Job 30:31

31 My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my mouth harp wails laments.

Job 30:31 Meaning and Commentary

Job 30:31

My harp also is [turned] to mourning
Which he used, as David, either in religious worship, expressing praise to God thereby, or for his recreation in an innocent way; but now it was laid aside, and, instead of it, nothing was heard from him, or in his house, but the voice of mourning:

and my organ into the voice of them that weep;
another instrument of music, which had its name from the pleasantness of its sound, and was of early use, being first invented by Jubal, ( Genesis 4:21 ) ; but not that we now so call, which is of late invention: those instruments which Job might have and use, both in a civil and in a religious way, were now, through afflictions, become useless to him, and neglected by him; or these expressions in general may signify, that, instead of mirth and joy he was wont to have, there were nothing now to be heard but lamentation and woe; see ( Lamentations 5:15 ) ( Amos 8:10 ) .

Job 30:31 In-Context

29 I howl with the jackals, I hoot with the owls.
30 I'm black and blue all over, burning up with fever.
31 My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my mouth harp wails laments.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.