Job 30:13

“They mar my path, etc.] Hindered him in the exercise of religious duties; would not suffer him to attend the ways and worship of God, or to walk in the paths of holiness and righteousness; or they reproached his holy walk and conversation, and treated it with contempt, and triumphed over religion and godliness: they set forward my calamity; added affliction to affliction, increased his troubles by their reproaches and calumnies, and were pleased with it, as if it was profitable as well as pleasurable to them, (see <380115>Zechariah 1:15); they have no helper; either no person of note to join them, and, to abet, assist, and encourage them; or they needed none, being forward enough of…”

“Image of an assailed fortress continued. They tear up the path by which succor might reach me. set forward-- (Zac 1:15). they have no helper--Arabic proverb for contemptible persons. Yet even such afflict Job.”

“They mar my path - They break up all my plans. Perhaps here, also, the image is taken from war, and Job may represent himself as on a line of march, and he says that this rabble comes and breaks up his path altogether. They break down the bridges, and tear up the way, so that it is impossible to pass along. His plans of life were embarrassed by them, and they were to him a perpetual annoyance. They set forward my calamity - Luther renders this part of the verse, “It was so easy for them to injure me, that they needed no help.” The literal translation of the Hebrew here would be, “they profit for my ruin;” that is, they bring as it were profit to my ruin; they help it on; they promote it. A…”

“Mar - As I am in great misery, so they endeavour to stop all my ways out of it. Set forward - Increasing it by their invectives, and censures. Even they - Who are themselves in a forlorn and miserable condition. Job 30:14”

“they set forward: Psa 69:26; Zac 1:15 Job 30:14”

“13 They tear down my path, They minister to my overthrow, They who themselves are helpless. 14 As through a wide breach they approach, Under the crash they roll onwards. 15 Terrors are turned against me, They pursue my nobility like the wind, And like a cloud my prosperity passed away. - They make all freedom of motion and any escape impossible to him, by pulling down, diruunt, the way which he might go. Thus is נתסוּ (cogn. form of נתץ, נתע, נתשׁ) to be translated, not: they tear open (proscindunt), which is contrary to the primary signification and the usage of the language. They, who have no helper, who themselves are so miserable and despised, and yet so feelingless and overbearing,…”