Job 29 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Job 29

Job’s Summary Defense

29:1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2   “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
    as in the days when God watched over me,
3   when his lamp shone upon my head,
    and by his light I walked through darkness,
4   as I was in my prime,¹
    when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
5   when the Almighty was yet with me,
    when my children were all around me,
6   when my steps were washed with butter,
    and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7   When I went out to the gate of the city,
    when I prepared my seat in the square,
8   the young men saw me and withdrew,
    and the aged rose and stood;
9   the princes refrained from talking
    and laid their hand on their mouth;
10   the voice of the nobles was hushed,
    and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11   When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
    and when the eye saw, it approved,
12   because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
    and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13   The blessing of him who was about 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 justice was like a robe and a turban.
15   I was eyes to the blind
    and feet to the lame.
16   I was a father to the needy,
    and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
17   I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
    and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18   Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,
    and I shall multiply my days as the sand,
19   my roots spread out to the waters,
    with the dew all night on my branches,
20   my glory fresh with me,
    and my bow ever new in my hand.’
21   “Men listened to me and waited
    and kept silence for my counsel.
22   After I spoke they did not speak again,
    and my word dropped upon them.
23   They waited for me as for the rain,
    and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24   I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
    and the light of my face they did not cast down.
25   I chose their way and sat as chief,
    and I lived like a king among his troops,
    like one who comforts mourners.

Footnotes

[1] 29:4 Hebrew my autumn days

Commentary

v1-6: Job looks back to days of blessing; he enjoyed the manifest presence of God;

He watched over me;
His lamp shone upon my head;
By His light I walked through darkness;
His intimate friendship blessed his house;
He was with me.

Life was rich; his steps bathed in cream, rivers of oil from the rock. Job had been respected in his community (v7-25). But this is history, these blessings and comforts are remembered, but no longer experienced. Yet they would soon return.

v7-10: Job had a life of respect among the people, young men and old, princes and nobles, all alike respected him.

v11-13: Job maintained a concern for the poor, as testified by Eliphaz (4.3-4). It seems he brought great blessing to many.

v14-17: He maintained righteousness and justice, see 27.5-6. This was demonstrated in compassion for the blind, the lame, and the poor. He resolved problems and disputes. He maintained justice and fairness in situations of injustice.

v18-20: Job had not expected his way of life to change. When things are going well, when we are enjoying God's blessing upon our lives, we may not consider that He wants to move us on.

v21-25: Job's words were recognised as godly wisdom; words to be respected, words to resolve disputes, words to refresh, and words of reality and truth.