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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 30:1–14. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here Job makes a very large and sad complaint of the great disgrace he had fallen into, from the height of honour and reputation, which was exceedingly grievous and cutting to such an ingenuous spirit as Job's was. Two things he insists upon as greatly aggravating his affliction: -
I.The meanness of the persons that affronted him.
As it added much to his honour, in the day of his prosperity, that princes and nobles showed him respect and paid a deference to him, so it added no less to his disgrace in his adversity that he was spurned by the footmen, and trampled upon by those that were not only every way his inferiors, but were the meanest and most contemptible of all mankind. None can be represented as more base than those are here represented who insulted Job, upon all accounts.
1.They were young, younger than he (Job 30:1), the youth (Job 30:12), who ought to have behaved themselves respectfully towards him for his age and gravity. Even the children, in their play, played upon him, as the children of Bethel upon the prophet, Go up, thou bald-head. Children soon learn to be scornful when they see their parents so.
2.They were of a mean extraction. Their fathers were so very despicable that such a man as Job would have disdained to take them into the lowest service about his house, as that of tending the sheep and attending the shepherds with the dogs of his flock, Job 30:1. They were so shabby that they were not fit to be seen among his servants, so silly that they were not fit to be employed, and so false that they were not fit to be trusted in the meanest post. Job here speaks of what he might have done, not of what he did: he was not of such a spirit as to set any of the children of men with the dogs of his flock; he knew the dignity of human nature better than to do so.
3.They and their families were the unprofitable burdens of the earth, and good for nothing. Job himself, with all his prudence and patience, could make nothing of them, Job 30:2. The young were not fit for labour, they were so lazy, and went about their work so awkwardly: Whereto might the strength of their hands profit me? The old were not to be advised with in the smallest matters, for in them was old age indeed, but their old age was perished, they were twice children.
4.They were extremely poor, Job 30:3. They were ready to starve, for they would not dig, and to beg they were ashamed. Had they been brought to necessity by the providence of God, their neighbours would have sought them out as proper objects of charity and would have relieved them; but, being brought into straits by their own slothfulness and wastefulness, nobody was forward to relieve them. Hence they were forced to flee into the deserts both for shelter and sustenance, and were put to sorry shifts indeed, when they cut up mallows by the bushes, and were glad to eat them, for want of food that was fit for them, Job 30:4. See what hunger will bring men to: one half of the world does not know how the other half lives; yet those that have abundance ought to think sometimes of those whose fare is very coarse and who are brought to a short allowance of that too. But we must own the righteousness of God, and not think it strange, if slothfulness clothe men with rags and the idle soul be made to suffer hunger. This beggarly world is full of the devil's poor.
5.They were very scandalous wicked people, not only the burdens, but the plagues, of the places where they lived, arrant scoundrels, the scum of the country: They were driven forth from among men, Job 30:5. They were such lying, thieving, lurking, mischievous people, that the best service the magistrates could do was to rid the country of them, while the very mob cried after them as after a thief. Away with such fellows from the earth; it is not fit they should live. They were lazy and would not work, and therefore they were exclaimed against as thieves, and justly; for those that do not earn their own bread by honest labour do, in effect, steal the bread out of other people's mouths. An idle fellow is a public nuisance; but it is better to drive such into a workhouse than, as here, into a wilderness, which will punish them indeed, but never reform them. They were forced to dwell in caves of the earth, and they brayed like asses among the bushes, Job 30:6, Job 30:7. See what is the lot of those that have the cry of the country, the cry of their own conscience, against them; they cannot but be in a continual terror and confusion. They groan among the trees (so Broughton) and smart among the nettles; they are stung and scratched there, where they hoped to be sheltered and protected. See what miseries wicked people bring themselves to in this world; yet this is nothing to what is in reserve for them in the other world. 8. They had nothing at all in them to recommend them to any man's esteem. They were a vile kind; yea, a kind without fame, people that nobody could give a good word to nor had a good wish for; they were banished from the earth as being viler than the earth. One would not think it possible that ever the human nature should sink so low, and degenerate so far, as it did in these people. When we thank God that we are men we have reason to thank him that we are not such men. But such as these were abusive to Job,
(1.)In revenge, because when he was in prosperity and power, like a good magistrate, he put in execution the laws which were in force against vagabonds, and rogues, and sturdy beggars, which these base people now remembered against him.
(2.)In triumph over him, because they thought he had now become like one of them. Isa 14:10, Isa 14:11. The abjects, men of mean spirits, insult over the miserable, Psa 35:15.
II.The greatness of the affronts that were given him. It cannot be imagined how abusive they were.
1.They made ballads on him, with which they made themselves and their companions merry (Job 30:9): I am their song and their byword. Those have a very base spirit that turn the calamities of their honest neighbours into a jest, and can sport themselves with their griefs.
2.They shunned him as a loathsome spectacle, abhorred him, fled far from him, (Job 30:10), as an ugly monster or as one infected. Those that were themselves driven out from among men would have had him driven out. For,
3.They expressed the greatest scorn and indignation against him. They spat in his face, or were ready to do so; they tripped up his heels, pushed away his feet (Job 30:12), kicked him, either in wrath, because they hated him, or in sport, to make themselves merry with him, as they did with their companions at foot-ball. The best of saints have sometimes received the worst of injuries and indignities from a spiteful, scornful, wicked world, and must not think it strange; our Master himself was thus abused.
4.They were very malicious against him, and not only made a jest of him, but made a prey of him - not only affronted him, but set themselves to do him all the real mischief they could devise: They raise up against me the ways of their destruction; or (as some read it), They cast upon me the cause of their woe; that is, "They lay the blame of their being driven out upon me;" and it is common for criminals to hate the judges and laws by which they are punished. But under this pretence,
(1.)They accused him falsely, and misrepresented his former conversation, which is here called marring his path. They reflected upon him as a tyrant and an oppressor because he had done justice upon them; and perhaps Job's friends grounded their uncharitable censures of him (Job 22:6, etc.) upon the unjust and unreasonable clamours of these sorry people; and it was an instance of their great weakness and inconsideration, for who can be innocent if the accusations of such persons may be heeded?
(2.)They not only triumphed in his calamity, but set it forward, and did all they could to add to his miseries and make them more grievous to him. It is a great sin to forward the calamity of any, especially of good people. In this they have no helper, nobody to set them on or to countenance them in it, nobody to bear them out or to protect them, but they do it of their own accord; they are fools in other things, but wise enough to do mischief, and need no help in inventing that. Some read it thus, They hold my heaviness a profit, though they be never the better. Wicked people, though they get nothing by the calamities of others, yet rejoice in them.
5.Those that did him all this mischief were numerous, unanimous, and violent (Job 30:14): They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters, when the dam is broken; or, "They came as soldiers into a broad breach which they have made in the wall of a besieged city, pouring in upon me with the utmost fury;" and in this they took a pride and a pleasure: They rolled themselves in the desolation as a man rolls himself in a soft and easy bed, and they rolled themselves upon him with all the weight of their malice.
III.All this contempt put upon him was caused by the troubles he was in (Job 30:11):
"Because he has loosed my cord, has taken away the honour and power with which I was girded (Job 12:18), has scattered what I had got together and untwisted all my affairs - because he has afflicted me, therefore they have let loose the bridle before me," that is, "have given themselves a liberty to say and do what they please against me." Those that by Providence are stripped of their honour may expect to be loaded with contempt by inconsiderate ill-natured people. "Because he hath loosed his cord" (the original has that reading also), that is, "because he has taken off his bridle of restraint from off their malice, they cast away the bridle from me," that is, "they make no account of my authority, nor stand in any awe of me." It is owing to the hold God has of the consciences even of bad men, and the restraints he lays upon them, that we are not continually thus insulted and abused; and, if at any time we meet with such ill treatment, we must acknowledge the hand of God in taking off those restraints, as David did when Shimei cursed him: So let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. Now in all this,
1.We may see the uncertainty of worldly honour, and particularly of popular applause, how suddenly a man may fail from the height of dignity into the depth of disgrace. What little cause therefore 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! Those that today cry Hosannah may tomorrow cry Crucify. But there is an honour which comes from God, which if we secure, we shall find it not thus changeable and loseable.
2.We may see that it has often been the lot of very wise and good men to be trampled upon and abused. And,
3.That those who look only at the things that are seen despise those whom the world frowns upon, though they are ever so much the favourites of Heaven. Nothing is more grievous in poverty than that it renders men contemptible. Turba Remi sequitur fortunam, ut semper odit damnatos - The Roman populace, faithful to the turns of fortune, still persecute the fallen.
4.We may see in Job a type of Christ, who was thus made a reproach of men and despised of the people (Psa 22:6; Isa 53:3), and who hid not his face from shame and spitting, but bore the indignity better than Job did.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
By these same words the time of holy church is set forth, when it is openly derided by the lost; when the wicked are gaining ground, faith becomes a reproach. Truth becomes a ground of accusation. So much the more contemptible shall each individual be in proportion to his righteousness. The worse object of abhorrence, the more worthy object of praise. Therefore the holy church of the elect in the time of calamity “becomes a proverb” to the wicked.… “They abhor me, they flee away from me; they do not hesitate to spit at my face.” All the wicked “flee away” from holy church, not by the paces of footsteps but by the characters of their practices. They fly far not in place but desert, whereas, pride gaining ground, they condemn the church with open upbraiding. For “to spit at his face” implies not only to speak evil of the good in their absence but also to openly defy the just in their presence. And these then while the wicked by openly deriding put them down, they let out insults upon them in loose words, like streams of spittle running down.…“He has opened his quiver and afflicted me.” What is denoted by the “quiver” of God but secret counsel? Now the Lord casts the arrow from the quiver, when from his secret counsel he sends forth an open sentence. Any one can suffer, but the cause of the suffering is obscure. After the scourge, amendment of life follows and the actual power of counsel is itself disclosed as well. So the quiver shut is hidden counsel. But we are chastised by an open quiver when by that which follows after the scourge, we see with what counsel we are stricken.…
“And he put a bridle into my mouth.” Therefore because holy church, who ever gives forth its words in a spirit of charity, let it say, “He has put a bridle into my mouth.” It is as though he confessed openly, saying, “Because in some I did not see any progress from preaching, I refrained assault that through the events of life they might be taught with patience. With words of preaching only they would never consent to receive counsel.” But this grieves us especially in troubles that occur with kinfolk, where we have trusted them with love.
45. All the wicked ‘fly far’ from Holy Church, not by the paces of footsteps, but by the characters of practices; they fly far not in place, but desert, whereas, pride gaining ground, they contemn her with open upbraiding. For ‘to spit in his face’ is not only to detract from the good in absence, but to give the lie to each one of the just even in presence. And these then whilst the wicked by openly deriding set at nought, they as it were let out in insults upon them loose words, like streams of spittle running down. But Holy Church knows how to gain ground in sufferings, and in the midst of reproaches to maintain an honourable life; she is taught neither to be cast down by adversities, nor to glory in prosperity. She is instructed, in meeting prosperity, to lay low the mind in downcasting; she is taught, in meeting adversity, to lift up the soul to the hope of the height above. She knows how to ascribe her good things to the mercifulness of the Redeemer, she knows how to ascribe her evil things to the justice of the Judge, that both what is good she has by His bestowing, and what is bad she suffers by His permitting.
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Summary
Job 30:10 powerfully articulates the agonizing depths of Job's humiliation and social ostracism, portraying him as not merely detested but actively shunned and publicly shamed by those who once respected him, even to the point of being spat upon. This verse encapsulates the complete reversal of his fortunes and the profound injustice of his suffering, vividly highlighting the cruel disdain he now faces from society's lowest echelons.
Context
Literary Context
Job 30:10 is a poignant lament within Job's third and final monologue (chapters 29-31), serving as a stark contrast to his earlier reflections. In Job 29, Job vividly recalls his past glory, when he was a revered community leader, sought for wisdom, and a compassionate advocate for the vulnerable. This glorious past sets the stage for the shocking degradation described in Job 30, where he details how those of no account, whom he once helped or whose parents he would have disdained, now mock and abuse him. This specific verse, with its graphic depiction of spitting, marks the nadir of his social humiliation, serving as a powerful rhetorical device to underscore the extremity of his undeserved suffering and to challenge the simplistic retribution theology espoused by his friends.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, social standing, honor, and reputation were paramount, often more valuable than life itself. To be "abhorred," "fled from," and especially "spat upon" constituted the gravest forms of public disgrace and ritual defilement. Spitting in someone's face was not merely a rude gesture but a deliberate, highly offensive act intended to dishonor, ritually pollute, and utterly strip the recipient of dignity. This act was often associated with public shaming, judicial condemnation, or even the consequences of divine judgment, as illustrated in Numbers 12:14 where a father spitting in his daughter's face is equated with a seven-day exclusion from the camp. Job's lament reflects a societal context where such an act was a profound assault on one's very being, making his suffering not just physical or material, but profoundly social, psychological, and spiritual.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job. It intensifies the theme of unjust suffering, forcing the reader to grapple with the question of why a righteous individual like Job endures such extreme and unmerited humiliation. It underscores the profound fragility of human dignity and honor, demonstrating how quickly they can be stripped away by circumstances and the cruelty of others, particularly when perceived as divinely cursed. The deep social rejection and isolation Job experiences highlight the devastating impact of community abandonment, contrasting sharply with his former role as a pillar of society, as described in Job 29. Furthermore, the verse vividly illustrates the nature of disgrace, revealing how suffering can not only deprive one of possessions and health but also of respect, leaving one utterly exposed to the contempt of others.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H8581) signifies a profound sense of loathing, disgust, or detestation. It's a strong term indicating not just dislike, but a deep-seated revulsion, as if Job himself has become an anathema or an object of ritual impurity in the eyes of others. It suggests a visceral, almost involuntary, turning away from him, marking him as utterly detestable.
This primitive root (H7368) denotes active distancing and removal, whether literally or figuratively. It implies a deliberate act of separation, indicating that people are not merely indifferent but are actively withdrawing from Job, perhaps out of fear of contamination, social stigma, or simply a desire to disassociate from one whom God has seemingly cursed. This physical and social separation underscores his complete ostracization.
This plural noun (H6440), always used as singular, refers to the face as the part that turns or presents itself. In ancient cultures, the face was considered the seat of honor, identity, and personal presence. To spit in one's face was a direct, public assault on one's very being and reputation, signifying the ultimate act of disrespect and defilement. Its inclusion here emphasizes the personal and public nature of the insult.
Verse Breakdown
"They abhor me"
This initial clause establishes the profound emotional and spiritual rejection Job experiences. It speaks to an intense, visceral disgust directed towards him, suggesting that he has become an object of loathing in the eyes of his community, perhaps perceived as cursed by God or ritually unclean. This is an internal, deep-seated revulsion.
"they flee far from me"
Following the internal abhorrence, this clause describes the outward manifestation of that contempt: active social ostracization. People are not merely avoiding him but are deliberately distancing themselves, creating a physical and social chasm between Job and the rest of society, leaving him isolated and abandoned.
"and spare not to spit in my face"
This final, climactic clause details the ultimate act of public humiliation. Spitting in the face was a universally recognized gesture of extreme contempt, defilement, and utter disrespect in the ancient world. The phrase "spare not" (from H2820, châsak, meaning to restrain or refrain) emphasizes the unbridled nature of this insult, highlighting the complete lack of compassion or restraint shown by those who once might have looked up to him, signifying the nadir of his social degradation.
Literary Devices
Job 30:10 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of Job's suffering. The use of Hyperbole is evident in the extreme nature of the actions described; while perhaps not literally every individual was spitting on him, the language conveys the overwhelming sense of universal contempt and the pervasive nature of his degradation. Parallelism is employed through the progression of actions—abhorrence, fleeing, and spitting—each escalating the intensity of Job's rejection and reinforcing the theme of his utter degradation. The verse is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and visceral picture of public shaming and defilement, allowing the reader to almost feel the sting of the insult. This graphic imagery serves to underscore the profound injustice and cruelty of Job's situation, making his lament all the more poignant and impactful.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 30:10 powerfully articulates the devastating impact of social rejection and public humiliation on a righteous individual, raising profound questions about the nature of suffering and human dignity. It challenges the simplistic retribution theology prevalent in Job's time, which posited a direct correlation between sin and suffering, by demonstrating that the innocent can endure the most extreme forms of contempt. This verse underscores the vulnerability of human honor and the capacity for cruelty within society, particularly towards those perceived as "down and out." It invites reflection on how divine justice operates in the face of such undeserved affliction and foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the innocent Messiah, who also endured profound contempt.
Reflection and Application
Job 30:10 serves as a stark reminder of the extreme vulnerability of human dignity and the profound pain of social rejection. In a world that often values status and success, Job's experience forces us to confront the reality that even the most righteous can face undeserved contempt and ostracism. This verse calls us to cultivate radical empathy, recognizing that those who are marginalized, scorned, or "spat upon" by society—whether literally or figuratively—are often suffering deeply, regardless of their perceived worth or circumstances. It challenges us to examine our own hearts: do we contribute to the isolation of the vulnerable, or do we extend compassion and respect, upholding the inherent dignity of every person created in God's image? Job's lament, while raw and despairing, ultimately points to the resilience of faith even when all earthly honor is stripped away, urging us to stand with the afflicted and to challenge systems or attitudes that perpetuate unjust humiliation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was spitting considered such a profound insult in ancient times?
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, spitting was far more than a rude gesture; it was a deeply symbolic act of extreme contempt, public shaming, and ritual defilement. It was meant to dishonor and degrade the recipient, treating them as utterly worthless or unclean. The face, in particular, was considered the seat of a person's honor and identity, so spitting on it was a direct assault on one's very being and reputation. It was often associated with judicial condemnation or social ostracism, as seen in Numbers 12:14 where Miriam's temporary exclusion from the camp is likened to a father spitting in his daughter's face. This act stripped the individual of all dignity and standing within the community.
Does Job 30:10 imply that Job was literally spat on by everyone, or is this hyperbole?
While the language of Job 30:10 is intensely vivid, it's likely a form of hyperbole used to convey the overwhelming and pervasive nature of the contempt Job faced. Job is expressing the depths of his despair and the complete reversal of his social standing. He feels as though he is an object of universal scorn, and the act of spitting symbolizes the ultimate public degradation. It may not mean that every single person literally spat on him, but rather that the level of disrespect and humiliation he experienced was so profound that it felt as though he was being subjected to this ultimate insult by those who once revered him. The emotional truth conveyed is that he was treated with utter disdain by those of even the lowest social standing, as described earlier in Job 30.
How does Job's experience of social rejection relate to the broader themes of the book of Job?
Job's experience of social rejection and humiliation, as described in Job 30:10, is central to the book's exploration of unjust suffering. His friends argue that his suffering must be due to hidden sin, implying that his social disgrace is a just consequence. However, Job's lament, particularly this verse, powerfully refutes this notion by demonstrating that a righteous man can be reduced to the lowest depths of public contempt without cause. It highlights the fragility of human dignity and the often-cruel nature of societal judgment. This rejection also underscores Job's profound isolation, a key theme as he grapples with God in solitude, abandoned by both human comfort and divine explanation. It forces the reader to confront the problem of evil and the limitations of human understanding concerning divine justice.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's experience of extreme social rejection and public humiliation in Job 30:10 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the suffering of Jesus Christ. Just as Job, a righteous man, was abhorred, fled from, and spat upon, so too was the sinless Son of God subjected to the deepest forms of human contempt and degradation. The prophet Isaiah foretold this, describing the Suffering Servant as one from whom "men hide their faces" and who was "despised and rejected by mankind" (Isaiah 53:3). During His passion, Jesus endured the very acts Job lamented: He was mocked, struck, and indeed, "some began to spit on him" (Mark 14:65; also Matthew 26:67). This wasn't merely physical abuse but a deliberate act of public shaming, designed to strip Him of all dignity and honor, much like the ancient gesture Job describes. Yet, unlike Job, whose suffering was a mystery, Christ's humiliation was a deliberate act of atonement, bearing the full weight of human sin and shame. His willing endurance of such profound contempt, even unto death on a cross, transforms the meaning of suffering and rejection, revealing God's ultimate solidarity with the despised and offering salvation through the very act of ultimate disgrace. He became "a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13), taking our abhorrence upon Himself so that we might be reconciled to God.