Job 30:9 — Word Study
WLCוְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃
BSAAnd nowʻattâh [at this time, currently] they mock me in songnᵉgîynâh [instrumental, music, melody] I have becomehâyâh▸ [exist as] a bywordmillâh [a word of shame, a proverb]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְ֭עַתָּה | and now | Conjunction, adverb |
| נְגִינָתָ֣ם | taunt song their | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| הָיִ֑יתִי | I have become | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| וָאֱהִ֖י | and I have become | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect first person common singular |
| לָהֶ֣ם | for them | Preposition, suffix |
| לְמִלָּֽה׃ | a word | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. |
| KJV | And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. |
| ASV | And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them. |
| YLT | And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword. |
| WEB | “Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them. |
| BBE | And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them. |
The translations agree on the rendering of Job's state as a byword.
The sentence has a main clause followed by two subordinate phrases, emphasizing the mocking and Job's resultant shame.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
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 30:9
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 — Job's Lamentgenerated
Job 30:9 reveals Job's deep anguish as he is mocked in song, illustrating his profound isolation and shame. This verse is part of a larger section where Job reflects on his suffering and the contempt he faces from those who once respected him. The surrounding verses highlight the shift from his former status to his current state of ridicule, as seen in Job 30:8 and Job 30:10.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 17:6 | He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit. |
| 2 | Psalm 35:15–16 | But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing. |
| 3 | Psalm 44:14 | You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. |
| 4 | Psalm 69:12 | Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards. |
| 5 | Lamentations 3:14–63 | I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִלָּה, le.mi.Lahgenerated
The Hebrew word מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. In this context, it signifies a term of derision, indicating how Job has become a subject of mockery.
The word is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance, highlighting Job's transformation into a proverb of shame among those who once held him in esteem.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree here, all rendering the key term as 'byword' or similar, reflecting Job's status as a subject of scorn.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is הָיִ֑יתִי, I have become, which governs the structure of the sentence. The sentence consists of a conjunction phrase introducing the mocking, followed by a clause that describes Job's transformation into a byword.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes Job's current state of being mocked, with the mocking song positioned prominently in the structure.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the mocking aspect using the word κιθάρα, which means 'lyre' or 'harp'. This choice highlights the musical element of the mockery, suggesting a performance aspect to the derision Job faces.
This rendering indicates a cultural interpretation of Job's lament, focusing on the musicality of the mockery rather than just the words.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 30:9 shows Job lamenting that he is now mocked in song, having become a byword among those around him. This reflects his deep sense of shame and isolation as he faces derision from those who once respected him.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Job is now a subject of ridicule and scorn, a term used to express contempt or derision.
The mention of song indicates that his mockery is not just verbal but also performed, emphasizing the public nature of his shame.
This verse encapsulates Job's feelings of isolation and humiliation in the context of his broader suffering and loss.
Job's experience can remind us of the pain of social rejection and the importance of compassion towards those who suffer.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to ridicule or mockery in my own life?
- In what ways can I support someone who is facing shame or derision?
- What does this verse teach about the nature of suffering and public perception?
- How can I ensure that my words uplift rather than mock others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Father Gregory the Dialogist reflects on this verse, noting how it illustrates the derision faced by the Church in times of persecution.
And now am I their song, yea, I am become their byword. By which same words that time of Holy Church is set forth, when she is openly derided by the lost;Early Church Fathers on Job 30 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 30:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd now am I their song,.... The subject of their song, of whom they sung ballads about the streets, in public places, and at their festivals and merriments, as Christ the antitype of Job was the
Read John Gill on Job 30 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. (Job 17:6.) Strikingly similar to the derision Jesus Christ underwent (Lamentations 3:14; Psalms 69:12). Here Job returns to the sentiment in Job 30:1.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 30 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe matter of their song and derision. They now rejoice in my calamities, because formerly I used my authority to punish such vagrants and miscreants.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 30 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 30:9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.Ver. 9. And now am I their song] They compose comedies out of my tragedies, and make themselves merry in my misery; they not only make ballads and sonnets of my sufferings, but also play them upon their instruments, as the Hebrew word importeth. Yea, I am their byword] Sermonis argumentum , the matter of their discourse; I am all their talk; neither have they anything else whereof to chat and babble, but only of me; yea, to make my disgraces to pass into a proverb, they call all miserable men by my name, De me confabulantur et contemptim loquuntur (Disc.). The ale stakes served David in like sort; the drunkards upon their ale bench…
Read John Trapp on Job 30 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9) And now am I their song.—See the references in the margin, which show that it is quite appropriate to give to the complaints of Job a Messianic interpretation.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 30 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 9. Now am I their song] I am the subject of their mirth, and serve as a proverb or by-word. They use me with every species of indignity.
Read AdamClarke on Job 30 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9–10. Job’s treatment now at the hands of these outcasts. With “spit in my face” comp. ch. Job 17:6. In ch. 24. Job referred to this miserable race With compassion; they had often no doubt excited his pity, and he saw in their lot and in the injustice and cruelties which they suffered at the hands of more prosperous men a strange mystery of providence. Now he speaks of their conduct to himself with resentment; for it was no requital of any injury he had ever done them. Yet though they might mistake Job’s individual feeling to them, he was one of the class that had robbed them and that continued the robbery and oppression, and they avenged their wrongs on him with a malicious delight in the…
Read Cambridge on Job 30 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd now am I their song - See Job 17:6; compare Psalms 69:12, “I was the song of the drunkards;” Lamentations 3:14, “I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.” The sense is, that
Read Albert Barnes 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
And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.
“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.
“And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them.
Tyndale line
And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them.
And now I am become their song, yea, I am a byword unto them.
And now I am their song, yes, I am their by-word.
And now am I their song, and I am their talke.
Strictly literal
And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.
And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.
And now, I have been their song, || And I am to them for a byword.
But now I am become their song, and I am become a byword unto them.
But now I have become the subject of their taunting song; I have become a byword for them.
From the Latin
Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.
Simplified
Yet now they mock me in their songs; I have become a joke to them!
And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them.
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 content of Job 30:9, with four of the six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the fundamental meaning remains intact.
וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃
4 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 30:9
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.
עַתָּ֫ה (attah) is an adverb of time meaning 'now.' It can also function as a conjunction or expletive, indicating immediacy or a current moment. The word is derived from a related term, עַת (att), and is used in various contexts to denote the present time.
עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now
base
H6258 עַתָּ֫ה, עָ֑֫תָּה of time, now
6258 `attah at-taw'
from 6256; at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or
expletive:--henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.
see HEBREW for 06256
עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — now.
1) now
1a) now
1b) in phrases
Conj | Adv — Conjunction · adverbHC/D
נְגִינָה (ngiynah) refers to music, particularly instrumental music associated with stringed instruments. It can also denote a song or poem set to music, including taunting or mocking songs. The term appears in contexts related to musical performance, as seen in Psalm 61's title.
[נְגִינָה] n.f. music
base
H5058 [נְגִינָה] music
5058 ngiynah neg-ee-naw'
or ngiynath (Psa. 61:title) {neg-ee-nath'}; from 5059;
properly, instrumental music; by implication, a stringed
instrument; by extension, a poem set to music; specifically,
an epigram:--stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth (plural),
song.
see HEBREW for 05059
נְגִינָה (ne.gi.nah) — music.
1) music, song, taunt song
1a) music (of stringed instrument)
1b) song
1b1) taunting or mocking song
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
be-kum':
(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.
(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
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
Hc/Vqw1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singularHc/Vqw1cs
be-kum':
(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.
(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance. The term encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. The Aramaic equivalent is also מִלָּה.
מִלָּה n.f. word, speech, utterance
base
H4405 מִלָּה
4405 millah mil-law'
from 4448 (plural masculine as if from milleh {mil-leh'}; a
word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic:--+
answer, by-word, matter, any thing (what) to say, to
speak(-ing), speak, talking, word.
see HEBREW for 04448
מִלָּה (mil.lah) — speech.
word, speech, utterance
Aramaic equivalent: mil.lah (מִלָּה "word" H4406)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
wurd: The commonest term in the Old Testament for "word" is dabhar (also "matter" "thing"); in the New Testament logos ("reason," "discourse," "speech"); but also frequently rhema. Rhema is a "word" in itself considered; logos is a spoken word, with reference generally to that which is in the speaker's mind. Some of the chief applications of the terms may thus be exhibited:
(1) We have the word of Yahweh (or God; see below)
(a) as the revelation to the patriarch, prophet, or inspired person (Ge 15:1; Ex 20:1; Nu 22:38, etc.);
One of the titles of the second person of the Trinity, indicating perhaps that by his acts and teachings God is revealed, somewhat as thought is by words, 1Jo 1:1 5:7 Re 19:13. "The word of the Lord" was a common phrase in the Old Testament, always denoting some revelation of Jehovah. Long before the coming of Christ, the Jewish paraphrasts of the Bible used "The Word" in the passage where Jehovah occurred in the original; and the term was familiar to Jewish writers as the name of a divine being, the Son of God.
To show its true meaning and its application to our Savior, was of great importance to John, the last of the inspired writers, in whose later years certain errors as to the person of Christ, borrowed from Eastern philosophy, had begun to creep into the Christian church. He describes "The Word" as a personal and divine Being…