1 Moreover Job H347 continued H3254 H5375 his parable, H4912 and said, H559
2 Oh that H5414 I were as in months H3391 past, H6924 as in the days H3117 when God H433 preserved H8104 me;
3 When his candle H5216 shined H1984 upon my head, H7218 and when by his light H216 I walked H3212 through darkness; H2822
4 As I was in the days H3117 of my youth, H2779 when the secret H5475 of God H433 was upon my tabernacle; H168
5 When the Almighty H7706 was yet with me, when my children H5288 were about H5439 me;
6 When I washed H7364 my steps H1978 with butter, H2529 and the rock H6697 poured me out H6694 rivers H6388 of oil; H8081
7 When I went out H3318 to the gate H8179 through the city, H7176 when I prepared H3559 my seat H4186 in the street! H7339
8 The young men H5288 saw H7200 me, and hid H2244 themselves: and the aged H3453 arose, H6965 and stood up. H5975
9 The princes H8269 refrained H6113 talking, H4405 and laid H7760 their hand H3709 on their mouth. H6310
10 The nobles H5057 held H2244 their peace, H6963 and their tongue H3956 cleaved H1692 to the roof of their mouth. H2441
11 When the ear H241 heard H8085 me, then it blessed H833 me; and when the eye H5869 saw H7200 me, it gave witness H5749 to me:
12 Because I delivered H4422 the poor H6041 that cried, H7768 and the fatherless, H3490 and him that had none to help H5826 him.
13 The blessing H1293 of him that was ready to perish H6 came H935 upon me: and I caused the widow's H490 heart H3820 to sing for joy. H7442
14 I put H3847 on righteousness, H6664 and it clothed H3847 me: my judgment H4941 was as a robe H4598 and a diadem. H6797
15 I was eyes H5869 to the blind, H5787 and feet H7272 was I to the lame. H6455
16 I was a father H1 to the poor: H34 and the cause H7379 which I knew H3045 not I searched out. H2713
17 And I brake H7665 the jaws H4973 of the wicked, H5767 and plucked H7993 the spoil H2964 out of his teeth. H8127
18 Then I said, H559 I shall die H1478 in my nest, H7064 and I shall multiply H7235 my days H3117 as the sand. H2344
19 My root H8328 was spread out H6605 by the waters, H4325 and the dew H2919 lay all night H3885 upon my branch. H7105
20 My glory H3519 was fresh H2319 in me, H5978 and my bow H7198 was renewed H2498 in my hand. H3027
21 Unto me men gave ear, H8085 and waited, H3176 and kept silence H1826 at H3926 my counsel. H6098
22 After H310 my words H1697 they spake not again; H8138 and my speech H4405 dropped H5197 upon them.
23 And they waited H3176 for me as for the rain; H4306 and they opened H6473 their mouth H6310 wide as for the latter rain. H4456
24 If I laughed H7832 on them, they believed H539 it not; and the light H216 of my countenance H6440 they cast not down. H5307
25 I chose H977 out their way, H1870 and sat H3427 chief, H7218 and dwelt H7931 as a king H4428 in the army, H1416 as one that comforteth H5162 the mourners. H57
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 29
Commentary on Job 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
Job 29:1-25.
1. Job pauses for a reply. None being made, he proceeds to illustrate the mysteriousness of God's dealings, as set forth (Job 28:1-28) by his own case.
2. preserved me—from calamity.
3. candle—when His favor shone on me (see on Job 18:6 and Ps 18:28).
darkness—By His safeguard I passed secure through dangers. Perhaps alluding to the lights carried before caravans in nightly travels through deserts [Noyes].
4. youth—literally, "autumn"; the time of the ripe fruits of my prosperity. Applied to youth, as the Orientalists began their year with autumn, the most temperate season in the East.
secret—when the intimate friendship of God rested on my tent (Pr 3:32; Ps 31:20; Ge 18:17; Joh 15:15). The Hebrew often means a divan for deliberation.
6. butter—rather, "cream," literally, "thick milk." Wherever I turned my steps, the richest milk and oil flowed in to me abundantly. Image from pastoral life.
When I washed my steps—Literal washing of the feet in milk is not meant, as the second clause shows; Margin, "with me," that is, "near" my path, wherever I walked (De 32:13). Olives amidst rocks yield the best oil. Oil in the East is used for food, light, anointing, and medicine.
7-10. The great influence Job had over young and old, and noblemen.
through … street!—rather, When I went out of my house, in the country (see Job 1:1, prologue) to the gate (ascending), up to the city (which was on elevated ground), and when I prepared my (judicial) seat in the market place. The market place was the place of judgment, at the gate or propylæa of the city, such as is found in the remains of Nineveh and Persepolis (Isa 59:14; Ps 55:11; 127:5).
8. hid—not literally; rather, "stepped backwards," reverentially. The aged, who were already seated, arose and remained standing (Hebrew) until Job seated himself. Oriental manners.
9. (Job 4:2; see on Job 21:5).
Refrained talking—stopped in the middle of their speech.
10. Margin, "voice—hid," that is, "hushed" (Eze 3:26).
Tongue cleaved, &c.—that is, awed by my presence, the emirs or sheiks were silent.
11. blessed—extolled my virtues (Pr 31:28). Omit "me" after "heard"; whoever heard of me (in general, not in the market place, Job 29:7-10) praised me.
gave witness—to my honorable character. Image from a court of justice (Lu 4:22).
the eye—that is, "face to face"; antithesis to
ear—that is, report of me.
12-17. The grounds on which Job was praised (Job 29:11), his helping the afflicted (Ps 72:12) who cried to him for help, as a judge, or as one possessed of means of charity. Translate: "The fatherless who had none to help him."
13. So far was I from sending "widows" away empty (Job 22:9).
ready to perish—(Pr 31:6).
14. (Isa 61:10; 1Ch 12:18).
judgment—justice.
diadem—tiara. Rather, "turban," "head-dress." It and the full flowing outer mantle or "robe," are the prominent characteristics of an Oriental grandee's or high priest's dress (Zec 3:5). So Job's righteousness especially characterized him.
15. Literally, "the blind" (De 27:18); "lame" (2Sa 9:13); figuratively, also the spiritual support which the more enlightened gives to those less so (Job 4:3; Heb 12:13; Nu 10:31).
16. So far was I from "breaking the arms of the fatherless," as Eliphaz asserts (Job 22:9), I was a "father" to such.
the cause which I knew not—rather, "of him whom I knew not," the stranger (Pr 29:7 [Umbreit]; contrast Lu 18:1, &c.). Applicable to almsgiving (Ps 41:1); but here primarily, judicial conscientiousness (Job 31:13).
17. Image from combating with wild beasts (Job 4:11; Ps 3:7). So compassionate was Job to the oppressed, so terrible to the oppressor!
jaws—Job broke his power, so that he could do no more hurt, and tore from him the spoil, which he had torn from others.
18. I said—in my heart (Ps 30:6).
in—rather, "with my nest"; as the second clause refers to long life. Instead of my family dying before me, as now, I shall live so long as to die with them: proverbial for long life. Job did realize his hope (Job 42:16). However, in the bosom of my family, gives a good sense (Nu 24:21; Ob 4). Use "nest" for a secure dwelling.
sand—(Ge 22:17; Hab 1:9). But the Septuagint and Vulgate, and Jewish interpreters, favor the translation, "the phœnix bird." "Nest" in the parallel clause supports the reference to a bird. "Sand" for multitude, applies to men, rather than to years. The myth was, that the phœnix sprang from a nest of myrrh, made by his father before death, and that he then came from Arabia (Job's country) to Heliopolis (the city of the Sun) in Egypt, once in every five hundred years, and there burnt his father [Herodotus, 2:73]. Modern research has shown that this was the Egyptian mode of representing hieroglyphically a particular chronological era or cycle. The death and revival every five hundred years, and the reference to the sun, implies such a grand cycle commencing afresh from the same point in relation to the sun from which the previous one started. Job probably refers to this.
19. Literally, "opened to the waters." Opposed to Job 18:16. Vigorous health.
20. My renown, like my bodily health, was continually fresh.
bow—Metaphor from war, for, my strength, which gains me "renown," was ever renewed (Jer 49:35).
21. Job reverts with peculiar pleasure to his former dignity in assemblies (Job 29:7-10).
22. not again—did not contradict me.
dropped—affected their minds, as the genial rain does the soil on which it gently drops (Am 7:16; De 32:2; So 4:11).
23. Image of Job 29:22 continued. They waited for my salutary counsel, as the dry soil does for the refreshing rain.
opened … mouth—panted for; Oriental image (Ps 119:131). The "early rain" is in autumn and onwards, while the seed is being sown. The "latter rain" is in March, and brings forward the harvest, which ripens in May or June. Between the early and latter rains, some rain falls, but not in such quantities as those rains. Between March and October no rain falls (De 11:14; Jas 5:7).
24. When I relaxed from my wonted gravity (a virtue much esteemed in the East) and smiled, they could hardly credit it; and yet, notwithstanding my condescension, they did not cast aside reverence for my gravity. But the parallelism is better in Umbreit's translation, "I smiled kindly on those who trusted not," that is, in times of danger I cheered those in despondency. And they could not cast down (by their despondency) my serenity of countenance (flowing from trust in God) (Pr 16:15; Ps 104:15). The opposite phrase (Ge 4:5, 6). "Gravity" cannot well be meant by "light of countenance."
25. I chose out their way—that is, I willingly went up to their assembly (from my country residence, Job 29:7).
in the army—as a king supreme in the midst of his army.
comforteth the mourners—Here again Job unconsciously foreshadows Jesus Christ (Isa 61:2, 3). Job's afflictions, as those of Jesus Christ, were fitting him for the office hereafter (Isa 50:4; Heb 2:18).