Job 30:22
Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.
Original Language Analysis
תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי
Thou liftest me up
H5375
תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי
Thou liftest me up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
1 of 6
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
ר֭וּחַ
to the wind
H7307
ר֭וּחַ
to the wind
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
3 of 6
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי
thou causest me to ride
H7392
תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי
thou causest me to ride
Strong's:
H7392
Word #:
4 of 6
to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle); causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to despatch
Historical Context
Whirlwind imagery pervades ancient Near Eastern divine theophany accounts. Interestingly, God will later answer Job 'out of the whirlwind' (Job 38:1), using the very force Job here describes as hostile. The patriarchal setting lacks the apocalyptic framework of later Judaism, so Job interprets the whirlwind purely as destructive divine power, not as the vehicle of revelation it becomes.
Questions for Reflection
- When has life felt like being caught in a whirlwind beyond your control, and how did you seek God in the chaos?
- What does it mean that God sometimes uses the very forces that seem to destroy us as vehicles for His revelation?
- How do Job's visceral descriptions of suffering validate honest expression of pain in prayer?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou liftest me up to the wind (תִּשָּׂאֵנִי אֶל־רוּחַ, tissaeini el-ruach)—The verb nasa (נָשָׂא) means 'to lift, carry, or raise up.' Job describes being caught in a divine whirlwind, suspended helplessly in forces beyond control. Thou causest me to ride upon it (תַּרְכִּיבֵנִי, tarkiveini)—from rakav (רָכַב), 'to mount' or 'ride,' but with violent connotation here, not peaceful journey.
Dissolvest my substance (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנִי תּוּשִׁיָּה, vat-mogegeini tushiyyah)—The verb mug (מוּג) means 'to melt, dissolve, or cause to melt.' Tushiyyah (תּוּשִׁיָּה) denotes 'sound wisdom' or 'success/substance,' appearing only 11 times in Scripture. Job feels his very being disintegrating under divine assault, his rational comprehension melting away. This imagery anticipates Psalm 22:14: 'I am poured out like water... my heart is like wax; it is melted.' Both texts foreshadow Christ's dissolution on the cross, where divine wrath melted the Righteous One.