Job reveals a heartbreaking truth: when God "loosens his cord," meaning He withdraws His protection and power, it’s not just about Job’s personal suffering, but about enabling others to unleash their contempt. The text emphasizes that the “loosening of the cord” is the direct cause for the unrestrained mockery he now faces.
Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me, they have cast off restraint in my presence. On my right hand the rabble rise; they push away my feet; they cast up against me their ways of destruction. They break up my path; they promote my calamity; they need no one to help them. As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll on.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is detailing the extreme contempt and mockery he suffers from the lowest classes of society, who now feel free to insult him. He sees their unrestrained scorn as a direct consequence of God's actions: first, God has "loosened his cord"—metaphorically unstrung his bow or removed his authority—and second, God has afflicted him severely. This divine permission and affliction have emboldened these individuals to cast off all respect and openly revile him.
Job feels utterly defenseless, not just against his enemies, but against the very One who gave him strength. What does it mean when God Himself seems to disarm us?
In this verse, Job uses powerful imagery rooted in archery. The "cord" or "string" of a bow was essential for its power. When God "looses the cord," it signifies that He has removed Job's strength, his ability to defend himself, and perhaps even his authority.
This isn't just about physical weakness; it's about losing the very means by which Job maintained his position and respected place in society. His "bow" of power and defense is unstrung. He feels stripped of his might, leaving him vulnerable to those who once feared or respected him.
When the mighty fall, the scornful rush in. What does this verse reveal about human nature when restraint is removed?
The second part of the verse describes the reaction of others: "they have also let loose the bridle before me." This imagery is like a horse that has broken free from its reins, running wild and uncontrolled. These were likely the 'worthless fellows' and 'base people' Job mentions earlier in the chapter.
Their restraint wasn't just about laws or social norms; it was likely the fear or respect they once held for Job's former status, wisdom, and power. Once they perceived that God had disarmed Job and humbled him, they felt free to express their contempt without any check. It's a raw look at how easily respect can evaporate and contempt can surge when someone's defenses are down.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
'Ĕlôah · Hebrew Noun
In the Bible, this refers to the Creator and Sovereign Sustainer of all things, who holds ultimate authority over human suffering, prosperity, and cosmic order. It signifies the One to whom all humanity is accountable and who acts according to His own perfect, though often inscrutable, will.
'ānâ · Hebrew Verb
A state of being brought low, often used in Scripture to describe a condition of affliction, poverty, or the breaking of human pride. It indicates a position of submission, either voluntary before God or forced by external circumstances or divine discipline.
havvâ · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to a violent or ruinous end, often associated with divine judgment or the consequence of wickedness. It carries the sense of a complete breaking down or fatal overthrow of a person, nation, or structure.
'êd · Hebrew Noun
A state of extreme distress, misfortune, or disastrous circumstances. In the Wisdom literature, it is often seen as a testing ground for faith, representing a crisis that threatens one’s life, reputation, or relationship with God.
This passage speaks to the same concept of restraint being removed, where the Psalmist declares, 'I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth, so long as the wicked one is before me.' This echoes Job's lament that his former respect has vanished, and now the wicked feel free to act and speak insolently in his presence.
Proverbs 29:18This verse highlights the consequence of a lack of divine vision or guidance: 'Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.' It parallels Job's situation where the breakdown of God's order and Job's own ability to uphold it leads to the unbridled actions of the wicked.
Galatians 5:13Paul's instruction 'For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another' contrasts with the corrupted freedom Job describes. The people in Job's story have used their 'loosened reins' not for service but for unbridled sin against him.
Job 29:20This verse directly contrasts Job's current suffering with his former glory: 'My glory was fresh with me, and my bow was ever new in my hand.' The 'cord' God loosed in Job 30:11 can be seen as the unstringing of his bow, symbolizing the loss of his strength and authority that once kept such people in check.
clarkeJob 30:11: "Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me."
Because he hath loosed my cord - Instead of יתרי yithri, my cord, which is the keri or marginal reading, יתרו yithro, his cord, is the reading of the text in many copies; and this reading directs us to a metaphor taken from an archer, who, observing his butt, sets his arrow on the string, draws it to a proper degree of tension, levels, and then loosing his hold, the arrow flies at the…
ellicottJob 30:11: "Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me."
(11) Because he hath loosed my cord. —Better, his: i.e. , “God hath loosed the cord of his bow and they have cast off all restraint before me.”
Job reveals a heartbreaking truth: when God "loosens his cord," meaning He withdraws His protection and power, it’s not just about Job’s personal suffering, but about enabling others to unleash their contempt. The text emphasizes that the “loosening of the cord” is the direct cause for the unrestrained mockery he now faces.
Job is detailing the extreme contempt and mockery he suffers from the lowest classes of society, who now feel free to insult him. He sees their unrestrained scorn as a direct consequence of God's actions: first, God has "loosened his cord"—metaphorically unstrung his bow or removed his authority—and second, God has afflicted him severely. This divine permission and affliction have emboldened these individuals to cast off all respect and openly revile him.
Job is detailing the extreme contempt and mockery he suffers from the lowest classes of society, who now feel free to insult him. He sees their unrestrained scorn as a direct consequence of God's actions: first, God has "loosened his cord"—metaphorically unstrung his bow or removed his authority—and second, God has afflicted him severely. This divine permission and affliction have emboldened these individuals to cast off all respect and openly revile him.
"Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me, they have cast off restraint in my presence. On my right hand the rabble rise; they push away my feet; they cast up against me their ways of destruction. They break up…" — Job reveals a heartbreaking truth: when God "loosens his cord," meaning He withdraws His protection and power, it’s not just about Job’s personal suffering, but about enabling others to unleash their…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
