Job 30:29

I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

I am a brother {H251} to dragons {H8577}, and a companion {H7453} to owls {H1323}{H3284}.

I have become a brother to jackals and a companion of ostriches.

I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

I am a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.

Commentary

Job 30:29 captures the depth of Job's despair and utter alienation, as he likens himself to creatures commonly associated with desolation, mourning, and the wilderness. This poignant verse underscores his profound fall from grace and prosperity to a state of extreme suffering and isolation.

Context

In Job chapter 30, Job continues his lament, contrasting his former days of honor and respect (as described in Job 29) with his current humiliating and agonizing circumstances. He describes being mocked by those younger and inferior to him, suffering physical pain, and feeling abandoned by God and man. His identification with wild, solitary, and mournful creatures like "dragons" and "owls" is a powerful metaphor for his complete degradation and the sorrow that consumes him. He feels utterly alone, his cries echoing the mournful sounds of the desolate wilderness.

Linguistic Insights

The King James Version's translation of "dragons" and "owls" here deserves clarification for modern understanding:

  • "Dragons": The Hebrew word is tannim (ืชึผึทื ึผึดื™ื), which in this context more accurately refers to jackals or wild dogs. These animals are known for their mournful, eerie howling, especially at night in desolate places. Their cries are often associated with ruin and desolation in biblical literature, emphasizing Job's feeling of being in a state of utter ruin.
  • "Owls": The Hebrew phrase is benoth ya'anah (ื‘ึผึฐื ื•ึนืช ื™ึทืขึฒื ึธื”), literally meaning "daughters of the ostriches," or simply ostriches. Ostriches are large, flightless birds that inhabit wilderness areas and are known for their peculiar, mournful booming or hooting sounds, particularly at night. Like jackals, they symbolize solitude and the mournful sounds of deserted places.

By identifying with these creatures, Job powerfully conveys his sense of being outcast, living in desolation, and uttering cries of profound sorrow, much like the mournful sounds emanating from abandoned ruins.

Key Themes

  • Profound Isolation and Alienation: Job expresses an extreme sense of being cut off from human society and and even from God's favor, finding companionship only among creatures of the wild.
  • Utter Despair and Degradation: The imagery vividly portrays Job's complete loss of status, dignity, and comfort. He has fallen from a position of honor to one of ultimate degradation.
  • Identification with Suffering: Job's lament highlights the human tendency to identify with symbols of our pain when experiencing overwhelming grief and loneliness. His sorrow is so deep it resonates with the cries of the wilderness.

Practical Application

Job's raw honesty in expressing his suffering, even to the point of identifying with creatures of desolation, offers a powerful lesson. It validates the depth of human pain and the feeling of utter abandonment that can accompany severe trials. This verse reminds us that:

  • It is permissible to voice deep lament and despair in the face of overwhelming suffering.
  • Even in our darkest moments, when we feel like outcasts, God hears our cries, however mournful they may be.
  • Understanding the context of ancient metaphors helps us appreciate the full emotional weight of biblical texts, fostering greater empathy for those who suffer in silence or feel utterly alone, much like Job felt like a pelican of the wilderness or an owl of the desert.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Micah 1:8 (7 votes)

    ยถ Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

  • Psalms 102:6 (4 votes)

    I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

  • Job 17:14 (2 votes)

    I have said to corruption, Thou [art] my father: to the worm, [Thou art] my mother, and my sister.

  • Psalms 44:19 (2 votes)

    Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

  • Malachi 1:3 (2 votes)

    And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

  • Isaiah 38:14 (1 votes)

    Like a crane [or] a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

  • Isaiah 13:21 (1 votes)

    But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.