Job 30:18

18 In the multitude of those my cloth is wasted (In the multitude of them my cloak is destroyed), and they have girded me (about) as with the collar of a coat.

Job 30:18 Meaning and Commentary

Job 30:18

By the great force [of my disease] is my garment changed
Either the colour of it, through the purulent matter from his ulcers running down upon it, or penetrating through it; or by reason of it he was obliged to shift himself, and to have a change of raiment very frequently; or the supplement, "of my disease", may be left out, and the sense be, with great force, through main strength, and with much difficulty, his garment was changed, was got off from him, sticking so close to him, and another put on:

it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat;
his disease encompassed him about on all sides as the collar or edge of his coat encompassed his neck, and cleaved as close, and was as tight unto him as that, and threatened him perhaps with a suffocation or strangling; see ( Job 7:15 ) ; the allusion is to garments used in the eastern countries, which were only open at top and bottom; at the top there was a hole to put the head through when put on, and a binding about it, and a button to it, or some such thing, which kept it tight about the neck; see ( Exodus 28:32 ) .

Job 30:18 In-Context

16 But now my soul fadeth in myself, and [the] days of torment hold me steadfastly. (But now my life fadeth in myself, and the days of torment strongly hold me.)
17 In [the] night my bone is pierced with sorrows; and they, that eat me (who eat me), sleep not.
18 In the multitude of those my cloth is wasted (In the multitude of them my cloak is destroyed), and they have girded me (about) as with the collar of a coat.
19 I am comparisoned to clay, and I am made like to a dead spark and ashes.
20 I shall cry to thee, and thou shalt not hear me; I stand, and thou beholdest not me. (I cry to thee, but thou hearest me not/but thou answerest me not; I stand up, but thou seest me not.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.