King James Version

What Does Job 30:5 Mean?

Job 30:5 in the King James Version says “They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)” — study this verse from Job chapter 30 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)”

Job 30:5 · KJV

Context

3

For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. solitary: or, dark as the night in: Heb. yesternight

4

Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

5

They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

6

To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. caves: Heb. holes

7

Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
They were driven forth from among men (מִן־הַגֵּו יְגֹרָשׁוּ)—The verb גָרַשׁ (garash) means to expel violently, used of Adam's expulsion from Eden (Genesis 3:24) and Israel's enemies from Canaan. This is forced exile, not voluntary withdrawal. (They cried after them as after a thief;) (יָרִיעוּ עֲלֵימוֹ כַּגַּנָּב)—The community 'shouted' (יָרִיעוּ, yariu, raised the alarm) as if pursuing thieves (גַּנָּב, ganav).

Job describes systematic social ostracism approaching ethnic cleansing. The parenthetical comment reveals community violence maintaining boundaries against the unclean. This echoes leper laws (Leviticus 13:45-46) where contaminated persons were expelled with shouts. Yet Messiah welcomed lepers, touched unclean, ate with sinners—reversing the purity politics Job describes. The kingdom inverts social hierarchies, exalting the expelled (Luke 6:20-23).

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Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient communities maintained strict purity boundaries, expelling those deemed contaminated—ritually, morally, or medically. The shouting 'as after a thief' suggests both warning others and humiliating the expelled. This public shaming reinforced social cohesion through exclusion, a practice Jesus consistently opposed in His ministry to outcasts.

Reflection Questions

  1. What modern forms of social expulsion mirror the violent ostracism Job describes?
  2. How does Jesus's ministry to outcasts challenge the church's tendency toward boundary-keeping?
  3. In what ways do Christian communities still 'cry after' certain people 'as after a thief'?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 6 words
מִן1 of 6
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

גֵּ֥ו2 of 6

“from among”

H1460

the back; by analogy, the middle

יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ3 of 6

“They were driven forth”

H1644

to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce

יָרִ֥יעוּ4 of 6

“men (they cried”

H7321

to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e., shout (for alarm or joy)

עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ5 of 6
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

כַּגַּנָּֽב׃6 of 6

“after them as after a thief”

H1590

a stealer

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Job. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Job 30:5 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Job 30:5 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Daniel 4:25Genesis 4:12-14Psalms 109:10Daniel 4:32-33

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