Job 30:11
in Job 30Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off the bridle before me.
KJV
Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
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This verse in Job 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Because he hath loosed my cord - According to this translation, the reference here is to God, and the sense is, that the reason why he was thus derided and contemned by such a worthless race was, that God had unloosened his cord. That is, God had rendered him incapable of vindicating himself, or of inflicting punishment. The figure, according to this interpretation, is taken from a bow, and Job means to say that his bow was relaxed, his vigor was gone, and they now felt that they might insult him with impunity.
This site's exposition
They abhor me and keep far from me
on Job 30:10-11
“They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face” describes contempt shown in the body. Spitting was the ancient world's most deliberate insult, as Gill notes from Numbers 12:14 and Deuteronomy 25:9.
This site's exposition
God has unstrung my bow
The unstrung bow answers Job 29:20, where his bow was renewed in his hand. Clarke records two readings. The written Hebrew has His cord, and the margin makes it Job's own, the reading the Berean follows.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Because He hath opened His quiver and afflicted me. And put a bridle into my mouth. What is denoted by 'the quiver' of God, but secret counsel? Now the Lord casts the arrow from the quiver, when from His secret counsel He sends forth an open sentence. For that any man is scourged, we know, but for what cause the scourge comes, we know not. But when after the scourge amendment of life follows, the actual power of counsel is itself disclosed as well. So the quiver shut is hidden counsel.
Lest one think that he came into scorn because of some fault he had committed, he shows the cause of this contempt from the part of God who struck him. He shows first that he is afflicted by God when he says, "He opened up …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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. We may see in Job a type of Christ, who was thus made a reproach of men and despised of the people ( Ps. xxii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Because he hath loosed my cord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He--that is, "God"; antithetical to "they"; English Version here follows the marginal reading (Keri). my cord--image from a bow unstrung; opposed to Job 29:20. The text (Chetib), "His cord" or "reins" is better; "yea, each lets loose his reins" [UMBREIT].
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Because he hath loosed my cord - Instead of יתרי yithri, my cord, which is the keri or marginal reading, יתרו yithro, his cord, is the reading of the text in many copies; and this reading directs us to a metaphor taken from an archer, who, observing his butt, sets his arrow on the string, draws it to a proper degree of tension, levels, and then loosing his hold, the arrow flies at the mark. He hath let loose his arrow against me; it has hit me; and I am wounded. The Vulgate understood it in this way: Pharetram enim suam aperuit. So also the Septuagint: Ανοιξας γαρ φαρετραν αυτου; “He hath opened his quiver.” They have also let loose the bridle - When they perceived that God had afflicted me, they then threw off all restraints; like headstrong horses, swallowed the bit, got the reins on their own neck, and ran off at full speed.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
For He untied my bowstring He untied the string of my bow (that I said above that my bow would become stronger); i.e., He weakened my strength—He Who has the power to do so.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
On my right on my right, stand “little sprouts” as [with] any other simple person, because I am no longer so esteemed in their sight [that they] subordinate themselves before Me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִתְרִ֣י | yitri | string my | H3499 → | 102 times |
| פִ֭תַּח | fitach | he has loosened | H6605 → | 144 times |
| וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי | vayaneni | and he has afflicted me | H6031 → | |
| וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן | veresen | and [the] halter | H7448 → | |
| מִפָּנַ֥י | mipanai | from before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ | shilechu | they have sent away | H7971 → | 845 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִתְרִ֣יstring my
yitriH3499 →102 times
פִ֭תַּחhe has loosened
fitachH6605 →144 times
וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִיand he has afflicted me
vayaneniH6031 →
וְ֝רֶ֗סֶןand [the] halter
veresenH7448 →
מִפָּנַ֥יfrom before me
mipanaiH6440 →2123 times
שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃they have sent away
shilechuH7971 →845 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ruth 1:21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
it leads to
- Job 1:21
saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
- 1 Samuel 2:7–8
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
- Job 16:8
You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.
- Job 13:26
For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.
- Job 1:21
Through
Job 12:21He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
it leads to
- Psalms 107:40
He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
- Psalms 107:40
Through
Job 12:18He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
it leads to
- Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Psalms 116:16
Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
- 2 Chronicles 33:11–14
So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
- Daniel 2:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XX; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.