Job 30:31
Job 30:31 in Multiple Translations
My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.
My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.
And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.
My lyre only plays sad songs, and my pipe is the voice of those who weep.
Therefore mine harpe is turned to mourning, and mine organs into the voyce of them that weepe.
And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.
Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.
Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 30:31
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 30:31 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יְהִ֣י
לְ֭/אֵבֶל
כִּנֹּרִ֑/י
וְ֝/עֻגָבִ֗/י
לְ/ק֣וֹל
בֹּכִֽים
וַ/יְהִ֣י
hâyâh
H1961
to be
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
לְ֭/אֵבֶל
ʼêbel
H60
mourning
Prep | N-ms
כִּנֹּרִ֑/י
kinnôwr
H3658
lyre
N-ms | Suff
וְ֝/עֻגָבִ֗/י
ʻûwgâb
H5748
pipe
Conj | N-ms | Suff
לְ/ק֣וֹל
qôwl
H6963
voice
Prep | N-ms
בֹּכִֽים
bâkâh
H1058
to weep
V-Qal
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 30:31
וַ/יְהִ֣י
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לְ֭/אֵבֶל
ʼêbel
H60
"mourning"
Prep | N-ms
Mourning refers to the act of grieving or lamenting, often for someone who has died, like the mourning of the Israelites after the death of Moses in Deuteronomy 34.
Definition: 1) mourning 1a) for the dead 1b) for rites of mourning (metaph) 1c) mourning garb 1d) period of mourning
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: mourning. See also: Genesis 27:41; Ecclesiastes 7:4; Isaiah 60:20.
כִּנֹּרִ֑/י
kinnôwr
H3658
"lyre"
N-ms | Suff
Kinnor is a musical instrument, specifically a lyre or harp. It is used to make music and is mentioned in the Bible as a instrument used by musicians.
Definition: lyre, harp
Usage: Occurs in 41 OT verses. KJV: harp. See also: Genesis 4:21; Job 21:12; Psalms 33:2.
וְ֝/עֻגָבִ֗/י
ʻûwgâb
H5748
"pipe"
Conj | N-ms | Suff
This word refers to a musical instrument, possibly a flute or reed-pipe, used in ancient times. It is translated as organ in some Bibles and is mentioned in several books of the Old Testament. The instrument was used in worship and celebration.
Definition: 1) a musical instrument 1a) perhaps a flute, reed-pipe, or panpipes
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: organ. See also: Genesis 4:21; Job 30:31; Psalms 150:4.
לְ/ק֣וֹל
qôwl
H6963
"voice"
Prep | N-ms
A voice or sound, it can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In the Bible, it is often used to describe God's voice or the sound of praise and worship.
Definition: : sound/noise 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)
Usage: Occurs in 436 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell. See also: Genesis 3:8; Judges 5:11; Job 4:10.
בֹּכִֽים
bâkâh
H1058
"to weep"
V-Qal
To weep means to cry or shed tears, often in grief or sadness. In the Bible, weeping is a common expression of emotion, as seen in the stories of David and Jeremiah, who both wept bitterly in times of sorrow and repentance.
Definition: 1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy) 1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.) 1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep) 1a4) to bewail 1b) (Piel) participle 1b1) lamenting 1b2) bewailing
Usage: Occurs in 100 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep. See also: Genesis 21:16; 2 Samuel 12:21; Psalms 69:11.
Study Notes — Job 30:31
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 30:31 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 30:31
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 30:31
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 30:31
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 30:31
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 30:31
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 30:31
- Cambridge Bible on Job 30:31
- Barnes' Notes on Job 30:31
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 30:31
- Sermons on Job 30:31
Context — Job’s Prosperity Becomes Calamity
29I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.
30My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.
31My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 5:15 | Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. |
| 2 | Isaiah 21:4 | My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror. |
| 3 | Isaiah 22:12 | On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth. |
| 4 | Isaiah 24:7–9 | The new wine dries up, the vine withers. All the merrymakers now groan. The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent. They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it. |
| 5 | Daniel 6:18 | Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him. |
| 6 | Ecclesiastes 3:4 | a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, |
| 7 | Psalms 137:1–4 | By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the willows we hung our harps, for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: “Sing us a song of Zion.” How can we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land? |
Job 30:31 Summary
[This verse means that Job is so sad and hurt that even the things that used to make him happy now make him feel sad and want to cry, like his harp and flute. This is similar to how David felt in Psalms 42:3 when he said his tears had been his food day and night. Job's situation shows us that it's okay to feel sad and to express our emotions to God, and that He cares about our pain and wants to comfort us, as Jesus says in Matthew 5:4. We can learn from Job's example and trust that God is with us in our sorrow, even when we don't understand why it's happening.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for Job's harp to be tuned to mourning?
This means that the things that once brought Job joy and music now only bring sorrow, as seen in his statement that his harp is tuned to mourning and his flute to the sound of weeping, indicating a deep sense of loss and grief, similar to what is expressed in Psalms 137:1-4 where the Israelites wept by the rivers of Babylon.
Is Job's situation unique in the Bible?
No, others in the Bible have experienced similar depths of sorrow and despair, such as Jeremiah who lamented over Jerusalem in Lamentations 1:1-2, and David who cried out to God in his distress in Psalms 38:1-8.
How does this verse relate to the rest of Job's story?
This verse is part of Job's lamentation and expression of his emotional and physical pain, which is a central theme throughout the book of Job, as he struggles to understand why God is allowing him to suffer, as seen in Job 10:1-3.
What can we learn from Job's expression of sorrow?
We can learn that it is okay to express our emotions and sorrow to God, as Job does here, and that He is a God who cares about our pain and suffering, as seen in Matthew 5:4 where Jesus says blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when the things that once brought me joy now bring me sorrow?
- What are some ways that I can express my emotions and sorrow to God, like Job does in this verse?
- In what ways can I trust that God is with me in my pain and suffering, even when I don't understand why it's happening?
- How can I use my experiences of sorrow and loss to comfort and support others, as seen in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4?
Gill's Exposition on Job 30:31
My harp also is [turned] to mourning,.... Which he used, as David, either in religious worship, expressing praise to God thereby, or for his recreation in an innocent way; but now it was laid aside,
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 30:31
My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep. Organ - rather, pipe (Job 21:12): "My joy is turned into the voice of weeping" (Lamentations 5:15).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 30:31
Either, 1. I have now nothing but bitter lamentations instead of my former expressions of joy. Or, 2. Those very things which formerly were occasions and instruments of my delight, do now renew and aggravate my sorrows.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 30:31
Job 30:31 My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.Ver. 31. My harp also is turned to mourning] All the days of the afflicted are evil, Proverbs 15:15, his harps are hanged up, his lute no longer fit but for melancholy airs; his song nothing but lachrymae, doleful ditties; his organs, all those instruments that were wont to divert him, are condemned either to sigh or to be silent. Intempestiva est in luctu Musica /RAPC Sir 22:6, ουναβλακωκυτοισινουλυραφιλα (Sophocl.). Gillimer, overcome and besieged by Belisarius, sent to request of him three things: 1. A loaf, to ease his hunger. 2. A harp, to ease his grief. 3. A sponge, to dry up his tears. Such mournful music was Job’ s, if any at all.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 30:31
(31) My harp also is turned to mourning.—Or, Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them that weep. The musical instruments here named, like those of Gen 4:21, are respectively the stringed and wind instruments.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 30:31
Verse 31. My harp also is turned to mourning] Instead of the harp, my only music is my own plaintive cries. And my organ] What the עגב uggab was, we know not; it was most probably some sort of pipe or wind instrument. His harp, כנור kinnor, and his pipe, עגב uggab, were equally mute, or only used for mournful ditties. THIS chapter is full of the most painful and pathetic sorrow; but nevertheless tempered with a calmness and humiliation of spirit, which did not appear in Job's lamentations previously to the time in which he had that remarkable revelation mentioned in the nineteenth chapter. Job 19:25 After he was assured that his Redeemer was the living God, he submitted to his dispensations, kissed the rod, and mourned not without hope, though in deep distress, occasioned by his unremitting sufferings. If the groaning of Job was great, his stroke was certainly heavy.
Cambridge Bible on Job 30:31
31. The joyous music of his former life is turned into wailing. The “organ” is the pipe, ch. Job 21:12; comp. Lamentations 5:15.
Barnes' Notes on Job 30:31
My harp also is turned to mourning - What formerly gave cheerful sounds, now gives only notes of plaintiveness and lamentation. The harp was probably an instrument originally designed to give sounds of joy.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 30:31
31. Harp… to mourning — See note, Job 21:12. Among the Hindus, when a person is in trouble, his instrument is also considered to be in trouble, (Roberts.)Thus closes the second part of the soliloquy,
Sermons on Job 30:31
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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An Inquiry After Truth and Righteousness, and After the People, &C. by Isaac Penington | Greek Word Studies for an aid_number 34478 preaches on the significance of mourning over sin, emphasizing the need for genuine confession, repentance, and sorrow. The preacher high |
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The Burden of the Valley of Vision by Chuck Smith | In this video, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the concept of the "Burden of the Valley of Vision" as mentioned in Isaiah 22. He explains that this burden refers to a prophecy of the |
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Awake to Righteousness and Sin Not by Paris Reidhead | In this sermon, the speaker recounts the powerful preaching of Jimmy Stewart, accompanied by William Fetler as his interpreter. They traveled through Eastern Europe, spreading the |
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In Time of War by Samuel Davies | Samuel Davies preaches a powerful sermon on the Valley of Vision, using the prophecy in Isaiah to warn about the impending danger faced by Jerusalem due to their sins and lack of r |
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The Sin of Pride, Nimrod by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman emphasizes the destructive nature of pride, identifying it as the root cause of many personal and relational issues, including conflicts in marriages and workplaces. |
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The Sin of Self Advancement - Puffed by Pride by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman addresses the destructive nature of pride in his sermon 'The Sin of Self Advancement - Puffed by Pride,' emphasizing that pride is often the root cause of personal an |
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A Pure Heart - Part 1 by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, Dr. Luke Reisman preaches from the historic pulpit of John Wesley in London. He highlights the power of reading and understanding the Word of God. He emphasizes the |