Job 30:7
Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
Original Language Analysis
בֵּין
H996
בֵּין
Strong's:
H996
Word #:
1 of 6
between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or
שִׂיחִ֥ים
Among the bushes
H7880
שִׂיחִ֥ים
Among the bushes
Strong's:
H7880
Word #:
2 of 6
a shoot (as if uttered or put forth), i.e., (generally) shrubbery
תַּ֖חַת
H8478
תַּ֖חַת
Strong's:
H8478
Word #:
4 of 6
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc
Cross References
Job 6:5Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?Job 11:12For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.Genesis 16:12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
Historical Context
The progression in Job 30:1-8 describes complete social death—loss of human speech, civilized dwelling, and community belonging. Ancient Near Eastern literature rarely depicted such extreme degradation, making Job's account remarkable for its unflinching portrayal of poverty's dehumanizing effects.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Christ's crown of thorns redeem the image of humans huddled under nettles?
- When has suffering reduced you to inarticulate 'braying' rather than coherent prayer?
- What does Job's honest depiction of degradation teach about bringing all reality before God, not sanitized versions?
Analysis & Commentary
Among the bushes they brayed (בֵּין־שִׂיחִים יִנְהָקוּ)—The verb נָהַק (nahaq) means to 'bray like a donkey'—these humans make animal sounds rather than articulate speech. This occurs 'among bushes' (שִׂיחִים, sichim), the scrubland habitat of wild beasts. Under the nettles they were gathered together (תַּחַת חָרוּל יְסֻפָּחוּ)—The verb סָפַח (safach, gathered/huddled) suggests clustering for warmth or protection under charul (חָרוּל, nettles/thistles), painful thorny plants.
Job's dehumanizing description reaches its nadir—outcasts reduced to braying animals sheltering under thorns. This is fallen humanity in extremis, bearing the curse's full weight (Genesis 3:18, 'thorns and thistles'). Yet Christ wore a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29), identifying with humanity's most degraded state. The gospel descends to these depths—God doesn't abandon even those reduced to animal cries under nettles.