Job 30:9
New International Version
“And now those young men mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

New Living Translation
“And now they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me!

English Standard Version
“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them.

Berean Standard Bible
And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

King James Bible
And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

New King James Version
“And now I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword.

New American Standard Bible
“And now I have become their taunt, And I have become a byword to them.

NASB 1995
“And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them.

NASB 1977
“And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
“And now I have become their mocking song; I have even become a taunting word to them.

Amplified Bible
“And now I have become [the subject of] their taunting; Yes, I am a byword and a laughingstock to them.

Christian Standard Bible
Now I am mocked by their songs; I have become an object of scorn to them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now I am mocked by their songs; I have become an object of scorn to them.

American Standard Version
And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them.

Contemporary English Version
Those worthless nobodies make up jokes and songs to disgrace me.

English Revised Version
And now I am become their song, yea, I am a byword unto them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"And now they make fun of me with songs. I have become a joke to them.

Good News Translation
Now they come and laugh at me; I am nothing but a joke to them.

International Standard Version
"Now, I've become the object of their mocking melodies; I'm nothing but a fool's proverb to them!

Majority Standard Bible
And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

NET Bible
"And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them.

New Heart English Bible
"Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And now I am their song, yes, I am their by-word.

World English Bible
“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And now, I have been their song, "" And I am to them for a byword.

Young's Literal Translation
And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.

Smith's Literal Translation
And now I was their song, and I to them for a by word.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now I become their song, and I have been made into their proverb.

New American Bible
Yet now they sing of me in mockery; I have become a byword among them.

New Revised Standard Version
“And now they mock me in song; I am a byword to them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And now I am the subject of their mocking, yea, I have become a byword to them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And now I have been their meditation, and I have been a horror to them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But now I am their music, and they have me for a by-word.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job's Honor Turned into Contempt
8A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land. 9And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. 10They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.…

Cross References
Psalm 69:11-12
I made sackcloth my clothing, and I was sport to them. / Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.

Lamentations 3:14
I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.

Psalm 44:13-14
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. / You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.

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. / Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Psalm 22:6-7
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. / All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:

Jeremiah 20:7-8
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. / For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long.

Psalm 69:19-20
You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. / Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.

Matthew 27:39-44
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads / and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” / In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, ...

Mark 15:29-32
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, / come down from the cross and save Yourself!” / In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! ...

Luke 23:35-39
The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” / The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. / “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!” ...

John 15:18-20
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. / Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

John 19:2-3
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe. / And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.

1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Hebrews 11:36
Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.


Treasury of Scripture

And now am I their song, yes, I am their byword.

am I

Job 17:6
He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

Psalm 35:15,16
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: …

Psalm 44:14
Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

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Job 30
1. Job's honor is turned into extreme contempt
15. and his prosperity into calamity














And now
This phrase marks a transition in Job's lament, contrasting his current state with his former glory. The Hebrew word "עַתָּה" (attah) signifies a present reality that is starkly different from the past. Job is emphasizing the immediacy and painfulness of his situation, highlighting the suddenness of his fall from respect to ridicule. This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human circumstances and the importance of humility and reliance on God.

they mock me in song
The Hebrew root for "mock" is "לָעַג" (la'ag), which conveys scorn and derision. In ancient cultures, songs were a powerful medium for storytelling and public commentary. To be mocked in song meant that Job's suffering had become a public spectacle, a source of entertainment for others. This reflects the depth of Job's humiliation and the cruelty of those who once respected him. It serves as a poignant reminder of the fickleness of human approval and the need to seek validation from God alone.

I have become
This phrase indicates a transformation in Job's identity and social standing. The Hebrew verb "הָיָה" (hayah) suggests a change in state or condition. Job's lament is not just about his physical suffering but also about the loss of his reputation and honor. This transformation underscores the theme of suffering and the testing of faith, as Job grapples with understanding his place in God's plan amidst his trials.

a byword
The term "byword" comes from the Hebrew "מִלָּה" (millah), which can mean a proverb or a taunt. In the ancient Near Eastern context, becoming a byword meant that one's name was synonymous with misfortune or folly. Job, once a man of great wisdom and respect, is now used as an example of calamity. This highlights the societal tendency to judge and label those who suffer, often without understanding the deeper spiritual realities at play.

among them
This phrase indicates the community's role in Job's suffering. The Hebrew "בָּהֶם" (bahem) suggests a collective action or consensus. Job's lament is not just about individual scorn but about being ostracized by the very community he once led. This communal rejection adds to his isolation and despair, emphasizing the importance of compassion and support for those who suffer. It challenges believers to reflect on their own responses to the suffering of others and to embody Christ-like empathy and love.

(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.

Verse 9. - And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword (see above, Job 17:6; and comp. Psalm 69:12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And now
וְ֭עַתָּה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

they mock me in song;
נְגִינָתָ֣ם (nə·ḡî·nā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5058: Instrumental music, a stringed instrument, a poem set to music, an epigram

I have become
וָאֱהִ֖י (wā·’ĕ·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a byword
לְמִלָּֽה׃ (lə·mil·lāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4405: A word, a discourse, a topic

among them.
לָהֶ֣ם (lā·hem)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They


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OT Poetry: Job 30:9 Now I have become their song (Jb)
Job 30:8
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