Job 30:18

KJV

By the great force [of my disease] is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

KJV (with Strong's)

By the great {H7230} force {H3581} of my disease is my garment {H3830} changed {H2664}: it bindeth me about {H247} as the collar {H6310} of my coat {H3801}.

Complete Jewish Bible

My clothes are disfigured by the force [of my disease]; they choke me like the collar of my coat.

Berean Standard Bible

With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.

American Standard Version

By God’sgreat force is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 30:18 encapsulates Job's profound physical and existential suffering, portraying his debilitating disease not merely as an external affliction but as an overwhelming force that has fundamentally altered his very being and public identity. His lament vividly describes how his illness has stripped him of dignity, transforming his outward appearance and binding him in an inescapable, suffocating embrace, much like a constricting garment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 29-31 forms the climax of Job's final discourse, contrasting his glorious past (Ch. 29) with his humiliating present (Ch. 30) and his defiant assertion of innocence (Ch. 31). Chapter 30 specifically marks a sharp descent into the depths of his physical and social degradation. After recalling his respected position as a wise judge and compassionate benefactor, Job now finds himself mocked by the lowest of society, afflicted by a gruesome disease, and feeling abandoned by God. Verse 18 is a visceral description of this physical torment, illustrating how his suffering has become an inescapable and defining aspect of his existence, a stark reversal from his initial posture of submission in [Job 1:21](/job/1-21 "Job's Initial Response to Suffering").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, clothing was highly symbolic, representing not just protection and modesty but also social status, honor, and identity. A change of garment, especially one imposed by disease, would signify a drastic loss of dignity and public standing. Diseases like Job's, often associated with divine judgment in that cultural framework, would lead to social ostracization. The imagery of being "bound" by disease also evokes the common experience of chronic illness, where pain and physical limitations become an ever-present, constricting reality. Understanding this cultural backdrop deepens the impact of Job's lament, as his suffering is not merely personal but also profoundly social and reputational.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the Book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **unmerited suffering**, as Job, despite his righteousness, endures unimaginable pain. Secondly, it highlights the **loss of identity and dignity** through suffering, showing how external circumstances can strip away one's sense of self and social standing. The "changed garment" vividly illustrates this unraveling. Thirdly, the verse emphasizes the **inescapable and pervasive nature of affliction**, portraying suffering as an oppressive force that binds and suffocates, leaving no room for escape or relief, echoing the sentiments of profound distress found in [Psalm 88](/psalms/88 "A Psalm of Deep Despair"). Finally, it contributes to the broader theme of **human vulnerability** in the face of forces beyond one's control, whether they be natural disasters, social rejection, or debilitating illness, challenging the simplistic retribution theology espoused by Job's friends throughout [the book of Job](/job/1 "The Book of Job - A Study of Suffering and Sovereignty").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Force (Hebrew, _rov'_):** This word (רֹב) denotes abundance, multitude, or intensity. In this context, it emphasizes the overwhelming severity and magnitude of Job's affliction. It's not a minor discomfort but a "great force," suggesting a powerful, relentless onslaught that has completely overtaken him, leaving him helpless against its pervasive influence.
* **Changed (Hebrew, _huchlaf'_):** The verb (הֻחְלַף) is in the Hophal stem, indicating a passive action: "it has been changed" or "it is caused to be changed." This highlights Job's lack of agency; his garment, and by extension his identity, is altered *by* the disease, not by his own will. It implies a fundamental, irreversible transformation of his outward presentation and inner state.
* **Bindeth (Hebrew, _ye'asereni'_):** Derived from the root אָסַר (_'asar'_), meaning "to bind," "to tie," or "to imprison." The imagery evokes a sense of being fettered or constrained. This is not merely an inconvenience but a suffocating, inescapable grip, suggesting that the disease has become an integral and oppressive part of his very being, from which he cannot break free.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"By the great force [of my disease]":** This initial phrase immediately establishes the overwhelming nature of Job's suffering. The "great force" (רֹב כֹּחִי - *rov kochi*) refers to the abundance or intensity of his physical affliction, which is so severe that it acts as the primary agent of his transformation. It underscores the sheer power and relentless grip of his illness.
* **"is my garment changed":** This clause describes the visible and symbolic impact of the disease. "My garment" (לְבוּשִׁי - *levushi*) represents Job's outward appearance, social status, and dignity. For it to be "changed" (הֻחְלַף - *huchlaf*) signifies a drastic, involuntary alteration, implying that his disease has stripped him of his former honor and left him in a state of degradation and public humiliation.
* **"it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat":** This vivid simile powerfully conveys the inescapable and suffocating nature of Job's suffering. The disease is personified as something that wraps around him, much like the tight, constricting collar of a garment. This imagery evokes a sense of being trapped, choked, and utterly consumed by his pain, with no possibility of relief or escape.

#### Literary Devices
Job 30:18 is rich in **Imagery**, particularly tactile and visual, which vividly conveys Job's physical and emotional torment. The "changed garment" creates a powerful visual of his altered state and loss of dignity, while the sensation of being "bound" by the disease evokes a visceral feeling of constriction and inescapable pain. The verse employs a striking **Simile** when it compares the binding effect of the disease to "the collar of my coat," making the abstract concept of suffering tangible and relatable. This **Personification** of the disease as an active agent that changes and binds Job further emphasizes its oppressive power and Job's helplessness. The overall tone is one of profound **Lament**, characteristic of the book, expressing raw anguish and despair, and utilizing **Hyperbole** to underscore the extreme nature of his suffering, portraying it as an all-encompassing force that has consumed his very identity.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job's lament in this verse resonates deeply with the broader biblical understanding of suffering, particularly its capacity to strip away human dignity and expose vulnerability. It challenges simplistic notions of divine retribution, portraying a righteous man whose affliction seems utterly disproportionate to any conceivable sin. The "changed garment" serves as a powerful metaphor for the existential crisis that accompanies profound suffering, where one's identity, social standing, and even self-perception are fundamentally altered. This experience of being "bound" by affliction speaks to the universal human condition of grappling with forces beyond our control, prompting questions about divine justice, human endurance, and the nature of true faith in the crucible of pain.

* [Psalm 38:6](/psalms/38-6 "Psalm 38:6 - David's Suffering and Humiliation")
* [Lamentations 1:13](/lamentations/1-13 "Lamentations 1:13 - Jerusalem's Desolation")
* [2 Corinthians 4:8-9](/2_corinthians/4-8 "2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - Paul's Afflictions and God's Power")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 30:18 offers a profound mirror for anyone experiencing overwhelming and identity-altering suffering. It validates the raw, visceral experience of chronic pain, debilitating illness, or profound loss, acknowledging that such afflictions can feel like an inescapable garment that redefines one's very existence. Job's honest lament gives permission for us to voice our own anguish, to acknowledge the feeling of being stripped of dignity, and to express the suffocating grip of circumstances beyond our control. This verse encourages deep empathy for those whose lives have been fundamentally reshaped by suffering, reminding us that true compassion involves recognizing the multifaceted impact of pain—not just physical, but also social, psychological, and spiritual. It challenges us to move beyond superficial explanations for suffering and to sit with the uncomfortable reality of human vulnerability, fostering a space where lament is not only permitted but understood as a vital part of the human experience before God.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways has suffering, or a significant life change, felt like a "changed garment" or something that "binds" you?**
* **How does Job's raw honesty in this verse encourage you to express your own pain or lament before God?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the importance of empathy for those experiencing profound, identity-altering suffering?**

### FAQ
**Does "garment changed" refer to a literal change in Job's clothes or something symbolic?**

Answer: While Job's physical disease would undoubtedly affect his appearance and possibly the state of his clothing, the phrase "my garment changed" (הֻחְלַף לְבוּשִׁי - *huchlaf levushi*) is primarily symbolic. In ancient cultures, clothing was a powerful symbol of status, honor, and identity. For Job's garment to be "changed" by his disease signifies a profound loss of his former dignity, social standing, and public identity. It suggests that his very essence and how he is perceived by others have been fundamentally altered and degraded by his suffering. It's a metaphor for the stripping away of his former self, leaving him exposed and humiliated, a stark contrast to his respected past described in [Job 29](/job/29 "Job 29 - Job's Former Prosperity").

**What does the imagery of the disease binding Job "as the collar of my coat" convey?**

Answer: This powerful simile conveys the inescapable, constricting, and suffocating nature of Job's suffering. The "collar of my coat" (כְּפִי כֻתָּנְתִּי - *kefi kutantiy*) suggests something that is tight, close-fitting, and difficult to remove. It illustrates that the disease is not merely an external affliction but has become an integral, oppressive part of Job's very being. He feels trapped, unable to breathe freely or escape its grip, much like a person bound by a suffocating garment. This imagery emphasizes the relentless and pervasive quality of his pain, which offers no relief and has utterly consumed him, echoing the feeling of being overwhelmed by distress found in [Psalm 69:2](/psalms/69-2 "Psalm 69:2 - Sinking in Deep Mire").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's agonizing lament in [Job 30:18](/job/30-18 "Job 30:18 - Job's Lament of Physical Suffering") finds its ultimate echo and transformation in the person of Jesus Christ. While Job's suffering was a consequence of a cosmic struggle he did not understand, Jesus willingly embraced the full weight of human suffering, not as a victim of disease, but as the sin-bearer who took on the "garment" of human flesh and its frailties. He was "changed" in his appearance on the cross, becoming "marred more than any man" ([Isaiah 52:14](/isaiah/52-14 "Isaiah 52:14 - The Suffering Servant")), stripped of his dignity and honor, much like Job. The "great force" of sin and death bound Him, not as a collar, but as nails to a cross, where He was suffocated by the weight of the world's iniquity. Yet, unlike Job, whose lament sought relief, Christ's suffering was redemptive. He allowed Himself to be bound by death so that we might be set free from its grip ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")). His resurrection then signifies the ultimate "changing" of His garment—from death to glorious life, from humiliation to exaltation, offering hope that our own "changed garments" of suffering will one day be transformed into robes of righteousness through Him ([Revelation 7:13-14](/revelation/7-13 "Revelation 7:13-14 - Robes Washed in the Blood of the Lamb")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 2:7

¶ So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Job 7:5

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

Isaiah 1:5

Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isaiah 1:6

From the sole of the foot even unto the head [there is] no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Psalms 38:5

My wounds stink [and] are corrupt because of my foolishness.

Job 19:20

My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.