning/blackened] [without the sun/without comfort/but not by the sun]:
I [stood/stand] up, and I [cried/cry out] [for help…] in the [congregation/assembly].

Job 30:29 I [am/have become] a brother to [dragons/jackals],
and a companion [to owls/of ostriches].

Job 30:30 My skin [is/turns/has turned] [black/dark] [upon/on] me,
and my [bones/body] [are burned/burn/is hot] with [heat/fever].

Job 30:31 My harp [also/therefore] is [turned to/used for] mourning,
and my [organ/flute] [into/to/for] the [voice/sound] of them that weep.

So, Job’s life used to be good – chapter 29. But now it’s miserable – chapter 30.

And next time – in chapter 31 – Job will give a vindication of his life and argue vehemently that he doesn’t deserve the suffering that he’s receiving.

God’s ways in Job’s life don’t make sense to him. He needs to come to the point of trusting that God is dealing wisely in his life. But that will require nothing less than a word from God – which is coming in just a few chapters.

So, may the Lord help us – who have a word from him – to trust his wisdom when we can’t understand his ways in our lives.