Job 30 28

Job 30:28 kjv

I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

Job 30:28 nkjv

I go about mourning, but not in the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

Job 30:28 niv

I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

Job 30:28 esv

I go about darkened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

Job 30:28 nlt

I walk in gloom, without sunlight.
I stand in the public square and cry for help.

Job 30 verses

Job 30 28 Meaning

Job 30:28 vividly expresses Job’s profound despair and public degradation. He describes his existence as a continuous state of intense sorrow, symbolized by a life utterly devoid of light, joy, or divine favor, likened to walking without the sun. Amidst this inner darkness and outer suffering, he confronts his public humiliation by standing up in the community assembly, not to gain comfort or praise, but to make a desperate and vocal appeal for understanding or vindication, showcasing his acute anguish and the perceived injustice of his plight.

Job 30 28 Context

Job 30:28 is nestled within Job's extended lament (chapters 29-31), which marks the pinnacle of his discourse, expressing profound personal suffering and challenging the traditional theology offered by his friends. Chapter 29 recounts Job's former prosperity, respect, and blessed state under God's favor, portraying him as a figure of great wisdom and influence in his community. Chapter 30 sharply contrasts this former glory with his current deplorable state. He details being scorned by those beneath him, afflicted by a loathsome disease, tormented by restless nights, and subjected to public ridicule and physical assault by brigands and scorners. Verse 28 specifically encapsulates his inner darkness and outer public humiliation, illustrating a pervasive grief and the feeling of complete abandonment, leading him to make a desperate public appeal amidst his immense suffering. His lament functions as a direct polemic against the simplistic retribution theology advocated by his friends, which assumes that such severe suffering must be a direct result of hidden sin.

Job 30 28 Word analysis

• "I go about mourning" (הָלַכְתִּי קָֹדֶר - hālaktî qōder):
  • הָלַכְתִּי (hālaktî): "I walked," "I went about." This is the Qal perfect first person singular of the verb halak, indicating a continuous, habitual state or a path Job has been treading. It implies a constant, pervasive condition rather than a momentary feeling.
  • קָֹדֶר (qōder): "Mourning," "somber," "darkened." This is an adjective from the root qādar, meaning to be dark, gloomy, to mourn. It signifies both a darkened outward appearance (clothes, face) and an inner state of deep sorrow and despondency. The active participation of Job in this state implies an utter resignation to his grief.
  • Significance: This phrase portrays Job's entire existence as being wrapped in a continuous shroud of sorrow. He is not just sad; he embodies sorrow in his movement and being.
• "without the sun" (בְּלֹא שָׁמֶשׁ - belōʾ shāmesh):
  • בְּלֹא (belōʾ): "Without." This preposition highlights the complete absence or lack of something essential.
  • שָׁמֶשׁ (shāmesh): "Sun." The natural source of light, warmth, joy, life, and productivity. In ancient cultures, the sun was also associated with divine favor, blessing, and the active presence of God.
  • Significance: This is a powerful metaphor for absolute despair and desolation. It indicates the absence of joy, hope, divine favor, or any guiding light in Job's life. He feels utterly forsaken by what typically brings vitality and clarity, left in spiritual and emotional darkness. This strongly contrasts with biblical imagery of God as the true "sun" or source of light (e.g., Ps 84:11).
• "I stand up" (אֶקּוֹם - eqqôm):
  • אֶקּוֹם (eqqôm): "I will rise," "I stand." This is the Hiphil imperfect first person singular of qum (to rise, stand). The Hiphil stem often indicates causative action, but here it suggests Job deliberately taking a public posture, asserting himself, or presenting his case. It's an active, albeit desperate, step taken in his distress.
  • Significance: Despite his weakness and despondency, Job exerts effort to make a public statement. This physical act of standing up signifies a formal posture of declaration or complaint, seeking attention for his plight.
• "in the assembly" (בְּקָהָל - bəqāhāl):
  • בְּ (bə): "In," "among."
  • קָהָל (qāhāl): "Assembly," "congregation," "company." This term often refers to the formal gathering of the people of Israel for religious or judicial purposes (e.g., Ex 12:6; Deut 5:22). It implies a public, recognized forum where matters of law, justice, or community concern are addressed.
  • Significance: This indicates that Job's suffering is not private; it is openly displayed. He is seeking public attention and a form of public justice or vindication. The irony is that the assembly, which should be a place of justice and support, has become a place of scorn for him, yet he still uses it to voice his complaint.
• "and cry for help" (וָאֲשַׁוַּע - waʾăshawwaʿ):
  • וָ (wa): "And."
  • אֲשַׁוַּע (ʾashawwaʿ): "I cried for help," "I pleaded," "I lamented." This is the Piel imperfect first person singular of shawwaʿ, meaning to cry out, to implore, often with a sense of anguish or injustice. The Piel stem can convey intensity.
  • Significance: This is not a quiet whisper but a loud, passionate, public outcry. It indicates the extremity of Job's pain and his desperate, fervent appeal for intervention, justice, or an explanation from God or his fellow humans. This loud cry echoes many laments in the Psalms.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "I go about mourning, without the sun": This phrase depicts Job's existence as being continuously submerged in a state of utter gloom. The walking "without the sun" metaphorically illustrates a life devoid of any joy, light, or hope, symbolizing a complete spiritual and emotional abandonment, as if God's illuminating presence has withdrawn from him. It speaks to both the inward despair and the outward manifestation of his broken spirit, constantly cloaked in sorrow.
  • "I stand up in the assembly and cry for help": This sequence emphasizes Job's public disgrace and his desperate act of appealing to an external authority, likely for divine or human vindication. His decision to stand in the "assembly" – a formal gathering place where justice or communal solidarity might be found – despite his weakened state and public scorn, underscores the depth of his anguish and his urgent need for an answer. His "cry for help" is a powerful, public lament, articulating his deep sense of injustice and his longing for an explanation for his inexplicable suffering before the community and, implicitly, before God.

Job 30 28 Bonus section

The verse encapsulates one of the central paradoxes of the book of Job: the innocent righteous sufferer. Job, despite his uprightness, is plunged into an abyss of despair, visually depicted as a life "without the sun," directly challenging the prevalent retribution theology that linked suffering solely to sin. His public lament in the "assembly" (qahal) serves a critical literary and theological purpose, presenting his case not only to his earthly companions but metaphorically to the cosmic court of God itself, thereby anticipating the great themes of divine justice and the ultimate vindication of the righteous found in both the Old and New Testaments, most notably in the suffering of Christ. Job's cry here is the archetypal lament of a human grappling with perceived divine injustice, an experience to which countless believers can relate across generations.

Job 30 28 Commentary

Job 30:28 lays bare the soul-crushing desolation and public humiliation experienced by Job. His claim of "mourning without the sun" serves as a profound metaphor for a life steeped in unceasing sorrow, devoid of all joy, hope, or any glimmer of divine favor. It is a spiritual and emotional darkness, where the source of all light seems to have abandoned him. This inward suffering is compounded by outward indignity: Job forces himself, in his utter weakness, to "stand up in the assembly," a public forum that would normally offer justice or solace, but for him has become a stage for mockery. His subsequent "cry for help" is not merely a complaint but a desperate, public plea for vindication, an anguished outcry for explanation in the face of incomprehensible pain. The verse powerfully encapsulates Job's extreme isolation, the public nature of his anguish, and his unyielding demand for an encounter with a seemingly distant or hostile God.