Job 30 21

Job 30:21 kjv

Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

Job 30:21 nkjv

But You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You oppose me.

Job 30:21 niv

You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.

Job 30:21 esv

You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me.

Job 30:21 nlt

You have become cruel toward me.
You use your power to persecute me.

Job 30 verses

Job 30 21 Meaning

Job 30:21 expresses Job's deep anguish and perception of God's direct, personal, and forceful assault upon him. Job interprets his overwhelming suffering not as mere happenstance or a consequence of sin, but as God's deliberate act of turning hostile and using His immense power to oppress him. He views God as an active adversary, subjecting him to harsh, unremitting persecution.

Job 30 21 Context

Job 30:21 is a powerful lament spoken by Job in the latter part of his discourse (Job 29-31), following the responses of his three friends. Throughout the book of Job, the protagonist, Job, endures immense suffering and loss despite his declared righteousness. His friends consistently argue that his calamity must be a result of hidden sin, upholding a strict retribution theology where the righteous prosper and the wicked suffer.

In chapter 30, Job paints a stark picture of his current degradation, contrasting it sharply with his former prestige and benevolent influence described in chapter 29. He depicts himself as mocked by the lowest of society, experiencing horrific physical ailments (implied by vv. 16-19, 30), and feeling utterly abandoned and humiliated. This verse specifically marks a pivotal moment where Job shifts his complaint directly towards God Himself. He expresses his overwhelming sense that God is actively, cruelly, and powerfully persecuting him. This complaint is not mere accusation but an expression of profound existential pain and theological perplexity, as Job, a righteous man, perceives himself under a divine attack for no discernable cause, challenging the very framework of his understanding of God's justice and character.

Job 30 21 Word analysis

• You have turned cruel: (Hebrew: ne'echazta, נֶאֱכַזְתָּ) This verb can mean "to grasp," "to seize," or "to become hard/fierce." In this context, it vividly conveys Job's perception of a fundamental shift in God's disposition towards him. From being a benevolent Creator, God has, in Job's experience, become hostile, severe, and relentless. It is not passive observation but an active transformation in God's demeanor, a hardened stance, against Job. This speaks to the intensely personal nature of Job's relationship with and suffering under God.

• to me: This short phrase highlights the deep, personal impact of God's perceived actions. Job is not talking in general theological terms, but articulating his own intense and unique experience of divine antagonism.

• with the might: (Hebrew: b'chozek, בְּחֹ֥זֶק) This word denotes strength, force, intensity, or violence. It emphasizes the overwhelming and irresistible nature of the power being applied. Job is not being subtly disciplined, but experiencing an all-out, powerful assault, signifying God's unrestrained and devastating strength directed against him.

• of Your hand: (Hebrew: yad'kha, יָדְךָ֙) This is a common biblical anthropomorphism representing God's active power, agency, and direct intervention. When referred to God, the "hand" symbolizes executive action, might, or protection. In this verse, however, Job feels this very hand is crushing him, turning God's inherent omnipotence into a tool of personal oppression from his perspective. It underscores that Job attributes his suffering not to external circumstances but to direct divine engagement.

• You assault me: (Hebrew: tis'temeni, תִּשְׂטְמֵ֑נִי) Derived from the root satem (שׂטם), meaning "to hate," "to be hostile to," or "to pursue with enmity." This is one of the strongest expressions in the verse. Job does not merely feel afflicted but actively pursued and hated by God. It conveys a profound sense of targeted malice and persecution, indicating Job's raw, unfiltered, and deeply felt experience of God as his personal enemy, engaging in an intentional, hostile campaign against him.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You have turned cruel to me": This phrase captures Job's conviction that God, who was once merciful or at least distant, has now actively shifted His disposition to one of deliberate cruelty towards him. It speaks to Job's profound sense of personal betrayal and abandonment, perceiving a change in the divine character specifically impacting his life with extreme harshness.

• "with the might of Your hand You assault me": This conveys the overwhelming and inescapable nature of Job's suffering. It's not just suffering; it is a forceful, mighty, and intentional attack. The anthropomorphic "hand" emphasizes divine agency, while "might" indicates the irresistible power of this perceived divine antagonism. "Assault me" (or "You hate me" depending on interpretation of satem) underlines Job's sense of being under a personal, intense, and malicious siege from God Himself.

Job 30 21 Bonus section

• Theology of Lament: This verse is a prime example of honest biblical lament. It shows that approaching God with raw, unfiltered emotions, even anger or accusation, is a permissible, albeit agonizing, form of prayer within the covenant relationship. It points to a God big enough to handle human complaint and despair.
• Job's Audacity and Righteousness: Later, God commends Job's speech (Job 42:7) over that of his friends, suggesting that Job's painful, questioning honesty, even in wrongly accusing God, was more righteous than his friends' pious, but inaccurate, theological defenses of God based on simplistic retribution.
• Challenging Human-Centric Theology: This verse shatters anthropocentric views of suffering and justice. Job's experience transcends human logic regarding divine action and innocent affliction, paving the way for a deeper, more mysterious understanding of God's ways beyond human comprehension, as later revealed by God's own speeches.

Job 30 21 Commentary

Job 30:21 is a peak expression of Job's intense physical, emotional, and spiritual agony. He is convinced that God has fundamentally changed His posture towards him, transforming from a distant sovereign or a caring Creator into an active and cruel adversary. Job's perception is not of a passive allowing of suffering but of direct, powerful, and malicious assault from the very hand of God. This profound lament reveals the raw honesty of Job's struggle. Despite his integrity and blamelessness, he feels God's crushing might on him, violating all conventional theological expectations. This verse challenges the simplistic view that all suffering is punishment for sin. Job, from his perspective, cannot reconcile his blamelessness with what he experiences as divine enmity, making him bold enough to voice such accusations against God. His lament, though bordering on blasphemy to his friends, highlights his profound faith in God – he addresses God directly and honestly, still seeking answers from the One he believes is causing his pain, rather than abandoning Him.