Albert Barnes Commentary Job 30:1

"But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock." — Job 30:1 (ASV)

But now those who are younger than I - The margin reads, “of fewer days.” It is not probable that Job here refers to his three friends. It is not possible to determine their age with accuracy, but in Job 15:10, they claim that with them were old and very aged men, much older than Job’s father. Though that passage may possibly refer not to themselves but to those who held the same opinions as them, yet none of those who engaged in the discussion, except Elihu (Job 32:6), are represented as young men. They were Job’s contemporaries, men who are ranked as his friends, and men who showed that they had had opportunities for long and careful observation.

The reference here, therefore, is to the fact that while in the days of his prosperity even the aged and the honorable rose up to show him reverence, now he was the object of contempt even by the young and the worthless. People of the East would feel this deeply.

It was among the chief virtues for them to show respect to the aged, and their sensibilities were especially keen regarding any indignity shown to them by the young.

Whose fathers I would have disdained - These are the children of the lowest and most degraded members of the community. How deep the calamity to have fallen so low as to be the subject of derision by such men!

To have set with the dogs of my flock - To have associated with my dogs in guarding my flock. This means they were held in less esteem than his dogs. This was the lowest conceivable point of debasement. People of the East had no words that would express greater contempt for anyone than to call him a dog (1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 3:8; 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Kings 8:13).