Job 30:24
Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
Original Language Analysis
אַ֣ךְ
H389
לֹא
H3808
לֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
2 of 9
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִשְׁלַח
Howbeit he will not stretch out
H7971
יִשְׁלַח
Howbeit he will not stretch out
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
4 of 9
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
יָ֑ד
his hand
H3027
יָ֑ד
his hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
5 of 9
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
אִם
H518
אִם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
6 of 9
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern lament literature often accused deities of abandoning supplicants. Job stands within this tradition while transcending it—his accusations contain implicit faith that God should answer, revealing covenantal expectation despite his non-Israelite setting. The verse's textual difficulty may reflect the book's antiquity, preserving archaic Hebrew forms.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you understand prayers that seem to go unanswered during prolonged suffering?
- What does Job's confusion teach about the legitimacy of not having all theological answers during trials?
- How can we maintain hope that God hears our cries even when circumstances suggest otherwise?
Analysis & Commentary
Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave—This verse presents textual difficulties; the Hebrew is obscure. One reading: 'Yet does He not stretch out a hand in a disaster when one cries in His destruction?' The term be-i (בְּעִי) can mean 'ruin' or 'disaster.' Job may be suggesting that even in calamity (pid, פִּיד), God doesn't extend help when the afflicted cry out.
Another interpretation sees Job acknowledging that God doesn't afflict those already in the grave—death brings cessation of suffering. The phrase though they cry in his destruction uses shavah (שַׁוְעָה), the cry of distress or supplication. Job's point seems to be that God ignores the desperate pleas of the suffering, or perhaps that the dead at least find rest from divine assault. This ambiguity reflects Job's theological confusion—he gropes for understanding through fragmentary, contradictory insights. Like the psalmists' laments, Job's wrestling demonstrates faith seeking understanding in darkness.