Job 30:21
Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.
Original Language Analysis
תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ
Thou art become
H2015
תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ
Thou art become
Strong's:
H2015
Word #:
1 of 6
to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert
לְאַכְזָ֣ר
cruel
H393
לְאַכְזָ֣ר
cruel
Strong's:
H393
Word #:
2 of 6
violent; by implication deadly; also (in a good sense) brave
Historical Context
Job 30 concludes Job's final monologue before Elihu's speeches (chapters 32-37). Having described his former honor (chapter 29) and present humiliation (chapter 30:1-15), Job now directly accuses God of cruelty. This bold language shocked ancient readers accustomed to more reverent address, yet the book preserves Job's raw honesty. The patriarchal setting (pre-Mosaic law) means Job lacks the covenantal framework later Israelites possessed for understanding suffering as discipline or purification.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you process feelings that God seems cruel or distant during prolonged suffering?
- What does Job's radical honesty with God teach about authentic prayer versus pious pretense?
- How can we maintain faith when God's power seems turned against us rather than for us?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou art become cruel to me (נֶהְפַּכְתָּ לְאַכְזָר לִי, nehpakhta le-akhzar li)—The verb haphak (הָפַךְ) means 'to turn' or 'transform,' suggesting God has reversed His character toward Job. The adjective akhzar (אַכְזָר) means 'cruel' or 'fierce,' language startling in its directness. Job perceives divine hostility where he once knew tenderness.
With thy strong hand (בְּעֹצֶם יָדְךָ, be-otzem yadkha)—literally 'with the might of your hand.' The term otzem (עֹצֶם) denotes power, strength, or force. Job feels God's omnipotent hand turned against him rather than for him. This echoes Deuteronomy's warnings about the 'strong hand' of divine discipline (Deuteronomy 26:8), but Job lacks understanding of why he's experiencing it. His theology cannot reconcile God's power with apparent abandonment. This lament anticipates Christ's cry of dereliction: 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46)—the righteous suffering divine abandonment they cannot comprehend.