Job 30:25Didn't I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn't my soul grieved for the needy?
The setting
Job recalls his past life of wealth and influence in Uz. He had been a city elder who championed the poor, widows, and orphans. Now he sits destitute.
The emotion here: bewildered and aching, remembering better days
The original word
bakah (בָּכָה) — to weep intensely, the same word used for mourning the dead
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern culture expected wealthy leaders to act as protectors of society's vulnerable members
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 30:25
Job isn't boasting about his goodness — he's bewildered that compassion didn't protect him from suffering
Common misconceptionPeople think Job is claiming his good works should have earned God's protection, but he's actually expressing confusion about why compassion didn't shield him.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 30:25
Bible Genome reading
Job 30:25 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 30:25 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Job. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include compassion, empathy, past righteousness. Notable phrases: weep for him who was in trouble; soul grieved for the needy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Job 30:25 mean to you, today?
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