Job 29:1-25 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Job 29. Job's Former Happy Days.

Job 29:1-6. Job longs that he might once again live as of old under God's favour. In Job 29:4 secret means intimacy (cf. Psalms 25:14).

Job 29:7-10. Job describes the reverence done to him by not only the young, but even the aged and the honourable. The gate of the city is the place of assembly, the counsel-house. Job lives on his country estate, but goes into the city to give counsel.

Job 29:21-25 should probably now follow (Budde, Peake). These verses continue the subject of Job 29:7-10. In Job 29:22 dropped means dropped as rain (Job 29:23). In Job 29:24 a mg. yields a better sense than text. Budde reads I laughed on them and they were confident. In Job 29:25, their way probably means their course of action. Job means that he chose out their fine of action in the counsel.

Job 29:11-17. This follows well upon Job 29:25. In this beautiful passage Job classifies himself as a helper of the helpless. In Job 29:11 blessed me means called me happy, i.e. because of his good life which must bring prosperity; the eye's witness means that it saw what Job was doing and testified his praise. In Job 29:14 a diadem is as in mg. turban.

Job 29:18-20. Consequently Job looked forward to a long and untroubled life. In Job 29:18 b read as mg. as the phœ nix. The poet refers to the Egyptian story of this bird, which renewed its life every 500 years, and was naturally, therefore, an illustration of great longevity. The bow in Job 29:20 is the symbol of strength.

Related Commentaries of Job 29:1

Job 29:1-25

1 Moreover Job continueda his parable, and said,

2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

3 When his candleb shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10 The noblesc held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

17 And I brake the jawsd of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

20 My glory was freshe in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.