Job 30:1 Meaning and Explanation
“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job turns from his remembered honor to his present shame: now even the young mock him, men whose fathers he once thought too lowly to rank with his sheepdogs.
What Does Job 30:1 Mean?
Job has just finished recalling the days when elders rose at his approach and princes held their peace. Now the picture flips. "But now" opens a long lament that runs through the chapter, contrasting his former dignity with his ruin. The mockers are the young, and Job underscores how far he has fallen by noting their fathers' low standing.
There is real pain here in being scorned by those who once would have honored him, and Scripture does not hide it. Yet the verse quietly exposes how fragile human esteem is. The same crowd that once stood in respect now jeers. It prepares the heart to seek a worth that does not rise and fall with the opinions of men, but rests in the God who sees the afflicted and is not ashamed to be called their God.
Job 30:1 in the Original Language
laag (לַעַג), 'derision' -- mocking laughter that holds another up to scorn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 30:1
What does Job 30:1 mean?
Job turns from his remembered honor to his present shame: now even the young mock him, men whose fathers he once thought too lowly to rank with his sheepdogs.