Job 30:7 reads, "Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together." This verse describes the lamentable state of the people who now mock Job in his suffering. Let's break down the meaning:
"Among the bushes they bray": "Bray" is the sound a donkey makes. Donkeys were sometimes associated with wildness and lack of intelligence. The people described are behaving like animals, specifically, donkeys. They are making noise, possibly complaining or making rude noises, and living in a wild, uncivilized manner, near the bushes.
"Under the nettles they are gathered together": Nettles are stinging plants. Gathering under them suggests they are living in squalor, poverty, and discomfort. They are huddled together, perhaps for warmth, safety, or simply because they have nowhere else to go. The sting of the nettles could also be a metaphor for the painful circumstances they find themselves in.
Overall Meaning:
The verse paints a picture of people who are impoverished, ostracized, and reduced to a subhuman existence. They are not living in civilized society but are instead forced to live like animals in the wilderness, seeking refuge in uncomfortable and undesirable places. They are the lowest of the low.
Context in Job:
Job is lamenting his current situation. Once a respected and wealthy man, he is now suffering greatly and is being mocked by those who are far beneath him socially and morally. These are the people who previously would have been his servants or even outcasts. The contrast between his former high status and their current low status highlights the depth of Job's fall and the unfairness of his suffering. They are the least likely to pass judgement, yet they scorn him. The verse serves to emphasize the utter humiliation Job experiences.
Job 30:7 reads, "Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together." This verse describes the lamentable state of the people who now mock Job in his suffering. Let's break down the meaning:
"Among the bushes they bray": "Bray" is the sound a donkey makes. Donkeys were sometimes associated with wildness and lack of intelligence. The people described are behaving like animals, specifically, donkeys. They are making noise, possibly complaining or making rude noises, and living in a wild, uncivilized manner, near the bushes.
"Under the nettles they are gathered together": Nettles are stinging plants. Gathering under them suggests they are living in squalor, poverty, and discomfort. They are huddled together, perhaps for warmth, safety, or simply because they have nowhere else to go. The sting of the nettles could also be a metaphor for the painful circumstances they find themselves in.
Overall Meaning:
The verse paints a picture of people who are impoverished, ostracized, and reduced to a subhuman existence. They are not living in civilized society but are instead forced to live like animals in the wilderness, seeking refuge in uncomfortable and undesirable places. They are the lowest of the low.
Context in Job:
Job is lamenting his current situation. Once a respected and wealthy man, he is now suffering greatly and is being mocked by those who are far beneath him socially and morally. These are the people who previously would have been his servants or even outcasts. The contrast between his former high status and their current low status highlights the depth of Job's fall and the unfairness of his suffering. They are the least likely to pass judgement, yet they scorn him. The verse serves to emphasize the utter humiliation Job experiences.