Job 30:2
in Job 30What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.
KJV
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
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This verse in Job 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe strength of their hands profit me - He is speaking here of the fathers of these young men. What was the strength of their hands to me? Their old age also has perished. The sense of which I believe to be this: I have never esteemed their strength even in their most vigorous youth, nor their conduct, nor their counsel even in old age. They were never good for any thing, either young or old. As their youth was without profit, so their old age was without honor. See Calmet.
This site's exposition
But now they mock me
on Job 30:1-3
“But now they mock me, men younger than I am” opens the reversal. Henry reads the move from the princes falling silent in chapter 29 to these youths jeering as the same honor seen from its opposite end. The fathers were broken men, since “their vigor had left them”.
This site's exposition
the strength of their hands
Clarke hears Job speaking of the fathers of the young mockers. Their vigor had left them, and the strength of their hands was of no use to Job. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that all Job now wants is sympathy.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Third, as to their meanness of power. So he says, "whose strength of hands," either the detractors or even their fathers, "held nothing," for I regarded all their power as worth nothing. This is contrary to what he said already, "generals governed their tongues." (29:10) …
The power of whose hands was nothing to me, and of life itself they were accounted unworthy. 'Power in the hand' is greatness in practising. But 'the power of the hands' of Heretics is reckoned 'as nothing to' Holy Church, because she sees that, the true faith being lost, whatsoever they do it is of no merit. For the charity of God and our neighbour they forsake, who both imagine what is false concerning God, and by wrangling are separated from their neighbours.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If their fathers could be of no profit to me, much less the sons, who are feebler than their sires; and in whose case the hope of attaining old age is utterly gone, so puny are they (Job 5:26) [MAURER]. Even if they had "strength of hands," that could be now of no use to me, as all I want in my present affliction is sympathy.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me - There has been much difference of opinion respecting the meaning of this passage. The general sense is clear. Job means to describe those who were reduced by poverty and want, and who were without respectability or home, and who had no power in any way to affect him. He states that they were so abject and worthless as not to be worth his attention; but even this fact is intended to show how low he was himself reduced, since even the most degraded ranks in life did not show any respect to one who had been honored by princes. The Vulgate renders this, “The strength - virtus - of whose hands is to me as nothing, and they are regarded as unworthy of life.” The Septuagint, “And the strength of their hands what is it to me? Upon whom perfection - συντέλεια sunteleia - has perished.” Coverdale, “The power and strength of their hands might do me no good, and as for their age, it is spent and passed away without any profit.” The literal translation is, “Even the strength of their hands, what is it to me?” The meaning is, that their power was not worth regarding. They were abject, feeble, and reduced by hunger - poor emaciated creatures, who could do him neither good nor evil. Yet this fact did not make him feel less the indignity of being treated by such vagrants with scorn. In whom old age was perished - Or, rather, in whom vigor, or the power of accomplishing, anything, has ceased. The word כלח kelach, means “completion,” or the act or power of finishing or completing anything. Then it denotes old age - age as “finished” or “completed;” Job 5:26. Here it means the maturity or vigor which would enable a man to complete or accomplish anything, and the idea is, that in these persons this had utterly perished. Reduced by hunger and want, they had no power of effecting anything, and were unworthy of regard. […]
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| כֹּ֣חַ | koach | [the] strength of | H3581 → | 126 times |
| יְ֭דֵיהֶם | yedeihem | hands their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לָ֣מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לִּ֑י | li | to <the> me | ||
| עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ | ʾaleimov | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אָ֣בַד | ʾavad | it had perished | H6 → | 184 times |
| כָּֽלַח׃ | kalach | vigor | H3624 → |
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
כֹּ֣חַ[the] strength of
koachH3581 →126 times
יְ֭דֵיהֶםhands their
yedeihemH3027 →1618 times
לָ֣מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
לִּ֑יto <the> me
li
עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹon them
ʾaleimovH5921 →5755 times
אָ֣בַדit had perished
ʾavadH6 →184 times
כָּֽלַח׃vigor
kalachH3624 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Job

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.
