Albert Barnes Commentary Job 30:11

"For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off the bridle before me." — Job 30:11 (ASV)

Because he hath loosed my cord - According to this translation, the reference here is to God. The sense is that the reason Job was so derided and despised by such a worthless group was because God had loosened his cord. In other words, God had made him incapable of vindicating himself or inflicting punishment. According to this interpretation, the figure is taken from a bow; Job means to say that his bow was relaxed, his vigor was gone, and they now felt they could insult him with impunity.

However, instead of the usual reading in the Hebrew text, יתרי yithriy—“my nerve,” another reading, יתרוּ yithriv—“his nerve,” is found in the Qere (margin). This latter reading has been adopted in the text by Jahn and is regarded as genuine by Rosenmuller, Umbreit, and Noyes.

According to this alternative reading, the meaning is that the worthless rabble who now treated him with such contempt had relaxed all restraint. Those who had previously been under some curb now rushed upon him in the most unbridled manner. They had cast off all restraint arising from respect for his rank, standing, moral worth, and the dread of his power, and now treated him with every kind of indignity.

And afflicted me - This means by the disrespect and contempt they have shown.

They have also let loose the bridle before me - This means they have cast off all restraint, repeating the idea in the first part of the verse.