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Commentary on Job 30 verses 15–31
In this second part of Job's complaint, which is very bitter, and has a great many sorrowful accents in it, we may observe a great deal that he complains of and some little that he comforts himself with.
I. Here is much that he complains of.
1.In general, it was a day of great affliction and sorrow. (1.) Affliction seized him, and surprised him. It seized him (Job 30:16): The days of affliction have taken hold upon me, have caught me (so some); they have arrested me, as the bailiff arrests the debtor, claps him on the back, and secures him. When trouble comes with commission it will take fast hold, and not lose its hold. It surprised him (Job 30:27): "The days of affliction prevented me," that is, "they came upon me without giving me any previous warning. I did not expect them, nor make any provision for such an evil day." Observe, He reckons his affliction by days, which will soon be numbered and finished, and are nothing to the ages of eternity, Co2 4:17. (2.) He was in great sorrow by reason of it. His bowels boiled with grief, and rested not, Job 30:27. The sense of his calamities was continually preying upon his spirits without any intermission. He went mourning from day to day, always sighing, always weeping; and such cloud was constantly upon his mind that he went, in effect, without the sun, Job 30:28. He had nothing that he could take any comfort in. He abandoned himself to perpetual sorrow, as one that, like Jacob, resolved to go to the grave mourning. He walked out of the sun (so some) in dark shady places, as melancholy people use to do. If he went into the congregation, to join with them in solemn worship, instead of standing up calmly to desire their prayers, he stood up and cried aloud, through pain of body, or anguish of mind, like one half distracted. If he appeared in public, to receive visits, when the fit came upon him he could not contain himself, nor preserve due decorum, but stood up and shrieked aloud. Thus he was a brother to dragons and owls (Job 30:29), both in choosing solitude and retirement, as they do (Isa 34:13), and in making a fearful hideous noise as they do; his inconsiderate complaints were fitly compared to their inarticulate ones.
2.The terror and trouble that seized his soul were the sorest part of his calamity, Job 30:15, Job 30:16. (1.) If he looked forward, he saw every thing frightful before him: if he endeavoured to shake off his terrors, they turned furiously upon him: if he endeavoured to escape from them, they pursued his soul as swiftly and violently as the wind. He complained, at first, of the terrors of God setting themselves in array against him, Job 6:4. And still, which way soever he looked, they turned upon him; which way soever he fled, they pursued him. My soul (Heb., my principal one, my princess); the soul is the principal part of the man; it is our glory; it is every way more excellent than the body, and therefore that which pursues the soul, and threatens that, should be most dreaded. (2.) If he looked back, he saw all the good he had formerly enjoyed removed from him, and nothing left him but the bitter remembrance of it: My welfare and prosperity pass away, as suddenly, swiftly, and irrecoverably, as a cloud. (3.) If he looked within, he found his spirit quite sunk and unable to bear his infirmity, not only wounded, but poured out upon him, Job 30:16. He was not only weak as water, but, in his own apprehension, lost as water spilt upon the ground. Compare Psa 22:14, My heart is melted like wax.
3.His bodily diseases were very grievous; for, (1.) He was full of pain, piercing pain, pain that went to the bone, to all his bones, Job 30:17. It was a sword in his bones, which pierced him in the night season, when he should have been refreshed with sleep. His nerves were affected with strong convulsions; his sinews took no rest. By reason of his pain, he could take no rest, but sleep departed from his eyes. His bones were burnt with heat, Job 30:30. He was in a constant fever, which dried up the radical moisture and even consumed the marrow in his bones. See how frail our bodies are, which carry in themselves the seeds of our own disease and death. (2.) He was full of sores. Some that are pained in their bones, yet sleep in a whole skin, but, Satan's commission against Job extending both to his bone and to his flesh, he spared neither. His skin was black upon him, Job 30:30. The blood settled, and the sores suppurated and by degrees scabbed over, which made his skin look black. Even his garment had its colour changed with the continual running of his boils, and the soft clothing he used to wear had now grown so stiff that all his garments were like his collar, Job 30:18. It would be noisome to describe what a condition poor Job was in for want of clean linen and good attendance, and what filthy rags all his clothes were. Some think that, among other diseases, Job was ill of a quinsy or swelling in his throat, and that it was this which bound him about like a stiff collar. Thus was he cast into the mire (Job 30:19), compared to mire (so some); his body looked more like a heap of dirt than any thing else. Let none be proud of their clothing nor proud of their cleanness; they know not but some disease or other may change their garments, and even throw them into the mire, and make them noisome both to themselves and others. Instead of sweet smell, there shall be a stench, Isa 3:24. We are but dust and ashes at the best, and our bodies are vile bodies; but we are apt to forget it, till God, by some sore disease, makes us sensibly to feel and own what we are. "I have become already like that dust and ashes into which I must shortly be resolved: wherever I go I carry my grave about with me."
4.That which afflicted him most of all was that God seemed to be his enemy and to fight against him. It was he that cast him into the mire (Job 30:19), and seemed to trample on him when he had him there. This cut him to the heart more than any thing else, (1.) That God did not appear for him. He addressed himself to him, but gained no grant - appealed to him, but gained no sentence; he was very importunate in his applications, but in vain (Job 30:20): "I cry unto thee, as one in earnest, I stand up, and cry, as one waiting for an answer, but thou hearest not, thou regardest not, for any thing I can perceive." If our most fervent prayers bring not in speedy and sensible returns, we must not think it strange. Though the seed of Jacob did never seek in vain, yet they have often thought that they did and that God has not only been deaf, but angry, at the prayers of his people, Psa 80:4. (2.) That God did appear against him. That which he here says of God is one of the worst words that ever Job spoke (Job 30:21): Thou hast become cruel to me. Far be it from the God of mercy and grace that he should be cruel to any (his compassions fail not), but especially that he should be so to his own children. Job was unjust and ungrateful when he said so of him: but harbouring hard thoughts of God was the sin which did, at this time, most easily beset him. Here, [1.] He thought God fought against him and stirred up his whole strength to ruin him: With thy strong hand thou opposest thyself, or art an adversary against me. He had better thoughts of God (Job 23:6) when he concluded he would not plead against him with his great power. God has an absolute sovereignty and an irresistible strength, but he never uses either the one or the other for the crushing or oppressing of any. [2.] He thought he insulted over him (Job 30:22): Thou lifted me up to the wind, as a feather or the chaff which the wind plays with; so unequal a match did Job think himself for Omnipotence, and so unable was he to help himself when he was made to ride, not in triumph, but in terror, upon the wings of the wind, and the judgments of God did even dissolve his substance, as a cloud is dissolved and dispersed by the wind. Man's substance, take him in his best estate, is nothing before the power of God; it is soon dissolved.
5.He expected no other now than that God, by these troubles, would shortly make an end of him: "If I be made to ride upon the wind, I can count upon no other than to break my neck shortly;" and he speaks as if God had no other design upon him than that in all his dealings with him: "I know that thou wilt bring me, with so much the more terror, to death, though I might have been brought thither without all this ado, for it is the house appointed for all living," Job 30:23. The grave is a house, a narrow, dark, cold, ill-furnished house, but it will be our residence, where we shall rest and be safe. It is our long home, our own home; for it is our mother's lap, and in it we are gathered to our fathers. It is a house appointed for us by him that has appointed us the bounds of all our habitations. It is appointed for all the living. It is the common receptacle, where rich and poor meet; it is appointed for the general rendezvous. We must all be brought thither shortly. It is God that brings us to it, for the keys of death and the grave are in his hand, and we may all know that, sooner or later, he will bring us thither. It would be well for us if we would duly consider it. The living know that they shall die; let us, each of us, know it with application.
6.There were two things that aggravated his trouble, and made it the less tolerable: - (1.) That it was a very great disappointment to his expectation (Job 30:26): "When I looked for good, for more good, or at least for the continuance of what I had, then evil came" - such uncertain things are all our worldly enjoyments, and such a folly is it to feed ourselves with great expectations from them. Those that wait for light from the sparks of their creature comforts will be wretchedly disappointed and will make their bed in the darkness. (2.) That is was a very great change in his condition (Job 30:31): "My harp is not only laid by, and hung upon the willow-trees, but it is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep." Job, in his prosperity, had taken the timbrel and harp, and rejoiced at the sound of the organ, Job 21:12. Notwithstanding his gravity and grace, he had found time to be cheerful; but now his tune was altered. Let those therefore that rejoice be as though they rejoiced not, for they know not how soon their laughter will be turned into mourning and their joy into heaviness. Thus we see how much Job complains of; but,
II. Here is something in the midst of all with which he comforts himself, and it is but a little. 1. He foresees, with comfort, that death will be the period of all his calamities (Job 30:24): Though God now, with a strong hand, opposed himself against him, "yet," says he, "he will not stretch out his hand to the grave." The hand of God's wrath would bring him to death, but would not follow him beyond death; his soul would be safe and happy in the world of spirits, his body safe and easy in the dust. Though men cry in his destruction (though, when they are dying, there is a great deal of agony and out-cry, many a sigh, and groan, and complaint), yet in the grave they feel nothing, they fear nothing, but all is quiet there. "Though in hell, which is called destruction, they cry, yet not in the grave; and, being delivered from the second death, the first to me will be an effectual relief." Therefore he wished he might be hidden in the grave, Job 14:13. 2. He reflects with comfort upon the concern he always had for the calamities of others when he was himself at ease (Job 30:25): Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Some think he herein complains of God, thinking it very hard that he who had shown mercy to others should not himself find mercy. I would rather take it as a quieting consideration to himself; his conscience witnessed for him that he had always sympathized with persons in misery and done what he could to help them, and therefore he had reason to expect that, at length, both God and his friends would pity him. Those who mourn with them that mourn will bear their own sorrows the better when it comes to their turn to drink of the bitter cup. Did not my soul burn for the poor? so some read it, comparing it with that of St. Paul, Co2 11:29, Who is offended, and I burn not? As those who have been unmerciful and hard-hearted to others may expect to hear of it from their own consciences, when they are themselves in trouble, so those who have considered the poor and succoured them shall have the remembrance thereof to make their bed easy in their sickness, Psa 41:1, Psa 41:3.
The excess of misfortunes that have befallen him force him to groan and to wail. Even if I wanted it, I could not stay silent, he says. “I stand up in the assembly and cry for help” without being ashamed before any of those present and without blushing before the multitude of the assembly. This attitude is due to the greatness of his misfortunes. I have fallen, he says, into the animal condition of birds. I have not recognized my real nature anymore; my situation is not better than theirs.
73. I see that it is a thing to be carefully noted historically considered, that the holy man who a little before said, Thou hast lifted me up, added below, I went mourning. For by a wonderful arrangement at one and the same time there is wont to meet together in the courses of good men, at once without, the honour of the highest pitch, and within, the mourning of afflicted abasement. Hence the holy man likewise, whilst lifted to a height by substance and by honours; ‘went mourning’; for though this man the high credit of power displayed advanced above his fellow-creatures, yet inwardly he offered to the Lord by his mourning the secret sacrifice of a contrite heart. Since the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit. [Ps. 51, 17] Now all the Elect are taught by inward reflecting to fight against the temptations of outward superiority. Which persons, if they set their heart to their outward good fortune assuredly would cease to be righteous. But because it cannot be that upon the mere grounds of the successes of fortune alone the heart of man should never be at all tempted with however slight a degree of pride, holy men strive hard within against their very good fortune itself; I do not say, lest in self exaltation, but lest in the love of that prosperity at all events they should be brought to the ground. And it is most effectually to have been brought under this, to have surrendered the mind in a state of captivity to the desires thereof. But who that has a taste for earthly things, who that embraces temporal objects, would not look upon blessed Job as happy amidst so many circumstances of prosperity, when the health of the body, the life of his children, the preservation of his household, the completeness of his flocks, were all vouchsafed to him? But that in all these circumstances he did not take delight, he is his own witness, in that he says, I went mourning. For to the holy man still placed in this state of pilgrimage, all that is full of abundance, without the Vision of God, is destitution; because when the Elect see that all things are theirs, they lament that they do not see the Author of all things, and to them all this is too little, because there is still wanting the appearance of One. And in such sort does the grace of Heavenly Appointment exalt them without, that nevertheless, within, the sorrow of the instructress charity holds them under discipline. By which same they learn, that for the things which they receive outwardly, they should ever be the more humbled to themselves, should keep the mind under the yoke of discipline, should never by the liberty of power be made to break out into impatience. Whence also it is fitly subjoined, Without rage rising in the crowd, I cried out. For it often happens that the tumults of seditious men provoke the spirit of their rulers, and by disorderly emotions they transgress the limit of their orderliness.
74. And very often they who are set at the head, except in the mouth of the heart they be held in with the bridle of the Holy Spirit, leap forth into the fierceness of enraged retribution, and as much as they are able to do, reckon themselves to be at liberty to do with those under them. For impatience is almost always the friend of power, and that power when evil it even rules over as subject to it. For what that same feels, power executes. But holy men bow down themselves much more to the yoke of patience inwardly, than they are above others outwardly, and they exhibit without the truer governance, in proportion as they maintain within more lowly servitude to God: and they for this reason often endure persons the more fully, the more they have it in their power to revenge themselves upon them, and lest they should ever pass over into things unlawful, they very often will not put in execution in their own behalf even what is lawful; they are subject to the clamours of those under their charge, they rebuke in love those, whom they bear in mildness. Whence it is rightly said now, Without rage rising up in the crowd, I cried out; in this way, because against the clamours of the unruly the good have ‘crying out,’ but they have not ‘rage,’ because those whom they bear with gently they do not cease to teach.
But these particulars which after the historical view we have delivered concerning one individual, it remains that we understand after the allegorical view concerning diverse Elect ones of Holy Church. For she too in her Elect ‘goes mourning,’ even in prosperous circumstances. For she accounts nothing truly prosperous to her, until the good, which she is preeminently seeking after, she may lay hold of. Since her faithful ones enjoy temporal peace indeed, but sigh evermore; they are honoured, and afflicted: because very often they are seen at the highest pitch there, where they are not citizens. She too ‘rises in the crowd without rage, and cries out,’ because she presses upon the life of the evil doers with the eagerness of right jealousy, not with the frenzy of rage. She is angry and loving, she deals wrathfully and is tranquil, that so her weak members she may reform by zealousness, and cherish in pitifulness.
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SUMMARY
Job 30:28 poignantly captures the devastating depths of Job's suffering, encapsulating both his profound private anguish and his compelled public lament. Stripped of his former honor and prosperity, Job describes a life consumed by an overwhelming sorrow, where all light, joy, and hope seem absent, forcing him to voice his distress openly before the very community that once revered him.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is strategically positioned within Job's extended lament, marking a stark transition from his nostalgic recollection of former glory in Job 29 to the raw, humiliating reality of his current suffering in Job 30. In Job 29, Job vividly recounts his past as a revered leader, a source of wisdom and justice, whose presence brought comfort and whose counsel was eagerly sought by all, from the young to the elders (Job 29:7-11). However, by Job 30, his fortunes have dramatically reversed. He is now scorned by the lowest members of society (Job 30:1-8), afflicted with grievous physical ailments (Job 30:17-19), and abandoned by friends. Verse 28 encapsulates this dramatic fall, depicting his internal torment and his desperate need to express it outwardly, even in the midst of those who witnessed his former stature, thereby highlighting the profound contrast between his past and present.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, public lament was a recognized and often expected response to profound personal or communal tragedy. For a man of Job's social standing, a "prince" or "elder" in his community, maintaining composure and dignity was paramount. His act of "crying in the congregation" (קָהָל, qâhâl'), a public assembly often with judicial or religious significance, signifies a complete breakdown of his social decorum and a stark departure from his former role as a dispenser of wisdom and comfort. This public display of raw grief was not merely an emotional outburst but a culturally understood plea for recognition of his suffering, perhaps even a public appeal for divine intervention or validation from those who had once held him in high esteem. It underscores the severity of his affliction, which has stripped him of his identity and forced him into a position of utter vulnerability before his peers.
Key Themes: Job 30:28 powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of profound despair and isolation. The phrase "I went mourning without the sun" vividly illustrates Job's deep, pervasive sorrow, signifying a life devoid of light, joy, or hope, where even nature seems to offer no solace. This speaks to a feeling of utter abandonment and loneliness, a constant state of gloom that overshadows even the brightest day, echoing the sentiment found in other laments like Psalm 88. Secondly, it highlights the theme of public expression of grief and lament. Despite his overwhelming private anguish, Job states, "I stood up, and I cried in the congregation." This emphasizes the ancient practice of public lament and the human need to share unbearable burdens, even when it means exposing one's rawest pain. Job is not suffering in silence; he is openly presenting his case and his pain to his community, perhaps seeking understanding, validation, or even divine justice from those who witnessed his former stature, a practice seen in communal laments in the Psalms. Finally, the verse powerfully conveys the theme of loss of dignity and status. For a man of Job's former standing, to "cry in the congregation" signifies a complete breakdown of his dignified composure and a stark contrast to his past role as a dispenser of wisdom and comfort, as seen in Job 29:25. It underscores the extent to which his suffering has stripped him of his former identity and forced him into a position of vulnerability and public spectacle.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 30:28 is rich in literary devices that amplify its emotional impact. The most prominent is Metaphor, particularly in the phrase "I went mourning without the sun." Here, the absence of the sun serves as a powerful metaphor for the complete absence of joy, hope, and divine favor in Job's life. It paints a picture of a soul shrouded in perpetual darkness, illustrating the depth of his despair. This also functions as Symbolism, where light symbolizes life, blessing, and God's presence, and darkness symbolizes affliction, abandonment, and death. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Contrast woven throughout the verse and the surrounding chapters. Job's present state of public lament and humiliation stands in stark contrast to his former life of honor and respect, where he was a figure of authority and comfort. This juxtaposition heightens the tragedy of his fall. The act of "crying" is also a form of Pathos, evoking deep sympathy and pity from the reader for Job's overwhelming suffering.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 30:28 offers a profound theological statement on the nature of suffering, particularly innocent suffering, and the human response to it. It challenges simplistic theological frameworks that equate suffering with sin, as Job's friends did. Job's lament, expressed both privately ("without the sun") and publicly ("in the congregation"), underscores the reality that even the righteous can experience profound, inexplicable anguish. It validates the human experience of despair and the need for lament, demonstrating that expressing pain, even in a raw and undignified manner, is a legitimate and necessary part of processing deep trauma. The verse also implicitly raises questions about divine justice and the presence of God in suffering, as Job feels abandoned by the very source of light.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 30:28 serves as a powerful validation for those experiencing profound grief and despair. It reminds us that suffering, even to the point of feeling utterly "without the sun," is a legitimate part of the human experience, not necessarily a sign of divine displeasure. Job's willingness to "cry in the congregation" offers a vital lesson: we are not meant to suffer in isolation. There is a sacred space for public lament within a supportive community, whether it be a church, a small group, or trusted friends. This verse encourages us to be authentic about our pain, to shed the pretense of composure when our souls are ravaged, and to seek solace and witness from others. It challenges us to create communities where such raw vulnerability is not only tolerated but embraced, where the broken can find a voice and be heard, trusting that even in the deepest darkness, our cries are not unheard by God, who understands our frame and remembers that we are dust.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "without the sun" truly mean in this context?
Answer: "Without the sun" (בְּלֹא שָׁמֶשׁ, belo' shamesh') is a profound metaphor for Job's complete and utter desolation. It signifies a life devoid of light, joy, warmth, or divine favor. In the ancient world, the sun (H2535, chammâh') was often associated with life, blessing, prosperity, and God's presence. Therefore, to be "without the sun" means to live in a state of perpetual darkness, both literally (as Job's physical affliction might have kept him from daylight or his eyes were dim) and figuratively, representing a soul shrouded in despair, abandoned by comfort and hope. It highlights the extremity of his suffering, where even the natural world offers no solace, as if a permanent eclipse has fallen over his existence. This imagery is echoed in other biblical passages describing profound distress, such as Lamentations 3:2.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 30:28, with its raw depiction of innocent suffering, public humiliation, and profound abandonment, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Job's experience of "mourning without the sun" foreshadows the spiritual darkness and sense of dereliction experienced by the Son of God, who, though the very Light of the World, willingly entered into the deepest human darkness to bear the sin of humanity. Like Job, Jesus was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). His public agony on the cross, a spectacle of profound humiliation, mirrors Job's "crying in the congregation," yet infinitely surpasses it in redemptive power. Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoes Job's feeling of being "without the sun," as He bore the full weight of divine wrath, experiencing a separation from the Father that was deeper than any human could fathom. Through His suffering, humiliation, and ultimate victory over death, Christ transforms the meaning of Job's lament. He is the true light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5). In Him, those who mourn "without the sun" find not only empathy from a High Priest who understands their weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) but also the promise of eternal light and the ultimate vindication of all suffering, where every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4).