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

JOB 30:6KJV
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Job 30:6 (KJV)

What does Job 30:6 mean?

Job 30:6 describes people living in harsh, isolated places—dwelling in the cracks of valleys, in caves in the ground, and among rocks. The verse paints a picture of extreme poverty and social rejection, showing how these people have been pushed to the very edges of society.

In the book of Job, Job himself is speaking, describing how those who now mock him are people who live in desperate conditions. Job is contrasting his former honor with his present humiliation, emphasizing how low he has fallen in the eyes of others. He uses vivid imagery to show the miserable state of those who are now his companions or accusers.

The Hebrew behind Job 30:6

  • "dwell" (שָׁכַן, shakan): This word often means to settle down or reside, suggesting a forced, long-term living situation, not just a temporary stay.
  • "clifts" (עֲרִיץ, aritz): This word refers to clefts or cracks in the earth, emphasizing rough, inhospitable places rather than comfortable shelters.
  • "valleys" (נַחַל, nachal): This can mean a wadi or dry riverbed, often a remote and barren area, highlighting the isolation of these people.
  • "caves" (חֹר, chor): This word means a hole or cavern, reinforcing the idea of people living in hiding or in places not meant for human habitation.
  • "earth" (עָפָר, afar): This refers to soil or dust, underlining the humble, lowly conditions.
  • "rocks" (סֶלַע, sela): This word points to rocky places, again stressing the harshness and discomfort of their dwellings.

Why Job 30:6 matters

  • Job 30:6 helps clear up that Job is not just talking about any poor people, but specifically about those who are utterly outcast and forced to live in the most desolate places.
  • The verse emphasizes the depth of Job’s humiliation by showing that he is now associated with people who are rejected by all of society.
  • Understanding the harshness of these living conditions makes Job’s lament more vivid and helps the reader grasp the emotional and social weight of his suffering in the wider context of the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“rocks” Hebrew H3710 · used in 2 verses

  • Jeremiah 4:29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

“caves” Hebrew H2356 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
  • Song of Solomon 5:4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
  • Nahum 2:12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

“earth” Hebrew H6083 · used in 103 verses

  • Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
  • Job 2:12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
  • Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

“dwell” Hebrew H7931 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • 1 Chronicles 17:9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,
  • Proverbs 10:30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.