Job 30 27

Job 30:27 kjv

My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

Job 30:27 nkjv

My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me.

Job 30:27 niv

The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.

Job 30:27 esv

My inward parts are in turmoil and never still; days of affliction come to meet me.

Job 30:27 nlt

My heart is troubled and restless.
Days of suffering torment me.

Job 30 verses

Job 30 27 Meaning

Job 30:27 describes Job's profound and continuous internal agony, portraying it as an uncontrollable churning within his very being. His statement indicates that periods of intense suffering have repeatedly, and without warning, ambushed and overwhelmed him, allowing no relief or escape from his misery.

Job 30 27 Context

Job 30:27 is part of Job's extensive lament found in Chapters 29-31. After recalling his past eminence and public honor in Chapter 29, Job contrasts it sharply with his current humiliated state in Chapter 30. Here, he describes his radical reversal of fortune, from being respected to scorned, from healthy to afflicted. He details his physical decay, emotional distress, social ostracism, and feeling abandoned by God. This specific verse (30:27) immediately follows a vivid depiction of his intense sorrow and tears, his feeling of being broken and suffering, establishing a continuous portrait of deep personal anguish that finds no respite. His friends, through their simplistic theology, had suggested his suffering was direct punishment for sin, a view Job vehemently challenges by describing his experience as relentless and undeserved.

Job 30 27 Word analysis

• My bowels: Hebrew: me'ay (מֵעַי). Literally "my intestines" or "my inwards." In biblical literature, the "bowels" are often understood metaphorically as the seat of deep emotion, affection, compassion, and intense pain. It signifies the very core of a person's being, implying a profound, gut-wrenching internal suffering.
• boiled: Hebrew: rut-khu (רֻתְּחוּ). This is a passive form of a verb meaning "to boil," "to be violently agitated," or "to bubble up." The image conveys uncontrollable, searing, and turbulent pain or anguish deep within Job's internal organs. It suggests a complete lack of internal calm, a constant seething of distress.
• and rested not: Hebrew: ve-lo dam-mu (וְלֹא דָמּוּ). Dam-mu means "to be silent," "to be still," or "to rest." The negative construction "and rested not" emphasizes the continuous, ceaseless, and unrelenting nature of Job's internal turmoil and pain. There is no respite, no moment of calm, no pause in his suffering.
• the days of affliction: Hebrew: ye-me 'o-ni (יְמֵי עֹנִי). This phrase translates to "days of misery," "days of suffering," or "days of distress." It points to the prolonged duration of his torment, indicating that his pain is not fleeting but spans a significant period of time, accumulating over many days. 'Oni denotes oppressive and deep-seated misery.
• prevented me: Hebrew: qid-de-mu-ni (קִדְּמוּנִי). This verb can mean "to go before," "to meet," or "to confront." In this context, it carries the strong sense of coming upon someone unexpectedly, "to ambush," "to take unawares," or "to suddenly seize" or "overtake." It indicates that the affliction did not arrive gently or predictably, but rather burst upon Job, confronting him forcefully and without warning, leaving him no opportunity to prepare or escape.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• My bowels boiled, and rested not: This vivid imagery paints a picture of extreme, agonizing, and perpetual internal torment. It suggests a torment so intense it affects Job's deepest physical and emotional being, preventing any form of peace or stillness. It’s an involuntary, agonizing state beyond his control.
• the days of affliction prevented me: This phrase highlights the cumulative and ambush-like nature of his prolonged suffering. It wasn't a singular event but a continuous period of distress that came upon him suddenly and overwhelmed him, indicating an inescapable burden that constantly presses in.

Job 30 27 Bonus section

The intense bodily imagery in Job 30:27, particularly "bowels boiled," reflects the ancient understanding that internal organs were not merely physical but seats of profound emotional and spiritual experience. This verse stands as a stark contrast to his past description of prosperity (Chapter 29), accentuating the severity of his reversal. Job's detailed self-description of suffering here reinforces the theological question at the heart of the book: why do righteous people suffer? His experience refutes the prevailing Deuteronomistic theology that posits immediate blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, suggesting a more complex reality of suffering. The perpetual nature of his distress ("rested not") underscores the theme of unanswered prayer and feeling forsaken, intensifying his lament.

Job 30 27 Commentary

Job 30:27 powerfully articulates the depth of Job's physical and emotional anguish. His use of visceral language – "bowels boiled" – is a metaphor for an agony that penetrates the deepest parts of his being, beyond mere surface discomfort. This pain is not transient but "rested not," signifying an unceasing, relentless torment that offered no moment of relief. Furthermore, the "days of affliction prevented me" reveals the shocking, inescapable nature of his prolonged suffering. It conveys a sense of being ambushed by calamity day after day, stripped of agency and overwhelmed by a wave of misery he could neither foresee nor withstand. This verse underscores Job's complete desolation, both internally and externally, leaving him in a state of continuous, excruciating torment, challenging any simplistic explanation of suffering as a direct result of personal sin.