Job 30:21
 Job 30:21 
New International Version (©2011)
You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.

New Living Translation (©2007)
You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me.

English Standard Version (©2001)
You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You persecute me.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
You have turned against me with cruelty; You harass me with Your strong hand.

International Standard Version (©2012)
You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;

NET Bible (©2006)
You have become cruel to me; with the strength of your hand you attack me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
You have begun to treat me cruelly. With your mighty hand you assault me.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
You have become cruel to me: with your strong hand you oppose yourself against me.

American King James Version
You are become cruel to me: with your strong hand you oppose yourself against me.

American Standard Version
Thou art turned to be cruel to me; With the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.

Darby Bible Translation
Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.

English Revised Version
Thou art turned to be cruel to me: with the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

World English Bible
You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppressest me.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

30:15-31 Job complains a great deal. Harbouring hard thoughts of God was the sin which did, at this time, most easily beset Job. When inward temptations join with outward calamities, the soul is hurried as in a tempest, and is filled with confusion. But woe be to those who really have God for an enemy! Compared with the awful state of ungodly men, what are all outward, or even inward temporal afflictions? There is something with which Job comforts himself, yet it is but a little. He foresees that death will be the end of all his troubles. God's wrath might bring him to death; but his soul would be safe and happy in the world of spirits. If none pity us, yet our God, who corrects, pities us, even as a father pitieth his own children. And let us look more to the things of eternity: then the believer will cease from mourning, and joyfully praise redeeming love.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Thou art become cruel to me; literally, thou art turned to be cruel to me. In other words, "Thou art changed to me, and art become cruel to me." Job never forgets that for long years God was gracious and kind to him, "made him and fashioned him together round about," "clothed him with skin and flesh, and fenced him with bones and sinews," "granted him life and favour, and by his visitation preserved his spirit" (Job 10:9-12); but the recollection brings, perhaps, as much of pain. as of pleasure with it. One of our poets says -

"Joy's recollection is no longer joy;
But sorrow's memory is a sorrow still."
At any rate, the contrast between past joy and present suffering adds a pang to the latter. With thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me; literally, with the might of thy hand dost thou persecute me (see the Revised Version). "Haec noster irreverentius" (Schultens); comp. ch. 19:6-13.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thou art become cruel to me,.... Or "turned", or "changed" (g), to be cruel to me. Job suggests that God had been kind and gracious to him, both in a way of providence, and in showing special love and favour to him, in a very distinguishing manner; but now he intimates his affections were changed and altered, and these were alienated from him, and his love was turned into an hatred of him; this is one of the unbecoming expressions which dropped from his lips concerning God; for the love of God to his people is never changed; it remains invariable and unalterable, in all dispensations, in every state and condition into which they come; there may be some of God's dispensations towards them, which may have the appearance of severity in them; and he may make use of instruments to chastise them, which may use them cruelly; but even then his heart yearns towards them, and, being full of compassion, delivers out of their hands, and saves them, Jeremiah 30:14;

with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me; God has a strong hand and arm, and none like him, and sometimes he puts forth the strength of it, and exerts his mighty power in afflicting his people, and his hand presses them sore, and they can scarcely stand up under it; and then it becomes them to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and patiently bear it; and sometimes they take him to be their adversary, an enemy unto them, and filled with hatred of them, indignation against them, setting himself with all his might and main to ruin and destroy them; and this is a sad case indeed, to have such apprehensions of God, though unjust ones; for, as if God be for us, who shall be against us? so if he be against us, it signifies little who is for us; for there is no contending with him, Job 9:3.

(g) "mutatus es", V. L. Tigurine version; "versus es", Beza, Piscator; so Drusius, Cocceius, Vatablus, Michaelis, Mercerus, Schultens.


Job 30:21 Parallel Commentaries

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Job's Prosperity Becomes Calamity
20I cry to you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not. 21You are become cruel to me: with your strong hand you oppose yourself against me. 22You lift me up to the wind; you cause me to ride on it, and dissolve my substance. …

Job 10:3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked?
Job 16:9 God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
Job 16:14 Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior.
Job 19:6 then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.
Job 19:22 Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?
Job 32:2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Jobfor justifying himself rather than God.
Jeremiah 30:14 All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many.