“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It’s easy to read this as just Job being mocked, but notice the shift: he’s not just the subject of their songs, he's become their actual song. This implies his suffering is so profound it’s become a catchy, repeated tune of contempt, a rhythmic testament to his downfall that they can’t stop singing.
“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is detailing his utter humiliation, describing how he's now scorned and mocked by the very outcasts he used to pity. These despised individuals, who were once the objects of his compassion, now direct their scorn towards him in his suffering. He feels like their mockery has turned him into a punchline, the subject of their songs and common insults.
Imagine your deepest suffering becoming the melody for others' mockery. Job feels this acutely, reduced to a jingle for the lowest of the low.
Job declares, "And now I have become their song." This wasn't a song of praise or admiration, but the opposite. These despised outcasts, whom Job previously viewed with pity, now use his name and suffering as the subject of their crude jests and insulting ditties.
Think of it like this: when people wanted to insult someone or make a cruel joke, they would bring up Job's name and his catastrophic downfall. His name became a punchline, his suffering a popular tune for their derision. It’s a profound humiliation, turning a respected figure into public entertainment for the scornful.
Being a 'byword' means your name itself becomes a warning, a synonym for misfortune or failure. Job's identity is now defined by his downfall.
The second part of the verse, "yea, I am their byword," intensifies the humiliation. A byword, or a proverb, is a short, well-known saying that expresses a common observation or truth. For Job, his name has become that for all the wrong reasons. It's no longer associated with his former wisdom, wealth, or righteousness, but with utter ruin.
His suffering is so extreme, so comprehensive, that people can now use his name as a stand-in for complete disaster. If someone wanted to describe a terrible misfortune, they could simply say, "It's a real Job situation." It signifies that his identity has been completely reshaped by his calamities in the eyes of others.
Understand the original words
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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.
ta'ab · Hebrew Verb
To loathe or consider something detestable; it implies a deep, visceral sense of repulsion or rejection. It is often used to describe how enemies or the wicked view the righteous or how God views sin.
This psalm speaks of being mocked and ridiculed by those who drink and carouse, echoing Job's despair at being the subject of derisive songs.
Lamentations 3:14Jeremiah describes himself as a 'derision to all my people, and their song all the day,' mirroring Job's experience of becoming a widespread object of scorn.
Job 17:6Earlier in his suffering, Job prophesied that he would be 'a byword before the people' and 'an object of ridicule,' which is now coming to pass in this chapter.
Matthew 27:39The passers-by mocked Jesus as he hung on the cross, wagging their heads and quoting insults, showing how the suffering righteous can become the subject of derision.
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.…
It’s easy to read this as just Job being mocked, but notice the shift: he’s not just the subject of their songs, he's become their actual song. This implies his suffering is so profound it’s become a catchy, repeated tune of contempt, a rhythmic testament to his downfall that they can’t stop singing.
Job is detailing his utter humiliation, describing how he's now scorned and mocked by the very outcasts he used to pity. These despised individuals, who were once the objects of his compassion, now direct their scorn towards him in his suffering. He feels like their mockery has turned him into a punchline, the subject of their songs and common insults.
Job is detailing his utter humiliation, describing how he's now scorned and mocked by the very outcasts he used to pity. These despised individuals, who were once the objects of his compassion, now direct their scorn towards him in his suffering. He feels like their mockery has turned him into a punchline, the subject of their songs and common insults.
"“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me." — It’s easy to read this as just Job being mocked, but notice the shift: he’s not just the subject of their songs, he's become their actual song. This implies his suffering is so profound it’s beco…
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Last reviewed October 2026