Job 30:14
They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
Original Language Analysis
רָחָ֣ב
upon me as a wide
H7342
רָחָ֣ב
upon me as a wide
Strong's:
H7342
Word #:
2 of 6
roomy, in any (or every) direction, literally or figuratively
תַּ֥חַת
in of waters in
H8478
תַּ֥חַת
in of waters in
Strong's:
H8478
Word #:
4 of 6
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cities depended on defensive walls and controlled water systems. A wall breach during siege meant certain destruction—defenders couldn't stop the flood of invading forces. Flash flooding was also a deadly reality in arid climates where sudden storms sent walls of water through wadis. Job employs both images: his defenses have been breached, and destructive forces pour through unstoppably. The Psalms frequently use flood imagery for overwhelming trouble (Psalm 69:1-2, 15), making this a traditional lament motif.
Questions for Reflection
- How do successive trials—wave after wave—test faith differently than single catastrophes?
- When have you felt overwhelmed by troubles coming too fast to process? Where did you find solid ground?
- How does Job's vivid imagery give us permission to express our suffering honestly rather than minimizing it?
Analysis & Commentary
They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters (כְּפֶרֶץ רָחָב יֶאֱתָיוּ)—Perets (פֶּרֶץ) means a breach or break, particularly in city walls or dams; rachav (רָחָב) means wide or broad. Job likens his attackers to flood waters bursting through a broken dam—unstoppable, overwhelming, destructive. The verb athah (אָתָה) means to come, arrive, or advance. This isn't a trickle but a catastrophic deluge.
In the desolation they rolled themselves upon me (תַּחַת שֹׁאָה הִתְגַּלְגָּלוּ)—Shoah (שֹׁאָה) means devastation, ruin, or storm; galal (גָּלַל) means to roll, roll down, or tumble. Waters don't flow smoothly but tumble in destructive waves, one after another. The imagery echoes Psalm 42:7: 'all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.' Job drowns in successive waves of calamity, unable to surface before the next crashes down.