Albert Barnes Commentary Job 30:18

"By [God`s] great force is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat." — Job 30:18 (ASV)

By the great force of my disease - The words “of my disease” are not in the Hebrew. The usual interpretation of the passage is that, as a consequence of the foul and offensive nature of his sickness, his garment had become discolored or defiled—changed from being white and clear to filthiness and offensiveness. Some have understood it as referring to the skin, and as indicating that it was so affected with leprosy that he could scarcely be recognized. Umbreit supposes it to mean, “Through the omnipotence of God has my white robe of honor been changed into a narrow garment of grief”—trauerkleid.

Dr. Good renders it, “From the abundance of the acrimony”—that is, of the fierce or harsh internal fluid—“it is changed into a garment for me.” Coverdale translates, “With all their power have they changed my garment, and girded me with it, as if it were with a coat.” Professor Lee states, “With much violence does my clothing bind me.”

According to Schultens, it means, “My affliction puts itself on in the form of my clothing;” and the whole passage implies that, outside and inside, from head to foot, he was entirely diseased. His affliction was his outer garment, and it was his inner garment—his mantle and his tunic.

The Hebrew is difficult. The phrase rendered “by the great force” literally means “by the multitude of strength”—and may refer to the strength of disease, the strength of God, or the force with which his garment bound him. The word rendered “is changed”—יתחפשׂ yitchâphaś—is from חפשׂ châphaś, meaning to seek or search for in the Qal form; in the Hithpael form, used here, it means to allow oneself to be sought, to hide oneself, or to disguise oneself (1 Kings 20:38).

According to this, it would mean that his garment was disguised; that is, its appearance was changed by the force of his disease. This is the view of Gesenius.

Jerome renders it, “In their multitude, my garment is consumed.” The Septuagint states, “With great force he took hold of my garment.” Of these various interpretations, it is impossible to determine which is the correct one. The prevailing interpretation seems to be that by the strength of his disease his garment was changed in its appearance, so as to become offensive; yet, this is a somewhat feeble meaning to give to the passage.

Perhaps the explanation of Schultens is the best: “By the greatness of power, pain or disease has become my garment; it binds me about like the mouth of my tunic.” He has shown, through a great variety of instances, that it is common in Arabic poetry to compare pain, sickness, anxiety, and similar states to clothing.

It binds me about as the collar of my coat - This refers to the collar of his tunic, or undergarment. This garment was made like a shirt, to be gathered around the neck, and the idea is that his disease fitted him closely and was drawn tightly around him.