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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 30:15–31. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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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.
78. Whereas the organ gives its sounds by means of pipes, and the harp by chords; it may be that by the ‘harp’ right practising is denoted, and by the ‘organ’ holy preaching. For by the pipes of an organ we not unsuitably understand the mouths of persons preaching, and by the chords of the harps the bent of those living aright. Which whilst it is stretched to another life by the afflicting of the flesh, it is as if the thin drawn chord in the harp sounded in the admiration of those beholding. For the chord is dried that it may give a suitable note on the harp; because holy men also chasten their body, and subject it to service, and are stretched from things below to those above. Moreover it is to be considered that the chord in the harp, if it be strung too little, does not sound, if too much, it sounds harsh; because doubtless the virtue of abstinence is altogether nothing if a man does not tame his body as much as he is able; or it is very ill ordered if he wears it down more than he is able. For by abstinence the imperfections of the flesh are to be done away, and not the flesh, and every one ought to rule himself with such great control, that both the flesh may not carry itself high for sin, and yet that it may be upheld in practice for the carrying out of righteousness. It is a satisfaction herein to look at the great preacher, with what great skill of preceptorship the souls of believers like chords strung on the harp, one set by stretching the more, he draws fine, another by loosening from their stretch he preserves. For to some he says; Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness. [Rom. 13, 13] And again he says; Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. [Col. 3, 5] And yet to the most beloved preacher he writes, saying, Drink no longer water, but use a little wine, for thy stomach’s sake, and for thine often infirmities. [1 Tim. 5, 23] Thus those chords by drawing thin he stretches, lest by not being stretched they altogether give no sound. But this chord he abates of its stretching, lest whilst it is stretched more, the less it should sound.
79. But whether it be the holy preachers in the Church, or the simpleminded and temperate generally, as far as they are vouchsafed powers, they render to their neighbours in her the song of goodly exhortation. For both the wise sort severally keep discreetly on the watch to the fruit of preaching, and that they may draw others to life they ply themselves with a sound of mighty persuading; and they that appear to be of slower wit within her, by the mere merit of their lives, to the extent that they see that they are able, take upon them authority of exhortation towards others, and cease not to draw to the heavenly Country those whom they are able. But Holy Church being borne down by the last persecutions, when she sees her words to be set at nought by the children of perdition, shapes the goodness of her love to lamentations alone, because surely she bewails those whom she is not able by exhorting to draw. Let her say then, My harp also is turned to mourning, and mine organ into the voice of them that weep. As though she avowed in plain words, saying, ‘In the season of my peace, indeed, by some I preached little things after the manner of a harp, whilst by others things great and sounding after the manner of an organ; but now ‘my harp is turned into mourning and mine organ into the voice of them that weep,’ because whilst I see myself to be despised I mourn over those who hear not the song of preaching.’ Such things is Holy Church to do by certain persons in the end, these things has she already done by certain in her beginnings. For the first martyr Stephen endeavoured by preaching to benefit the Jews that persecuted him, which persons when he saw, notwithstanding, after the words of preaching to have flocked together to throwing stones, he prayed with his knees set fast, saying, Lord Jesus, lay not this sin to their charge. [Acts. 7, 60] How then was it to him who for long had told things both small and great, but that the melody of his ‘harp and of his organ’ was already mute, and they were ‘turned into mourning,’ because those whom he had not drawn in preaching, he wept for in loving? Which same Holy Church ceases not daily to do, because she already sees that the word of preaching is almost every where become mute. For some close their mouths from speaking, others scorn to hear right things. But the mind of the Elect whilst it sees the song of preaching to be stilled, returns groaning and in silence to lamentations. Therefore let her say, My harp is turned into mourning, and mine organ into the voice of them that weep, because every elect person in proportion as the voice of holy preaching has been stilled, so much the more sorely does he bewail the woes of the Church.
Thus far blessed Job has described the evils that he underwent; but from this place he begins to relate with more particularity the good things that he did. Now the words of grief we have run through by an historical and allegorical explanation: but the deeds of virtuous qualities we in great measure hold according to the text of the history alone, lest if we draw these to the exploring of mysteries, we should perchance appear to be making void the verity of the deed.
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Summary
Job 30:31 serves as a profoundly poignant capstone to Job's extended lament, encapsulating the absolute reversal of his life from one of honor and joy to one of abject despair and suffering. Through vivid musical imagery, Job articulates that even the instruments once associated with celebration and delight have now been entirely re-purposed to express the overwhelming, pervasive grief that consumes his very being. This verse powerfully conveys the depth of his emotional and spiritual desolation, where all sources of comfort and merriment have been transmuted into conduits for sorrow, leaving no aspect of his existence untouched by his profound anguish.
Context
Literary Context
Job 30:31 concludes a chapter in which Job contrasts his former life of esteemed prosperity and widespread respect, meticulously detailed in Job 29, with his current state of profound humiliation and suffering. In Job 30, he describes being mocked by those younger and socially inferior, afflicted with a debilitating illness, and feeling utterly abandoned by both human companionship and divine favor. The preceding verses in Job 30:26-30 depict Job's desperate cries to God, his physical decay, and his overwhelming sense of personal anguish. Verse 31, therefore, acts as a final, powerful metaphor for the complete and agonizing transformation of his existence, where every aspect of his life, even joy itself, has been swallowed by sorrow, bringing his lament to a climactic and heart-wrenching close before the arrival of Elihu.
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, music played a vital role in both celebration and lament, deeply woven into the fabric of daily life, religious rituals, and social gatherings. Instruments like the harp (Hebrew: kinnor) and organ (Hebrew: ugab, likely a type of pipe or flute) were integral to feasts, weddings, religious festivals, and expressions of joy or praise, as vividly depicted in passages like Psalm 150 or Isaiah 5:12. Conversely, specific sounds and instruments were also associated with mourning rituals, such as the wailing of professional mourners. Job's imagery draws on this common cultural understanding, making his statement particularly impactful: he is not merely saying he is sad, but that the very tools of joy in his life have been fundamentally altered to produce only sounds of grief, signifying an unprecedented and total reversal of his social and emotional landscape, a profound disruption of the expected order.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the Book of Job. Primarily, it underscores the theme of Profound Suffering and Despair, illustrating the intensity of Job's anguish where even instruments typically associated with joy now produce only sounds of mourning, emphasizing the pervasive nature of his pain. It also highlights the dramatic Reversal of Fortune, a central motif throughout Job's narrative, starkly contrasting his former blessed state (as seen in Job 1) with his current desolate condition. Furthermore, the verse emphasizes the Completeness of Grief, suggesting that sorrow has permeated every facet of Job's existence, leaving no room for happiness. This pervasive grief challenges the conventional wisdom of Job's friends, who believe suffering is always a direct result of sin, forcing a deeper exploration of the nature of righteousness and divine justice, a dialogue that culminates in God's speeches in Job 38-41 and Job's ultimate restoration in Job 42.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root meaning to twang, this word refers to a stringed instrument, commonly translated as lyre or harp. In ancient Israel, the kinnôwr was a primary instrument used in contexts of joy, celebration, and worship, often associated with Davidic praise and prophetic music (e.g., 1 Samuel 16:23, Psalm 33:2). By stating his harp is "turned to mourning," Job conveys a radical perversion of its intended purpose, symbolizing the complete absence of joy and the re-channeling of all his emotional expression into sorrow.
From a root in the original sense of breathing, this term refers to a reed-instrument of music, likely a type of pipe or flute. Like the kinnôwr, the ʻûwgâb was associated with merriment and festivity, representing another facet of musical expression (e.g., Genesis 4:21). The pairing of kinnôwr and ʻûwgâb represents the full spectrum of musical expression, encompassing both string and wind instruments. Their transformation into instruments of weeping signifies that no avenue for joy remains; all forms of artistic and emotional outlet are now dedicated solely to lament.
A primitive root meaning to weep, and generally to bemoan. This word encompasses a range of expressions of sorrow, including bewailing, complaining, making lamentation, and mourning, often involving tears. Its use here emphasizes the audible, visceral expression of grief that now emanates from Job's instruments. The "voice of them that weep" is not merely a sad sound, but the actual sound of human lament, indicating a profound and pervasive sorrow that has consumed Job's life.
Verse Breakdown
"My harp also is [turned] to mourning"
This clause vividly illustrates the profound transformation of Job's inner state and external circumstances. The harp, typically a symbol of joy, praise, and celebration, has been metaphorically re-tuned or re-purposed to produce sounds of deep sorrow. This signifies that the very capacity for happiness and the means of expressing it have been utterly corrupted by his suffering, leaving only the possibility of lament. It speaks to a complete reversal of his emotional landscape, where even the instruments of his former delight now serve only to articulate his pain.
"and my organ into the voice of them that weep"
This parallel clause reinforces and intensifies the preceding statement. The organ, another instrument of merriment and festivity, is now associated with the wailing and crying of those in profound grief. The phrase "voice of them that weep" is particularly evocative, suggesting not just the sound of the instrument but the actual, audible lament of human suffering, a deeply personal and raw expression of anguish. This parallelism emphasizes the thoroughness of Job's desolation, indicating that every aspect of his life, once filled with melody and joy, now echoes with the sounds of inconsolable sorrow, a pervasive and inescapable grief.
Literary Devices
Job 30:31 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of his despair. The primary device is Metaphor, where Job's musical instruments—the harp and organ, traditionally symbols of joy and celebration—are transformed into instruments of mourning and weeping. This is not a literal change but a profound figurative representation of the complete reversal of Job's emotional and spiritual state. Closely related is Personification, as the instruments are given "voices" that weep, imbuing inanimate objects with human expressions of sorrow, thereby amplifying the pervasive nature of Job's grief and making his anguish almost tangible. The verse also utilizes effective Parallelism, with the two clauses mirroring each other ("My harp...mourning" and "my organ...weep"). This synonymous parallelism reinforces the central idea of transformed joy into sorrow, emphasizing the totality and inescapable nature of Job's suffering. Finally, there's an element of Hyperbole, as the statement exaggerates the extent of his despair to convey its overwhelming and absolute nature; it's not just that Job is sad, but that the very essence of joy in his life has been fundamentally altered to produce only sounds of lament, leaving no room for any other emotion.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 30:31 stands as a profound testament to the reality of human suffering and the legitimacy of lament before God. It challenges any simplistic theology that equates piety with prosperity, demonstrating that even the righteous can experience overwhelming, inexplicable sorrow that transforms every aspect of their existence. This verse underscores the biblical truth that grief is a valid and necessary human response to loss and pain, and that expressing such deep anguish is not a sign of unbelief but often an honest cry to the divine in the midst of incomprehensible trials. It implicitly raises fundamental questions about divine justice, the nature of God's relationship with humanity in suffering, and the purpose of pain, themes central to the entire book of Job and vital for a robust theology of suffering.
Reflection and Application
Job's poignant lament in Job 30:31 offers profound validation for the human experience of deep sorrow and the overwhelming nature of grief. It reminds us that suffering can be so pervasive that it transforms even the sources of our joy into instruments of lament. For believers today, this verse provides permission to fully acknowledge and express the depth of our pain, even when it feels like every part of our life is consumed by sorrow. It teaches us that authentic faith does not demand a stoic suppression of emotions but rather invites us to bring our raw, unvarnished grief before God, just as Job did, trusting that He hears our cries even when we don't understand His ways. In a world that often pressures us to "be strong" or "move on" quickly from pain, Job's words affirm that lament is a legitimate and necessary part of the human journey, a vital step in processing hardship and ultimately finding solace and hope, even when it seems far off and the music of our lives has gone silent.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "harp" and "organ" in this verse, and why are they "turned to mourning"?
The "harp" (Hebrew: kinnôwr) and "organ" (Hebrew: ʻûwgâb) were common musical instruments in ancient Israel, typically associated with joy, celebration, and praise. The kinnôwr was a stringed instrument, similar to a lyre, frequently used in feasts, royal courts, and worship (e.g., 1 Samuel 16:23 and Psalm 150:3). The ʻûwgâb was a wind instrument, likely a pipe or flute, also used for festive occasions (e.g., Genesis 4:21). By stating that these instruments are "turned to mourning" and "into the voice of them that weep," Job uses a powerful metaphor to convey the complete and utter reversal of his circumstances. It signifies that even the avenues for joy and celebration in his life have been transformed into conduits for expressing his profound and pervasive sorrow. This imagery emphasizes the depth and totality of his despair, where no aspect of his existence remains untouched by grief, and all potential for happiness has been consumed by lament.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's poignant lament in Job 30:31, where instruments of joy are transformed into conduits of sorrow, finds its ultimate echo and profound fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While Job's instruments were turned to mourning due to his own suffering, Jesus, the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, willingly took upon Himself the sorrow and weeping of all humanity. His life, from His humble birth to His agonizing death on the cross, was marked by a deep empathy for human suffering and a willingness to bear its full weight. On the cross, Jesus became the ultimate expression of lament, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" – a cry that absorbed the very essence of Job's despair and the collective anguish of a fallen world. Yet, through His resurrection, the ultimate reversal occurred: the profound mourning of the cross was turned into the triumphant joy of new life, echoing the promise that "weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). What Job could only long for—the turning of mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11)—is fully realized in Christ's victory over sin and death. He is the one who promises to "wipe away every tear from their eyes" and transform our deepest sorrows into an eternal song of praise, making all things new through His redemptive work (Revelation 21:5), ultimately turning the lament of a fallen world into the unending symphony of redemption.