“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about being mocked; Job is saying he's become the subject of their songs and sayings, a punchline in their rude jokes and street ballads. His suffering has been twisted into entertainment for the lowest of the low.
“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is lamenting his drastic fall from honor to extreme disgrace, now being mocked by the very outcasts he once pitied. These despised individuals, who used to evoke his compassion, now heap scorn and ridicule upon him, making his suffering the subject of their taunts and jesting. They turn his name into a common insult, essentially using him as a punchline to their cruel jokes.
Job had once held a place of honor and respect. Now, he's the punchline of their jokes.
Job vividly describes his fall from grace. He's no longer seen as a respected elder, but as the subject of mockery and insult.
The Pain of Public Shame
The 'song' they sing isn't one of praise, but of ridicule. His name and misfortunes are woven into their jesting, a public declaration of his low estate. The 'byword' signifies that his name has become a synonym for misfortune, a proverb used to describe someone utterly disgraced.
This wasn't just any group mocking him; the context suggests these are outcasts, the very people Job might have once shown pity towards (Cambridge). Now, they seem to take a cruel delight in his suffering, perhaps feeling a twisted sense of justice for past wrongs or simply reveling in the downfall of someone once so high.
What does it mean for your name to become a synonym for failure?
Job's statement, 'I am a byword to them,' goes beyond simple mockery. It means his identity has been reduced to a cautionary tale or an insult.
Reduced to a Label
When someone becomes a byword, their individual experiences, struggles, and humanity are erased. They are reduced to a simple, often negative, label. For Job, this means his suffering has defined him in the eyes of these people. His name is no longer associated with his former wisdom, wealth, or piety, but with his current state of ruin.
This speaks to the deep human need to be seen and understood. To be reduced to a byword is to be fundamentally misunderstood and dehumanized, a profoundly painful experience.
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Understand the original words
millah · Hebrew Noun
To be an object of public derision, a target of mockery, or an example used in scornful proverbs. It signifies the loss of honor and reputation.
This psalm echoes Job's sentiment, describing how the speaker became the subject of ridicule and songs for drunkards due to their suffering. It highlights the deep shame and public humiliation that can accompany affliction, mirroring Job's experience of being mocked.
Lamentations 3:14This verse describes the prophet as a 'derision to all my people, and their song all the day long,' directly paralleling Job's experience of becoming an object of contempt and mockery for everyone around him.
Job 17:6Earlier in his own lament, Job prophesied that his suffering would make him 'a byword of the people' and 'an object of reproach,' which is exactly what he feels is happening in chapter 30. This shows the fulfillment of his own fearful prediction.
Matthew 27:39-40This passage describes the mockery Jesus endured during his crucifixion, where passersby reviled him and used his suffering as a basis for derision. It offers a profound parallel to Job's experience, showing how even the righteous can become the subject of scorn during their darkest hours.
clarkeJob 30:9: "And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword."
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.
barnesJob 30:9: "And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword."
And now am I their song - See Job 17:6 ; compare Psalm 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 they made Job and his calamities the subject of low jesting, and treated him with contempt. His name and sufferings would be introduced into their scurrilous songs to give them pith and point, and to show how much they despised him now.…
This isn't just about being mocked; Job is saying he's become the subject of their songs and sayings, a punchline in their rude jokes and street ballads. His suffering has been twisted into entertainment for the lowest of the low.
Job is lamenting his drastic fall from honor to extreme disgrace, now being mocked by the very outcasts he once pitied. These despised individuals, who used to evoke his compassion, now heap scorn and ridicule upon him, making his suffering the subject of their taunts and jesting. They turn his name into a common insult, essentially using him as a punchline to their cruel jokes.
Job is lamenting his drastic fall from honor to extreme disgrace, now being mocked by the very outcasts he once pitied. These despised individuals, who used to evoke his compassion, now heap scorn and ridicule upon him, making his suffering the subject of their taunts and jesting. They turn his name into a common insult, essentially using him as a punchline to their cruel jokes.
"“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them." — This isn't just about being mocked; Job is saying he's become the subject of their songs and sayings, a punchline in their rude jokes and street ballads. His suffering has been twisted into enterta…
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Last reviewed October 2026