Job 30:5 — Word Study
WLCמִן־ גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃
BSAThey were banishedgârash▸ [driven forth, expelled] frommin among [men]gêv [their townsmen, the community] shoutedrûwaʻ▸ atʻal like thievesgannâb [as after, a thief, someone who takes things that don't belong to them]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִן־ | from | Preposition |
| גֵּ֥ו | [the] community | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ | they are driven away | Verb, Pual, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| יָרִ֥יעוּ | people shout | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ | on them | Preposition, suffix |
| כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ | like thief | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They were banished from among men, shouted down like thieves, |
| KJV | They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;) |
| ASV | They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief; |
| YLT | From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief), |
| WEB | They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief, |
| BBE | They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves |
Where they part company is יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause describing the banishment and a participial phrase that characterizes the treatment they receive.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbגָּרַשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 30:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Suffering of Jobgenerated
Job 30:5 reflects Job's lament about those who have been cast out from society, illustrating the depth of his own suffering and the scorn faced by the marginalized. Job contrasts their plight with his own experience of rejection, emphasizing the harshness of their treatment by others, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 4:12–14 | When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” |
| 2 | Psalm 109:10 | May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes. |
| 3 | Daniel 4:25–32 | You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ, ye.go.Ra.shugenerated
The verb גָּרַשׁ (garash) means to drive out or expel, indicating a forceful removal from a place. In this verse, it is in the Pual form, suggesting that the subjects are being acted upon — they are being driven away by others.
This word captures the essence of exclusion, often associated with severe social stigma or punishment, as seen in contexts of exile or divorce. Here, it highlights the intensity of their banishment from the community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses banished to convey the sense of being driven away.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ governs the clause, indicating the action of being driven away. The sentence structure emphasizes the subjects' expulsion and the subsequent action of the community.
The phrase כַּגַּנָּֽב serves to compare their treatment to that of a thief, emphasizing the shame associated with their banishment. This comparison highlights the societal perception of those who are marginalized.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ is rendered as ἐπανέστησάν, which means 'they were raised up' or 'they arose.' This choice suggests a potential interpretation of the outcasts as being elevated or brought to attention, contrasting with their actual state of being driven away.
This translation indicates a shift in focus from mere expulsion to a broader context of social dynamics, potentially highlighting the outcasts' struggle for recognition.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 30:5 describes how certain people are driven away from society and treated like thieves. This verse illustrates the harsh reality faced by those who are marginalized and rejected by their community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To be banished means to be forcibly removed from a community, often leading to isolation and hardship.
Job compares them to thieves to emphasize the shame and scorn they endure, suggesting that society views them as undeserving and untrustworthy.
The community's reaction reflects societal norms and attitudes towards those who are different or marginalized, illustrating a lack of compassion.
This verse highlights Job's own feelings of rejection and abandonment, paralleling the fate of those who are cast out.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see people being marginalized in my community today?
- How can I show compassion to those who are often treated like outcasts?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of suffering and rejection?
- How can I better understand the experiences of those who feel banished or excluded?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentators reflect on the themes of suffering and rejection in Job's lament. Their insights are drawn from the text to highlight the moral and spiritual lessons within Job's experiences.
Who carrying these same off from the valleys, when they found each of them, ran to them with clamour. Which persons if ever in sacred Revelation they seemingly discover things with sagacity, which while they do not understand,Early Church Fathers on Job 30 →
The words “under the rocks and the thorny bushes,” that is, those, who are on the prowl in the mountains and the deserts, live on the fruits of thorny bushes because of their destitution.Early Church Fathers on Job 30 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 30:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey were driven from among [men],.... From towns and cities, and all civil society, as unfit to be among them; not for any good, it may be observed, but for crimes that they had done, like our
Read John Gill on Job 30 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;) They cried - i:e., a cry is raised, etc. Expressing the contempt felt for this race by civilized and well-born Arabs.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 30 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleGiving one another warning of their danger from them.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 30 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 30:5 They were driven forth from among [men], (they cried after them as [after] a thief;)Ver. 5. They were driven forth from among men] E corpore, saith Tremellius, out of the body; that is, out of the community, as not fit to live in a commonwealth. The Jews are, for their inexpiable guilt, banished out of the world, as it were, by a common consent of nations. Out of England they were exiled for ever by King Edward I, A.D. 1290; out of France, 1307; out of Spain, 1492; Portugal, 1597; Naples and Sicily, 1539. In Turkey they pay for the very heads they wear; but in Cyprus, if a Jew be taken (though driven thither by tempest), he is put to death immediately. Country they have none, nor…
Read John Trapp on Job 30 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. They were driven forth] They were persons whom no one would employ; they were driven away from the city; and if any of them appeared, the hue and cry was immediately raised up against them. The last clause Mr. Good translates, "They slunk away from them like a thief," instead of "They cried after them," &c.
Read AdamClarke on Job 30 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3–8. Description of this wretched class of outcasts. The tenses should all be put in the present. The race of people referred to appears to be the same as that in ch. 24.
Read Cambridge on Job 30 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey were driven forth from among men - As vagabonds and outcasts. They were regarded as unfit to live among the civilized and the orderly, and were expelled as nuisances.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 30 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Driven forth from among men — If they dared to show themselves among men they were hooted back to their own bestial homes.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 30 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
They were banished from among men, shouted down like thieves,
They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief,
They were banished from among men, shouted at like thieves,
They were banished from the community – people shouted at them like they would shout at thieves –
Tyndale line
They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)
They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief;
They are driven forth from the midst of men; they cry after them as after a thief.
They were driven forth from among men , (they cried after them, as after a thief;)
They were chased forth from among men: they shouted at them, as at a theefe.
Strictly literal
They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),
They are cast out from the midst || (They shout against them as a thief),
Who are driven forth from among [men], who are shouted after as though they were thieves,
They were driven out from among people who shouted after them as one would shout after a thief.
From the Latin
Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry.
Simplified
They were driven out of the community.
They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with five of the six words matching. The Septuagint, however, presents a different structure and interpretation, reflecting its own theological and literary concerns.
מִן־ גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 30:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.
מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal
from, against
מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
of position, off, on the side of, on
Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
Partitively
Of time—
as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
towards, to
(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
In comparisons, beyond, above
מן is prefixed to an infin.:
with causal force, from, on account of, through
after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
with a temporal force, since, after
Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
In compounds:
base
H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against
. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
. of position, off, on the side of, on
. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
. Partitively
. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
. towards, to
. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
. In comparisons, beyond, above
. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through
. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
. with a temporal force, since, after
. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
4480 min min
or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)
{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;
hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as
follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason
of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,
since, X then, through, X whether, with.
see HEBREW for 04482
מִן־ (min) — from.
prep
1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than
1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of
1b) out of
1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)
1b2) (of material from which something is made)
1b3) (of source or origin)
1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)
1d) from, since, after (of time)
1e) than, more than (in comparison)
1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or
1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)
1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)
conj
2) that
Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)
מֵן (men) — portion.
n.m.
portion
Prep — PrepositionHR
גֵּו (gev) primarily means 'back' and 'midst.' It is derived from roots that suggest a connection to the body and centrality. The word appears in contexts that emphasize location or position, including a reference in Job 30:5. The Aramaic equivalent is noted as גַּו (gav), meaning 'midst.'
ref
H1460a גֵּו back H1460b גֵּו midst
1460 gev gave
from 1342 (corresponding to 1354); the back; by analogy, the
middle:--+ among, back, body.
see HEBREW for 01342
see HEBREW for 01354
גֵּו (gev) — back.
the back, back
גֵּו (gev) — midst.
midst
Aramaic equivalent: gav (גַּו "midst" H1459)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
גָּרַשׁ (garash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to drive out or cast out. It encompasses a range of actions including expelling, divorcing, and thrusting away. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to cast out) and Niphal (to be driven away). Notably, it can refer to both physical expulsion and the act of divorce.
[גָּרַשׁ] vb. drive out, cast out
Qal cast out, thrust out
Niph. be driven away
Pi. drive out, away
Pu. subj. Israelites; subj. despised and miserable outcasts
base
H1644 גָּרַשׁ drive out, cast out
1644 garash gaw-rash'
a primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially
to expatriate or divorce:--cast up (out), divorced (woman),
drive away (forth, out), expel, X surely put away, trouble,
thrust out.
גָּרַשׁ (ga.rash) — to drive out: drive out.
: drive out
1) to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up
1a) (Qal) to thrust out, cast out
1b) (Niphal) to be driven away, be tossed
1c) (Piel) to drive out, drive away
1d) (Pual) to be thrust out
Also means: ga.rash (גָּרַשׁ ": divorce" H1644H)
גָּרַשׁ (ga.rash) — to drive out: divorce.
: divorce
1) to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up
1a) (Qal) to thrust out, cast out
1b) (Niphal) to be driven away, be tossed
1c) (Piel) to drive out, drive away
1d) (Pual) to be thrust out
V-Pual-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Pual · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVPi3mp
רוּעַ (ruwa`) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to shout or raise a sound. It encompasses a range of actions, including giving a blast with a horn, shouting in alarm or joy, and even signaling for battle. The word can also imply destruction in certain contexts. The entries highlight its use in various forms, such as Hiphil and Niphal.
[רוּעַ] vb. Hiph. 40 1. raise a shout. 2. give a blast with clarion or horn
Pō‛lal. a shout shall not be uttered
Hithpō‛l.
shout in triumph
shout for joy
base
H7321 [רוּעַ] Hiph. 1. raise a shout. 2. give a blast with clarion or horn
7321 ruwa` roo-ah'
a primitive root; to mar (especially by breaking);
figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e. shout (for
alarm or joy):--blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out),
destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an
alarm, triumph.
רוּעַ (ru.a) — to shout.
1) to shout, raise a sound, cry out, give a blast
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to shout a war-cry or alarm of battle
1a2) to sound a signal for war or march
1a3) to shout in triumph (over enemies)
1a4) to shout in applause
1a5) to shout (with religious impulse)
1a6) to cry out in distress
1b) (Polal) to utter a shout
1c) (Hithpolel)
1c1) to shout in triumph
1c2) to shout for joy
2) (Niphal) destroyed
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVhi3mp
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
גַּנָּב (gannab) means 'thief' in Hebrew. It is derived from the root word גָּנַב (ganav), which also relates to stealing. The entries consistently define it as a person who steals, without any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
גַּנָּב n.m. thief
base
H1590 גַּנָּב thief
1590 gannab gaw-nab'
from 1589; a stealer:--thief.
see HEBREW for 01589
גַּנָּב (gan.nav) — thief.
thief
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
thef: In the Old Testament the uniform translation (17 times) of gannabh, from ganabh, "steal," but gannabh is rather broader than the English "thief," and may even include a kidnapper (De 24:7). In Apocrypha and the New Testament, the King James Version uses "thief" indifferently for kleptes, and lestes, but the Revised Version (British and American) always renders the latter word by "robber" (a great improvement), See CRIMES. The figurative use of thief" as one coming without warning" (Mt 24:43, etc.) needs no explanation.
The penitent thief ("robber," the Revised Version (British and American) Mr 15:27; Mt 27:38,44; "malefactor,"