Job 30 5

Job 30:5 kjv

They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

Job 30:5 nkjv

They were driven out from among men, They shouted at them as at a thief.

Job 30:5 niv

They were banished from human society, shouted at as if they were thieves.

Job 30:5 esv

They are driven out from human company; they shout after them as after a thief.

Job 30:5 nlt

They are driven from human society,
and people shout at them as if they were thieves.

Job 30 verses

Job 30 5 Meaning

Job 30:5 describes the utter outcast status of the despicable individuals who are now mocking Job. It means they were expelled or banished from regular human society, treated like dangerous criminals such as thieves, against whom an alarm would be raised. This highlights their vile nature and the severity of their social exclusion.

Job 30 5 Context

Job 30:5 is part of Job's profound lament, contrasting his past honor (Job 29) with his present degradation. In this chapter, Job describes the extreme reversal of his social standing. Previously, he was a respected leader and benefactor, but now he is scorned and mocked by the very lowest echelons of society—people whose parents he wouldn't even have trusted with his sheepdogs (Job 30:1). These individuals, depicted as outcasts themselves (Job 30:2-4), have found a perverse satisfaction in deriding the once-great Job. The verse specifically portrays these mocking individuals as having been expelled from society, a state of being akin to thieves who are actively shunned or pursued due to their criminal nature. This stark reversal emphasizes the depth of Job's psychological and social suffering, as he is mocked by those who are themselves deserving of contempt and rejection.

Job 30 5 Word analysis

• They (הֵ֚מָּה - hēmāh): Refers to the morally debased and rootless individuals mentioned in Job 30:1-4, specifically the "men younger than I" and their ignoble parents, whom Job considered unfit for his own societal sphere. This pronoun establishes continuity from Job's description of his tormentors.
• were driven (יְגֹרְשׁוּּ - yəḡōrəšū): From the root גָּרַשׁ (garash), meaning "to drive out, to expel, to banish, to divorce." This is a strong verb indicating a forceful, active expulsion. It suggests these individuals were not simply vagrants but were explicitly rejected and ejected from any settled community due to their unacceptable behavior or nature. It implies a legal or communal action against them, highlighting their status as undesirable elements.
• from among men (מִן־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים - min-ʾănāšîm): This phrase denotes complete separation from ordinary human habitation or social interaction. It suggests they were ostracized not just from a specific tribe or village, but from normal society or even civilization, living on the fringes or in desolation.
• they cried out (יָרִיעוּ - yārîʿū): From the root רוּעַ (ruaʿ), which implies raising a loud cry or shout, often of alarm, triumph, or anguish. In this context, given the comparison to a thief, it strongly implies a "hue and cry"—a shout of alarm to warn others or rally a pursuit, indicating their presence was a threat or a nuisance.
• after them (עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם - ʿălēhem): Here, 'after them' denotes the direction of the shouting or alarm, meaning the cries were aimed at their retreating forms or about their dangerous presence.
• as after a thief (כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ - kaḡannāv): The prefix כְּ (ka-) means "like" or "as." A גַּנָּב (gannāv) is a "thief." This simile paints a vivid picture. A thief was an object of immediate alarm and pursuit in ancient society. Such an outcry was intended to prevent theft or apprehend the criminal, indicating these people were viewed as public dangers or pests.

• "They were driven from among men": This phrase emphasizes the complete social expulsion and extreme alienation of these individuals. It signifies their status as outcasts, devoid of social standing or place within communal life, often for serious offenses or unbearable characteristics.
• "they cried out after them as after a thief": This highlights the alarm and contempt with which these outcasts were regarded. It depicts a public outcry, signaling their undesirability or dangerousness, likening their presence to a public menace that needed to be apprehended or driven away.

Job 30 5 Bonus section

• The description of Job's tormentors in this verse and the preceding ones serves as a hyperbole. Job isn't simply stating he is mocked; he's highlighting the indignity by emphasizing that even the absolute dregs of society, who are themselves exiled and criminalized, feel entitled to mock him. This compounds his suffering exponentially.
• The societal condemnation of "thieves" in ancient Near Eastern culture was severe. They broke communal trust and disrupted the social order, often being treated with little mercy or respect. Comparing these tormentors to thieves underscores their low moral standing and the public's hostile reaction to them.
• This verse highlights the intense psychological component of Job's suffering, not just physical pain. The loss of honor, social status, and dignity was as, if not more, agonizing than his bodily ailments, as it challenged his very identity.

Job 30 5 Commentary

Job 30:5 profoundly illustrates the social and moral degradation of Job's tormentors. It's a testament to the depth of Job's current humiliation that such individuals—the truly scorned, expelled from human society, and reviled as thieves—are now the ones scoffing at him. The verse implies that these people were too corrupt or unsettling for regular community life, and their very existence elicited a public alarm, signifying them as perpetual pariahs. The irony of this situation deepens Job's anguish: those at the very bottom of the social hierarchy are now the source of his intense suffering, underscoring the complete upheaval of his world and his place within it.