TRV
Translation
American Standard Version
Among the bushes they bray; Under the nettles they are gathered together.
World English Bible Messianic
Among the bushes they bray; and under the nettles they are gathered together.
Geneva Bible (1599)
They roared among the bushes, and vnder the thistles they gathered themselues.
Young's Literal Translation
Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.
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In the KJVVerse 13,565 of 31,102
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Commentary on Job 30 verses 1–14
1 ¶ But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
3 For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.
5 They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)
6 To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.
14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
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.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
38. ‘They rejoice in the midst of the like,’ because, surely, they give heed to the transitory things which they receive, and neglect to look at the lasting blessings which they lose. And whilst they are on fire with the love of things temporal, they are willingly ignorant of the true joy. Which same if they earnestly sought to acquaint themselves with, how greatly the delights which they seek after are to be wept for, they would see. But, while they are unconcerned to know what are better, they choose those alone for themselves, as the highest, which flatter the eyes in the visible by a fleeting beguilement. That is to say, they fix fast their heart, following after the visible, and rejoice so much the more outwardly, in proportion as they are without the remembrance of themselves inwardly. Yet, generally, there are mixed with their joys calamities, and by the actual things, by which they are filled with pride, they are scourged. For neither can they, without grievous inconveniences of anxieties, either seek when not possessed, or retain when sought, the temporal things that they desire; among their equals aim at superior glory; from inferiors exact respect beyond what is meet, and to superiors show forth the same less than they ought; for the most part display the mastery by masterfulness; ever do what is wicked, and yet, that they may not have the credit of wickedness, guard themselves with dread. All these things surely sting the wretched persons, but those same stings they do not feel, from being overcome by the mere love of the things of time. And hence it is rightly said now, And reckoned there were delights under the brambles; because, being closely encompassed by the enjoyments of sins, from the affecting of the present life, how sharp the things they are that they undergo they are not aware.
39. Therefore they ‘rejoice,’ but ‘under brambles’; because they delight in earthly things indeed, but yet, whilst they are unable to manage those same things of time without trouble, the wretched persons are stung by that same care which they are pressed by. They continue ‘under the brambles,’ and this very thing they account delight, because they at once endure hardships indeed from the love of the present life, but yet, being bound about by the absorption of over-great desire, they account the trouble of that endurance to be pleasure. Hence Jeremiah, rightly taking upon himself the likeness of all human conduct, complains in lament, saying, He has made me drunken with; wormwood. [Lam. 3, 15] For as we have already said before in a part above, any one drunk knows nothing what he is undergoing. But he that is made ‘drunk with wormwood,’ both has the thing that he has taken bitter, and yet does not understand that same bitterness which he is filled with. So the race of man, being by the right judgment of God left to themselves in their pleasures, and by those same pleasures consigned to voluntary sufferings, is ‘drunk with wormwood’; because both these are bitter things which it endures for the love of this life, and yet that same bitterness, by the blindness of concupiscence, as by the insensibility of drunkenness, it remains ignorant of. For thirsting after the glory of the world, whilst it finds instead thereof numberless tribulations, what it drinks is bitter. But because it took this too eagerly, from mere drunkenness it is not now able to discern the evil of that bitterness. For bad men, for the sake of the glory of this world, love tribulations even, and on account of it willingly lend themselves to all toils, and most devotedly submit their necks to the yoke of heavy labours. Which is well described by Hosea whilst prophesying, under the likeness of Ephraim, saying, And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught to love threshing. [Hos. 10, 11] For a heifer accustomed to the labours of threshing, very often, when loosed, returns even not forced to the same customariness of labour. So the mind of the wicked being devoted to the services of this world, and accustomed to the wearyings of temporal things, even if it be allowed to be freely at liberty to itself, yet is eager to submit itself to earthly pains and toils, and seeks the usage [al. ‘from usage’] of a wretched way of life, ‘the threshing’ of labour, that it should not be acceptable, even if it were allowable, to give over the yoke of worldly servitude. Which same yoke the Lord loosed from the neck of the disciples, when He said, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness; and straightway added, and cares of this life; and so that day come upon you unawares. [Luke 21, 34] And again, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart. [Matt. 11, 28] What is it for the Lord to call Himself ‘meek and lowly’ in preceptorship, save leaving behind the difficulties for exercising self-exaltation, to point out some plain ways of living well? But because the minds of the wicked are more pleased by what is harsh in self-exalting than by what is gentle in mildness and humility, they ‘suppose there are delights under brambles.’ For from love of the world they are ready to bear what is hard as things soft and delightful, whilst they try in this life to lay hold of the topmost pinnacles of affairs.
40. The Lord bids ceasing from the labours of the world, He prompts the sweetness of holy tranquillity, and yet the frenzied mind of the wicked is more rejoiced to obtain what is harsh in the carnal way than to hold what is mild in the spiritual way. It is more fed by the bitterness of wearisomeness than by the sweetness of tranquillity. Which the Israelitish people openly shows us in itself, which same, whilst it received the refreshment of manna from above, lusted after the flesh-pots, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, from Egypt. [Numb. 11, 5] For what is denoted by the ‘manna,’ but the food of grace, having a sweet savour, given from Above for the refreshment of the interior life to persons rightly free? And what by the ‘flesh-pots,’ saving carnal works, which are with difficulty to be dressed by the toils of tribulations, as by fires? What by ‘melons,’ but earthly sweets? What by ‘leeks and onions,’ which those who eat very often shed tears, excepting the hardness of the present life, which is both gone through by the lovers of it not without mourning, and notwithstanding is loved with tears? Therefore, forsaking ‘manna,’ together with melons and fleshmeats they sought leeks and onions, surely because bad minds despise the gifts of tranquillity, sweet by grace, and for the sake of carnal pleasures they covet the wearisome ways of this life, even though full of tears; they scorn to have where they may rejoice in a spiritual manner, and ardently seek where they may even groan in a carnal way. So then, let Job with a truth-telling voice rebuke the madness of these persons, for no other reason than that by a perverted judgment they set the troubled before the tranquil, the hard before the gentle, the harsh before the mild, the transitory before the eternal, the suspicious before the assured. The madness of such let Holy Church call to remembrance, when she is encompassed with cruel adversities without, which persons she held within herself as if believers, but for long endured their life opposing the faith, and let her say, Who rejoiced in the midst of the like, and reckoned there were delights under brambles; surely, because the evil things that they do, they learnt by the badness of the wicked going before.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
24. What do we understand by the name of ‘brambles,’ but those ‘piercings’ [§. 21] of sins, which we have already described above. Now because froward minds delight in wickednesses, which they should have bewailed, all heretics uplift themselves with vain joy in proportion as they gain power for worse acts; and they ‘reckon there are delights under the brambles,’ because they lift up the froward mind to joy, from the same cause that they bear the thorns of sins. For if ever they have been able to draw any one to their error, they plume themselves in glee; and by the same act, whereby they are daily heaping to themselves sins, even by ruining others, they exult that they are as it were leaders to righteousness. And so it is well said; Who rejoiced amongst the like, and reckoned that there are delights under brambles. For they drag all that they are able to their own destruction; and to be under sins, or to add offences to offences, they imagine their heaping up a superabundance of virtuous acquirements.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON JOB 30:6-7
The words “under the rocks and the thorny bushes,” that is, those, who are on the prowl in the mountains and the deserts, live on the fruits of thorny bushes because of their destitution.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 30:7 is a profoundly evocative verse within Job's lament, starkly portraying his abject humiliation by individuals of the lowest societal standing. It paints a vivid picture of these outcasts dwelling in desolate, wild places, characterized by their animalistic cries and primitive existence, thereby intensifying the psychological torment Job endures as he is scorned by those he once considered beneath even his sheepdogs. This imagery powerfully underscores the radical reversal of Job's fortunes and the depth of his suffering, not merely physically, but socially and psychologically.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 30:7 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid picture of the desolate environment and the degraded state of Job's tormentors. The "bushes" and "nettles" evoke a sense of wildness, discomfort, and barrenness, physically embodying the social and spiritual wasteland these individuals inhabit. Symbolism is also at play, as these thorny plants and untamed places symbolize the societal rejection, moral decay, and primitive existence associated with Job's mockers. The use of "brayed" is a potent example of Dehumanization, reducing the tormentors to animalistic creatures, which serves to amplify the profound Contrast between Job's former exalted status and his current abasement at the hands of the lowest of society. This stark contrast emphasizes the depth of his suffering and the complete reversal of his fortunes, making his lament all the more poignant and highlighting the utter indignity of his situation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 30:7 profoundly illustrates the theme of radical reversal of fortune and the depth of human suffering, not merely physical but social and psychological. It speaks to the fragility of earthly status and the unexpected ways in which God, in His inscrutable sovereignty, can permit the righteous to be brought low, even to the point of being scorned by the most despised. This verse challenges our understanding of justice and prosperity, forcing us to confront the reality that suffering can come from unexpected sources and involve profound indignity, testing the very core of one's identity and faith. It reminds us that true worth is not derived from social standing or the approval of others, but from one's relationship with God, even when that relationship feels strained or incomprehensible. It underscores the biblical truth that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His justice often unfolds in patterns that defy human expectations.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 30:7 serves as a powerful mirror for self-reflection, urging us to consider the transient nature of earthly honor and the potential for profound shifts in circumstance. Job, once revered, experiences the ultimate social downfall, being scorned even by those he would have considered beneath his notice. This challenges us to examine our own attitudes towards those less fortunate, marginalized, or those we might deem "beneath" us, reminding us that true worth is not determined by social standing or material possessions. Job's intense emotional and psychological pain, caused not just by physical suffering but by profound social rejection and contempt, resonates with anyone who has felt unfairly marginalized or scorned by others. It calls us to cultivate humility, compassion, and an understanding that human dignity is inherent, not contingent on societal status. In a world often obsessed with status and appearance, this verse grounds us in the raw reality of human vulnerability and the importance of empathy for all, regardless of their social standing. It invites us to consider how we might extend grace and respect to those whom society often overlooks or dismisses.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are these "bushes" and "nettles" people, and why are they mocking Job?
Answer: The individuals described in Job 30:7 are depicted as the absolute lowest stratum of society in ancient Israel—outcasts, vagrants, and those without land, family, or social standing. Job refers to them as "men of no name" (Job 30:8), suggesting they were the dregs of society, perhaps even criminals, the destitute, or those with severe physical or mental disabilities, who had been driven from settled communities into the wilderness. They are mocking Job because his dramatic fall from grace has made him an object of scorn and derision, even for those who were once beneath his notice. In their eyes, Job's suffering is proof of his sin, and his former status makes his current humiliation all the more satisfying for them to witness, perhaps fueled by resentment, a perverse sense of justice, or a desire to elevate themselves by debasing another. Their mockery underscores the completeness of Job's social degradation and the profound psychological torment he endures.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's profound humiliation by the lowest of society, depicted in Job 30:7, finds its ultimate and most redemptive fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While Job suffered unjustly at the hands of those he disdained, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, willingly emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7). He was not just mocked by the marginalized, but by the religious elite, the political authorities, and the common people alike, enduring scorn, spitting, and physical abuse (Matthew 27:27-31). He was "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), experiencing a depth of social ostracization far beyond Job's. The very ones who would have been considered "outcasts" by society—tax collectors, sinners, the sick, and the demon-possessed—were the ones Jesus embraced and ministered to, yet He was ultimately rejected by the very people He came to save (John 1:11). His crucifixion, a death reserved for criminals and the lowest of the low, was the ultimate act of public humiliation and degradation, yet through this profound abasement, He accomplished the greatest redemption. He transformed utter degradation into glorious triumph, conquering sin and death. Thus, Job's experience foreshadows the perfect and redemptive suffering of the Lamb of God, who, though utterly debased and made low, was ultimately exalted to the highest place, a name above every name (Philippians 2:9-11), becoming the source of eternal dignity for all who believe.