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Job Chapter
Twenty-nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 29
In
this chapter Job gives an account of his former and wishes it was with him now
as then; and which he describes with respect to his own person, and the favours
he personally enjoyed, whether temporal or spiritual, Job 29:1; with
respect to his family and domestic affairs, Job 29:5; with
regard to the esteem he had from men of every age and station, Job 29:7; the
reasons of which were the mercy and compassion he showed to the poor, the
fatherless, and the widow, and the justice he administered in the execution of
his office as a magistrate, Job 29:12; in which
honour and prosperity he expected to have lived and died, Job 29:18; and
which he further describes by the respect he had among men, and the power and
authority he exercised over them, Job 29:21.
Job 29:1 Job
further continued his discourse, and said:
YLT
1And Job addeth to lift up
his simile, and saith: --
Moreover, Job continued
his parable,.... Or "added to take it up"F17ויוסף שאת "addidit
assumere", Montanus, Bolducius, Mercerus; "addidit tollere",
Drusius. , that is, he took it up again, and went on with his discourse; he
made a pause for awhile, waiting to observe whether any of his three friends
would return an answer to what he had said; but perceiving they were not
inclined to make any reply, he began again, and gave an account of his former
life, in order to show that he was far from being the wicked man, or being so
accounted by others, as his friends had represented him:
and said; as follows.
Job 29:2 2 “Oh, that I were as in
months past, As in the days when God watched over me;
YLT
2Who doth make me as [in]
months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
Oh that I were as in
months past,.... Which is either an earnest wish for restoration to his former
state of outward prosperity; which he might desire, not through impatience and
discontent under his present circumstances, or from a carnal and worldly
spirit; but either that the present reproach he lay under from his friends
might be taken off, he observing that they accounted him a wicked man and an
hypocrite, because of his afflictions; wherefore he judged, if these were
removed, and he was in as prosperous a condition and in as good circumstances
as before, they would entertain a different opinion of him; or, that his words
might be better attended to, as they were by men, both young and old, and even
princes and nobles before, it being a common case, that what a poor and
distressed man says is not regarded; or that he might be in a capacity of doing
good to the poor and fatherless, the widow and the oppressed, as he had
formerly; or, this wish is only made to introduce the account of his former
life, by which it would appear, that he was not the man his friends had
represented him to be, from the favour he was in with God, and from the respect
shown him by men, and the many good things done by him: but since, by various
expressions, which before had dropped from his lips, it appears, that he had no
hope nor expectation of ever being restored to his former outward happiness;
this may be considered as a wish for the return of spiritual prosperity,
wishing he was in as good frames of soul, and as much in the exercise of grace,
and was as holy, as humble, as spiritual, and heavenly minded, as he was when
he had so much of the world about him; and that he had but the like communion
with God, and his gracious presence with him, as he had then. The state of the
Lord's people, God-ward, is always the same; his election of them stands sure;
the covenant of grace with them is unalterable; their interest in a living
Redeemer always continues; grace in them is a principle, permanent and
perpetual; but there may be, and often is, an alteration in their frames, and
in the exercise of their graces, and in the open regard of God unto them; their
graces may be low in exercise; there may be a decay of the life and power of
godliness; their frames may change, and the presence of God may be withdrawn
from them, and they may have no view of interest in salvation, at least not
have the joys of it; wherefore, when sensible of all this, may be desirous it
might be with them as it was before; that God would turn them again, and cause
his face to shine upon them, that they might be comfortable; the particulars of
Job's former case follow, which he desires a renewal of:
as in the days when God preserved me; either in a
temporal sense; God having set an hedge of special providence about him,
whereby he and his, his family and substance, were remarkably preserved; but
now this was plucked up, and all were exposed to ravage and ruin; or in a
spiritual sense, as he was both secretly and openly preserved, and as all the
Lord's people are, in Christ, and in his hands, and by his power, spirit, and
grace: the Lord preserves their souls from the evil of their own hearts, sin
that dwells in them, that it shall not have the dominion over them; from the
evil that is in the world, that they shall not be overcome by it, and carried
away with if; and from the temptations of Satan, so as not to be devoured and
destroyed by him, and from a final and total falling away; he preserves them in
his own ways, safe to his kingdom and glory; but sometimes all this does not
appear so evident unto them, as it might not to Job at this time; who observed
the workings of his corruption, and the breaking out of them, in passionate
words, wishes, and curses, and the temptations of Satan, who was busy with him
to go further lengths, even to blaspheme and curse God; so that he might fear
that God his defence was departed from him, the return of which he was desirous
of; see Isaiah 49:14.
Job 29:3 3 When His lamp shone upon
my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;
YLT
3In His causing His lamp to
shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
When his candle shined
upon my head,.... Which may be understood either of outward prosperity,
sometimes signified by a candle, Job 18:5; and may
be called the candle of the Lord, because it is from him, it is of his lighting
and setting up; and its shining on his head may denote the large measure and
degree of it possessed by him, in allusion to torches carried on high to light
with; or lamps, or candles, set up in the higher part of the house to give the
more light; or to the sun in the firmament, and especially when in its
meridian, and shines clearest right over our heads, and casts no shadow: or
else it may be understood of light in a figurative sense, not of the light of
nature in men, which, though called the candle of the Lord, Proverbs 20:27;
yet, in man's fallen state, shines not clearly; and with respect to this there
was no difference in Job than heretofore; but rather it is the light of grace,
the true light, which had shone upon him and in him, but now not so clearly as
formerly, and as he could wish for; or else the word of God, which is a light
unto the feet, and a lamp to the path; or it may be, best of all, the favour of
God, the light of his countenance he had before enjoyed, having had a
comfortable display of his love, a clear view of interest in it, and had the
blessings of it bestowed upon him, and enjoyed by him; and nothing was more
desirable by him, as is by every good man, than the return of the light of
God's countenance; and that he might be remembered with his special favour, as
his people are, and as he had been in times past:
and when by his light I
walked through darkness; that is, either by the light of outward
prosperity he had escaped those calamities, distresses, and dangers, and got
over those difficulties which attended others, though now surrounded with them;
or by the light of divine grace, or of the word of God, and especially by and
in the light of God's countenance, he walked cheerfully and comfortably,
without any fear of the darkness of affliction and calamities, or of the dark
valley of the shadow of death, or of the prince of darkness, or of the darkness
of hell and damnation; but now clouds of darkness being about him, and he
without the light of God's countenance, could not see the way in which he
walked and therefore wished that that again might be lifted up upon him.
Job 29:4 4 Just as I was in the days
of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
YLT
4As I have been in days of
my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.
As I was in the days of my
youth,.... Either taken literally, he being one like Obadiah, that
feared God from his youth upward, 1 Kings 18:3; or
figuratively, for his former state of prosperity, when he was like a tree in
autumn laden with ripe and rich fruit, and in great abundance; and so some
render the words "in the days of my autumn", or "autumnity"F18בימי חרפי "in autumno dierum
mearum", Hottinger. Thesaur. Phiolog. p. 507. "in diebus autumnitatis
meae", Schultens; so the word signifies in Arabic, vid. Golium, col. 1415.
Lud. Capell. in loc. ; though it may respect the time of his first conversion,
the infancy and youth of his spiritual state, who, when first regenerated, was
as a newborn babe, and then became a young man, and now a father in Christ, his
living Redeemer: and Job wishes it was with him as in his youth, or in the
early days of his conversion, at which season, generally speaking, there are
great zeal and fervency of spirit, a flow of love and affection to God and the
best things; large discoveries of his love, much sensible communion with him,
and enjoyment of his presence; wherefore such returning seasons are desirable;
see Jeremiah 2:2;
when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; either the
secret power and providence of God, which was upon his house and family, and
all that belonged to him; or the secret of his love, which was manifested to
him, and is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear the Lord, as Job
did; who had secret communion with God, his fellowship was with him; he dwelt
in the secret place of the Almighty, and was taken into his secret chambers,
where he had the greatest familiarity with him, see Psalm 25:14. Some
observe the word for "secret" is used for an "assembly"F19בסוד "in societate Dei", Pagninus, Beza;
"societas Dei", i.e. "con gregatio", Bolducius; so Jarchi.
, and take the sense to be, that the assembly of the saints and people of God
was in his tabernacle or house; there they met together for religious worship,
and where Job had often a comfortable opportunity, and wishes for the same
again, see Psalm 42:1.
Job 29:5 5 When the Almighty was
yet with me, When my children were around me;
YLT
5When yet the Mighty One
[is] with me. Round about me -- my young ones,
When the Almighty was
yet with me,.... Not merely by his powerful and providential presence, as he
is with all men; but in a special manner by his gracious presence, which is a
wonderful and distinguishing favour; but sometimes the people of God are
without it, at least they think so, and which was now Job's case, see Job 23:2; and
therefore he desires he would return to him, and show him his face and favour:
when my children were
about me; as olive plants about his table, in their youth; when he looked
at them with great delight and pleasure, as his growing hopes; and, when grown
up, and were not far from him, but were round about him, and lay near his
heart, and whose welfare, temporal and spiritual, he was solicitous for; but
now they were all taken away from him, and were no more: the word for
"children" signifies also "servants"F20נערי "juvenes mei", Tigurine version; "vel
famuli vel filii", Mercerus, Drusius; so Jarchi. , and may take in them,
of whom he had many to do his work and business; to attend upon him, to wait
his orders, and execute them, and guard his person; but now many of them were
slain by the Sabeans and Chaldeans, and by fire from heaven; and those he had
were very disrespectful to him, see Job 19:15.
Job 29:6 6 When my steps were bathed
with cream,[a] And the
rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
YLT
6When washing my goings with
butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.
When I washed my steps
with butter,.... Not the steps of his house or palace; for to have done this,
or his servants by his orders, as it would have been a very great impropriety,
so a piece of great prodigality, which Job could never have been guilty of; but
either his footsteps, the prints of his feet; and the sense be, that his cattle
produced such a vast quantity of milk, that when his servants brought it from
the fields to the dairy, their milk pails ran over in such abundance, that Job
could not step out of his house, and take a walk in his fields, but he stepped
into puddles of milk, of which butter was made: this is an exaggerated phrase,
like that by which the land of Canaan is described as "flowing with milk and
honey"; or rather this is to be understood of the washing of his feet,
which are the instruments of stepping or walking. It was usual in those times,
in the eastern countries, to wash their feet upon travelling, or at festivals;
but then this was commonly done with water, not with butter, see Genesis 18:4; and
the meaning can only be, that Job had such abundance of milk, or butter made of
it, that he could, if he would, have washed his feet in it; indeed, they had
used to anoint the feet with ointment; but whether cream or butter was any
ingredient in it, and so the part is put for the whole, is not certain, see Luke 7:38, Job 12:3; besides,
that would have been more properly expressed by anointing than washing; it
seems to be an hyperbole, an expression like that of Zophar, in Job 20:17;
signifying the vast abundance of the increase and produce of Job's kine; who is
said to wash his feet in milk or butter, as Asher is said to dip his feet in
oil, because of the great plenty of it, Deuteronomy 33:24;
the spiritual meditation upon the words may be this; the feet of the best of
saints need washing, there being many failings and infirmities in their walk
and conversation; in which they gather much pollution and faith daily; the
proper wash for this is the blood of Christ, of which the layer in the tabernacle
and temple was a type, at which the priests washed their hands and feet; but
the word of God, called the sincere milk of the word, is the instrument or
means of washing, or of directing souls to the fountain opened to wash in; so
that with respect to that, the feet of saints, as the eyes of Christ, may be
said to be washed with milk:
and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; another
hyperbolical expression, like that in Deuteronomy 32:13,
where honey is said to be sucked out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty
rock; as honey may be got out of a rock, because bees may make their nests and
hives there, where it is laid up by them; so oil, in like manner, may be had
from the flinty rock, olive trees growing on hills, mountains, and rocks, which
yield oil in great abundance; near Jerusalem was a mount called Olivet, from
thence: the land of Edom, or Idumea, where Job lived, abounded with cragged
mountains and rocks; and there might be in Job's estate such on which olive
trees grew in great plenty, as to produce vast quantities of oil: it is a very
fanciful thought of Bolducius, that this rock was no other than a stone vessel,
in which was oil, somewhat like the alabaster box in Matthew 26:7; and
which was plentifully poured on Job, when he was anointed high priest; and
another learned manF21Fortunat. Schacch. Elaeochrysm. Myroth. l. 2.
c. 79. p. 715. , though he rejects the notion of its being a vessel for sacred
use, yet is willing to allow it was an oil vessel for common use: as to the
spiritual sense, it may be observed, that a rock in Scripture often signifies a
divine Person, 1 Corinthians 10:4;
it is an emblem of Christ, as oil also is of the Spirit of God and his grace, Matthew 25:3; and
which flows from Christ, who is full thereof, and that in such great abundance,
as to be expressed by rivers; see John 1:14.
Job 29:7 7 “When I went out to the
gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,
YLT
7When I go out to the gate
by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
When I went out to the,
gate through the city,.... Job having described his former state of happiness by the
personal favours he enjoyed, and by the prosperity of his family, and his
abundance of plenty at home, proceeds to give an account of the honour and
respect he had from men of every age and rank abroad: though he had an
affluence of the things of this world, he did not indulge himself at home in
ease and sloth; but went abroad to take care of the public welfare, maintain
public peace, and administer public justice among his neighbours; performing
the office of a civil magistrate, which is often expressed in Scripture by
going in and out before the people: Job went out from his own house to the gate
of the city, where a court of judicature was kept, as it was usual in those
times and countries to hold them in the gates of the city; see Zechariah 8:16; and
to which he passed through the city, very probably, in great pomp and
splendour, suitable to his office and character, which drew the eyes and
attention of the people to him; by which it should seem that his house was on
one side of the city, and the gate where justice was administered was on the
other; though it may be rendered, "over the city"F15עלי קלת "super
civitatem", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt; "super urbe",
Schultens. , and the sense be, that he passed along as he that was over the
city, the chief man in it, and president of the court of justice, see 2 Kings 10:5;
when I prepared my
seat in the street; where he sat, not as a teacher, though he was an instructor, not
only of his family, but of his neighbours, as Eliphaz himself testifies, Job 4:3; and it was
usual for such to have seats to sit upon, as those had who succeeded Moses, and
are said to sit in his chair; and it was usual to call to men and instruct them
in open public places; hence Wisdom is said to utter her voice in the streets,
in the opening of the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the
doors, Proverbs 1:20; but
Job here speaks of himself as a civil magistrate, as a judge upon the bench,
who had a seat or throne erected for him to sit upon, while he was hearing and
trying causes; and this was set up in the street under the open air, before the
gate of the city, where the whole city might be convened together, and hear and
see justice done to their neighbours; in such a street, before the gate of the
city, Ezra read the law to Israel; and in such an one Hezekiah got the people
of Israel together, and spoke comfortably to them when invaded by Sennacherib;
see Nehemiah 8:2; and
the Arabs, to this day, hold their courts of justice in an open place under the
heavens, as in a field, or in a market placeF16Norden's Travels in
Egypt and Nubia, vol. 2. p. 140, 141, 158. See Joseph. Antiqu. l. 18. c. 5.
sect. 6. ; and it is right that courts of justice should be open and accessible
to all.
Job 29:8 8 The young men saw me and
hid, And the aged arose and stood;
YLT
8Seen me have youths, and
they, been hidden, And the aged have risen -- they stood up.
The young men saw me, and
hid themselves,.... Through a veneration of him; which was much, since young
men, through a vain conceit and opinion of themselves, are apt to treat their
superiors in age with slight, neglect, and contempt; or through fear, lest he
should spy them, and call them to him, and examine them closely concerning
their conduct and behaviour, and reprove them for their youthful follies he
might have knowledge of:
and the aged arose and stood up; as he passed
by them, to show their respect unto him; or when he came into court, they rose
up, and continued standing until he had took his seat; and even then kept the
same posture, attending to his counsel and instruction, to his definitive
sentence and decision of matters in debate; though they were venerable persons
themselves, and such as before whom young men were to arise, Leviticus 19:32;
and were also men of wisdom and prudence, Job 12:12; yet
these men rose and stood up, paying a deference to Job's superior sense and
judgment.
Job 29:9 9 The princes refrained from
talking, And put their hand on their mouth;
YLT
9Princes have kept in words,
And a hand they place on their mouth.
The princes refrained talking,.... Who were
in court before Job came in, and were either talking with one another about
indifferent matters, or were giving their opinion in a case before them; but no
sooner did Job make his appearance, but they left off talking, and would not
proceed any further; they laid a restraint upon their words, and curbed
themselves from speaking any more till they had heard his opinion:
and laid their hand on their mouth; as a token of
silence, Judges 18:19.
Job 29:10 10 The voice of nobles was
hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
YLT
10The voice of leaders hath
been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
The nobles held their
peace,.... These may be in some respects inferior to the others; not
princes of the blood, or sons of kings, who were properly princes, and yet
great personages, of a noble extraction, and of considerable families: some
think the leaders and generals of armies are meant, commanders and captains,
and such like military officers, those sons of Mars, who are generally bold and
daring, boisterous and blustering, and full of talk; and yet even these held
their peace in the presence of Job:, or their "voice was hid"F18נחבאו "occultabatur", Drusius; "occultabat
se", Piscator. ; it could not be heard:
and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth; so that they
had no use of it, and it was as if they had none, see Ezekiel 3:26. Here
are various expressions made use of, signifying the profound silence of great
personages while Job was present; and this silence was owing either to a
consciousness of their own weakness, and lest they should, by speaking before
him, betray it, and he should expose them; or to the desire they had of hearing
Job's opinion first, which was as an oracle to them, and usually determined
matters in debate before them; such high sentiments did they entertain of Job's
good sense and abilities.
Job 29:11 11 When the ear heard, then
it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
YLT
11For the ear heard, and
declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.
When the ear heard me,
then it blessed me,.... The ear of the common people assembled together to hear
causes tried, and how they would go; when they heard Job give his opinion in
court, or the definitive sentence passed by him as a judge, they all applauded
his wisdom and justice; they highly praised and commended him; in which sense
the word "blessed" is used, Proverbs 31:28; or
they wished a blessing on him; they prayed for his welfare, as it becomes
people to do for those that are in authority, especially wise and faithful
magistrates; or they accounted him a blessed man, and called him so, Luke 1:48; as he
was, both in a temporal sense, being blessed with a great plenty of earthly
things, and also blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, with an
abundance of grace, and with a title to eternal glory; as well as he was blessed
as a magistrate, with great wisdom, and with great integrity and uprightness in
the discharge of his office:
and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: of his
gracefulness and gravity, of his honesty and faithfulness, of his good
behaviour among his neighbours, and of his wise conduct in the courts of
judicature.
Job 29:12 12 Because I delivered the
poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
YLT
12For I deliver the afflicted
who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.
Because I delivered the
poor that cried,.... This honour and esteem he had not because of his grandeur
and riches, because of his worldly wealth and substance, but because of the
goodness of his disposition, and because of the good he did to men, his acts of
pity and compassion to the poor, and of the justice he did to all men; the poor
and the afflicted, when they cried to him for help, he delivered them out of
the hands of their oppressors:
and the fatherless; the care and defence of which belongs to
judges and civil magistrates, see Psalm 82:1;
and him that had none to
help him; as the poor and fatherless seldom have; there is power on the
side of the oppressors of them, but they have few or none to take their parts,
and to be their comforters, Ecclesiastes 4:1;
in these instances Job imitated God, and was a follower of him, as a dear child
of his; who, when this and the other poor man cries unto him, he hears, saves,
and delivers out of all their troubles; he is the helper, yea, the father of
the fatherless, and the judge of the widow; and, when there is no help from
men, he is a present help in times of need.
Job 29:13 13 The blessing of a
perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for
joy.
YLT
13The blessing of the
perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
The blessing of him that
was ready to perish came upon me,.... That were ready to
perish through the oppression of others, or through want of the necessaries of
life, or through false charges brought, and through false witness bore against
them, and so liable to a sentence of condemnation to death, or having it passed
upon them; but Job taking their part, and searching thoroughly into their
cause, not only respited them from destruction, but cleared them from the
charges laid against them, and which brought the blessing of those persons on
him; who blessed God for him, and blessed him, wished a blessing on him in
their prayers to God, who had been such a happy instrument of their deliverance
from ruin and destruction; see Proverbs 24:11;
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy; by relieving
her wants, defending her cause, and punishing those that oppressed her; which
is the reverse of the character Eliphaz gives of Job, Job 22:9.
Job 29:14 14 I put on righteousness,
and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.
YLT
14Righteousness I have put on,
and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
I put on righteousness,
and it clothed me,.... Not the righteousness of his living Redeemer, the robe of
righteousness and garment of salvation he had from him; though he had put on
that by faith, and it was his clothing in the sight of God, which covered his
person, and covered all his sins from the avenging eye of divine justice; and
in which he was presented before God unblamable and irreprovable in his sight,
and with which he was adorned and beautified, being made perfectly comely
through it, and completely justified by it; but legal righteousness in the
administration of his office as a magistrate; he put it on, that is, he
exercised it, and he exercised it constantly from morning tonight, and day
after day; as a man puts on his clothes in a morning, and keeps them on all the
day, and which he is always repeating; and it was as visible in him, and to be
seen and observed by all, as the clothes on his back; and it covered him all
over as a garment does; no blemish was to be seen in him, or blame to be cast
upon him, throughout the whole course of his administration; and this was a
fence unto him against all calumny and reproach, as garments are against the
inclemency of the weather; see 1 Samuel 12:3; so a
godly conversation in the exercise of graces and virtues, and in the
performance of duties both to God and man, is sometimes expressed by a putting them
on, as garments are put on; see Ephesians 4:24; and
these are an outward clothing to appear in before men, and should be shown
forth with meekness and wisdom, so as to be beheld by men; and should be
continually exercised and constantly performed; and then they are a covering
with respect to men, and they appear harmless, blameless, and without rebuke,
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; and thus, by well doing, put
to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and such to the blush, those who
falsely accuse their good conversation: and this in every sense was Job's case:
my judgment was as a robe and diadem; such as the
high priest among the Jews wore in the execution of his office, which made him
look grand and majestic; and it was usual in Job's time, as it is in ours, and
has been the custom in all ages and countries, for judges and civil magistrates
to be clothed in a different manner from others, as it is proper they should,
to command an awe and reverence of them among the common people, and make them
respectable to them: but Job did not so much regard his purple robe he was clad
in, or the distinguishing turban he wore on his head, or whatever it was, and
which might bear some resemblance to a mitre or a diadem; as it was his great
concern to administer justice, which he reckoned his greatest honour, and was
more ornamental to him than all the showy ensigns of his office; and it was
this which gave him honour and esteem among all sorts of men, high and low: and
his regard to the poor, before observed, did not arise from a foolish
commiseration of them as poor men, and in order to get himself a name for his
pity to them, but proceeded upon a principle of justice and equity, which he
made the rule of his administration; he did not countenance the poor in his
cause right or wrong; not the quality of the person, but the righteousness of
his cause, was what he attended to; and he took his part not merely because he
was a poor man, but seeing his cause was just.
Job 29:15 15 I was eyes to the
blind, And I was feet to the lame.
YLT
15Eyes I have been to the
blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
I was eyes to the blind,.... Either in
a literal sense: there was a law in Israel against putting a stumbling block
before the blind, and a curse pronounced on those that caused them to wander
out of the way; which implied that they ought to remove all impediments out of
their way, and should lead, guide, and direct them in the right way; and this
Job might do, if not in his own person, yet by his servants, and so was as eyes
unto them, and especially by taking care of and providing for persons in such
circumstances: or rather in a civil sense; such who were in perplexity and
distress, oppressed by their neighbours, but did not know how to get justice
done them, what steps to take, or methods to pursue, to obtain their right or
secure it; these Job instructed with his good advice and counsel, and put them
into a way of proceeding whereby they could be extricated out of their
difficulties, and peaceably enjoy their own, see Numbers 10:31, and
it might be true of him in a spiritual sense; that he was eyes to his blind
Heathen neighbours among whom he dwelt; who were ignorant of God, and of the
living Redeemer, and of the way of life and salvation by him, and of their
miserable and lost estate, and of their need of a Saviour; not being acquainted
with the nature of sin, and the sad consequences of it, and with the way of
atonement for it, nor with the mind and will of God, and the worship of him;
all which he might be a means of enlightening their minds with: Eliphaz owns he
instructed many, Job 4:3; thus
ministers of the Gospel are eyes to the blind; for though they cannot give
eyes, or spiritual sight to men, which is only from the Lord, yet they may be
instruments of opening blind eyes, and of turning men from darkness to light,
as the word preached by them is a means of "enlightening the eyes", Acts 26:18; whereby
men come to see their lost estate, and the way of salvation by Christ:
and feet was I to the lame; either in a literal
sense, as David was to Mephibosheth, when he sent for and maintained him at his
own table, so that he had no occasion to seek for his bread elsewhere, 2 Samuel 9:13; and
Job might make a provision in some way or another for such sort of persons: or
rather in a civil sense, such who were engaged in law suits, and had justice on
their side, but for want of friends or money, or both, could not carry them on;
these Job supported and supplied, and carried them through their suits, and got
their cause for them.
Job 29:16 16 I was a father to
the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.
YLT
16A father I [am] to the
needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
I was a father to
the poor,.... Not in a literal sense; for his children were rich as well
as himself, while he had them; but in a civil sense, he was the patron of the
poor; he was an advocate for them, he took their part, he pleaded their cause,
defended their persons, and secured the little property they had; he had the
pity and compassion of a father for them, and supplied their wants; he fed them
and clothed them; he did not eat his morsel alone, but gave them part of it,
and warmed them with the fleece of his flock:
and the cause which I knew not I searched out; any cause
that was brought before him, he knew thing of before, and which, upon the
opening of it, did not appear plain and easy, but had its difficulties; this he
closely examined, and searched thoroughly into the merits of, till it appeared
plain to him on which side the truth and justice of it lay; he did not hurry it
over, and pass sentence, having only in a superficial manner considered it, as
is too often the case; but after a long examination of the contending parties,
and of the witnesses on both sides, to whom he gave an impartial hearing, he
pronounced the decisive sentence; see Proverbs 25:2. Some
think this refers to his diligent search and inquiry after causes that were not
brought before him; he did, not wait for application to be made to him, but
hearing of, or upon inquiry finding, that there were persons oppressed and
distressed by cruel men, he of himself voluntarily offered his assistance,
searched into their cause, made himself master of it, and freed them from their
distresses; so different were his behaviour and character from that of the
unjust judge, Luke 18:1; though
others, choose to render the words, "the cause of him that I knew
not", &c.F20ידעתי "quem non
cognoveram", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis; "ignotissimi",
Schultens. ; of a stranger, of one that he had never seen before, of one that
was most unknown to him in the world; the cause of such an one he took as, much
pains with to get the true knowledge of, and do justice to, as of the dearest
relation, the nearest neighbour, and the most intimate friend and acquaintance
that he had.
Job 29:17 17 I broke the fangs of the
wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.
YLT
17And I break the jaw-teeth
of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
And I brake the jaws of
the wicked,.... Their jaw teeth, or grinders, alluding to beasts of prey,
who have such teeth, very large; the meaning may be, that Job confuted the
arguments which wicked men made use of in their own defence, and against the
poor, exposed the weakness of them, and made them ineffectual to answer their
purposes; disabled tyrants and cruel oppressors from doing any further hurt and
damage to the fatherless and helpless; was an instrument in the hand of God of
breaking the power, and weakening the hands of such persons, and hindering them
from doing the mischief they otherwise would; see Proverbs 30:14;
and plucked the spoil out of his teeth; as David took
the lamb out of the mouth of the bear and lion that came into his father's
flock, and carried it off: thus Job delivered the poor out of the hands of such
monsters in nature, comparable to beasts of prey, and saved them from being
utterly ruined by them, and obliged them to restore unto them what they had in
an unrighteous manner taken from them.
Job 29:18 18 “Then I said, ‘I shall die
in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.
YLT
18And I say, `With my nest I
expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
Then I said, I shall die
in my nest,.... Job, amidst all his prosperity, knew he should die, death
and the grave being appointed for all men; and he often thought of it, and of
the manner of it; but he concluded that death was as yet some distance from
him, as appears from the following clause; and that, when the time was come, he
should not die on the ground, but in the city in which he livedF13So
Rufus Virginius used to call the villa where he dwelt, "Senectutio suae
Nidulum", Plin. l. 6. Ep. 10. , in his house, and on his bed; that he
should die with all his children about him, like a bird in its nest full of
young; whereas now he was stripped of them all, and likely to die childless;
that he should die amidst all his outward enjoyments, in an affluence of good
things, in honour, credit, and esteem among men; whereas now he was deprived of
all his substance, and had in contempt by friends and foes; and that he should
die in great tranquillity of mind and peace of soul, in the enjoyment of the
divine Presence, and under rich discoveries of his love and grace; whereas now
God had hid himself from him, and the arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him.
Job now had dropped his former confidence, and yet after all he did die in all
the circumstances he believed he should; see Job 42:10; and this
confidence might rise not from any mercenary spirit in him, as if this would be
the fruit and reward of his integrity and uprightness, justice and
faithfulness, and as due to him on that account; but from the promises of God,
which to the patriarchs were usually of temporal blessings, as types of
spiritual ones; though it may be there was in this somewhat of the infirmity of
the flesh, as in David, Psalm 30:7; and an
inattention to the uncertainty of all temporal enjoyments; nor might he then be
so well acquainted with the doctrine of the cross he now had an experience of:
and I shall multiply my days as the sand; which is not
to be numbered; an hyperbolical expression, to denote the long life he expected
to enjoy, and which was promised to good men; and which Job, notwithstanding
his present despair of it, was favoured and satisfied with, Psalm 91:16. Some
versions render it, "as the phoenix"F14כחול
"sicut phoenix", Pagninus; so Mercerus, Piscator. , a bird of that
name, spoken of by many writers as a very long lived one; some say it lived
five hundred yearsF15Herodot Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 73. Pompon. Mela
de situ Orbis, l. 6. c. 58. Tacit. Annal. l. 6. c. 28. , others five hundred
fortyF16Solin. Polyhistor. c. 46. , others six hundred sixtyF17Plin.
Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 2. ; yea, some, and so the Jewish writers, as Jarchi and
othersF18Bereshit Rabba, sect. 19. fol. 15. 2. Yalkut in loc. par.
1. fol. 152. 2. , make it to live a thousand years, and some sayF19Vid.
Texelii Phoenix. l. 2. c. 1. p. 140. more; and it is reported of it, though not
with sufficient evidence, that there is never but one of the kind at a time;
which, perceiving its end drawing near, it makes a nest of cassia,
frankincense, and other spices, and sets fire to it, and burns itself in it,
and that out of its ashes comes forth an egg, which produces another; and some
of the ancient writers, as TertullianF20De Resurrectione, c. 13.
Vid. Clement. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Corinth. p. 60. & Felli Not. in ib.
particularly, have made use of this as an emblem of the resurrection; and to
which some think Job has here respect; that he should live long like this bird,
and then die and rise again; but inasmuch as this seems to be a fabulous bird,
and that there is not, nor ever was, any such in being, it cannot well be
thought that Job should allude unto it; though his making mention of his nest,
in the former clause, may seem to favour it, and which has induced some to give
into itF21Vid. Tentzelii Dissert. de Phoenice, &c. sect. 5. :
others render it, "as the palm tree"F23
ωσπερ στελεχος φοινικος, Sept. "sicut palma", V. L. ;
between which and the phoenix there is thought to be some likeness on account
of durationF24Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 4. , and both in the Greek
tongue have the same name; the palm tree is an evergreen, and endures a long
time; PlinyF25Ib. l. 16. c. 44. speaks of a palm tree in his time at
Delos, said to have been there from the days of Apollo, which is supposed to be
1400 years; and it is observedF26Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. l.
vol. 4. p. 757. that this tree does continue two or three hundred years; and
this version may seem to be countenanced and confirmed by what follows: but
since the Hebrew word here used is never used but of sand, it is best so to
understand it here, seeing it as fully answers Job's purpose; which was to
express his confidence of a very long life. Sand is frequently used in
Scripture for what is innumerable; so ψαμμοκοσια
in AristophanesF1Acharnes Act. 1. Sc. 1. & Scholia in ib. , for
what cannot be numbered, and are equal to a mountain of sand.
Job 29:19 19 My root is spread
out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.
YLT
19My root is open unto the
waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
My root was spread
out by the waters,.... According to our version and others, Job here, and in the
following verses, gives the reasons of his hope and confidence of his long
life, and quiet and comfortable death amidst all his prosperity and happiness;
which were founded upon his flourishing circumstances, and the great respect
that was shown him among men; and this is the sense, if we read the words in
the past tense, as we and many others do; or in the present tense, "my
root is spread", &c. as others; but there are some interpreters, both
Jewish and ChristianF2Jarchi, Ben Gerson, Bar Tzemach, Schmidt,
Schultens. , that render them in the future tense, here and to the end of the
chapter; and so they are a continuation of Job's hope and trust, in the times
of his prosperity, that things would always continue as they were with him, and
much more abundantly; and indeed all is true of Job, in every sense, and all
may be taken into the account; and that these words, and the following, as they
describe what had been, and at the then present time, when he concluded the
above in his mind, was his case, so they may also declare what he believed
would be always his case to the end of his days. Here he compares himself to a
tree well rooted and happily situated by plenty of water, and which may be
expressive both of his temporal and spiritual prosperity: his outward
prosperity seemed to him to have been well settled and established, being like
a tree that had taken root, and was like to continue, being watered with the
favour and blessing of God, which maketh rich; and as to his spiritual estate,
he was like a tree planted by a river of water, to which good men are often
compared in Scripture, Psalm 1:3; they are
in general called trees of righteousness, and are sometimes likened to
particular trees, as to olives, cedars, and palm trees; and some think, as
Pineda, that it is to the latter Job here has respect; the last clause of Job 29:18 being in
the Latin Vulgate version so rendered as to countenance this sense; and it may
be observed that this tree having thick long leaves, and fruit full of juice,
and its wood spongy, requires much water; and, as PlinyF3Nat. Hist.
l. 13. 4. says, delights in watery places; nor is it content with rain, but is
better satisfied with waters flowing about it; hence it is often found
necessary to dig about it, and lay its roots open, that the waters may more
easily come at them, and flow about themF4Palladius apud Scheuchzer,
ut supra (Physic. Sacr. l. vol. 4.), p. 759. and so the words here in the
original text are, "my root" was, is, or shall be "open to the
waters"F5פתוח אלי
מים "aperta ad aquas", Montanus, Bolducius,
Mercerus, Cocceius, Schmidt, Michaelis, Schultens. : good men, as they are
rooted in the love of God, and in the person of Christ, so they have, as Job
had, the root of the matter in them, the truth of grace, or a principle of
grace; which is watered, and kept alive and flourishing, by the love and favour
of God shed abroad in the heart; by fresh supplies of grace out of the fulness
of Christ, who is the fountain of gardens, and well of living waters; and by
the means of grace, the word and ordinances, the still waters to which saints
are led, and by which they are made to lie down, and where they are watered,
refreshed, and comforted:
and the dew lay all night upon my branch; so that the
water being at his root below, and the dew on his branch above, he must be in a
fruitful and flourishing condition: the dew is a great blessing to the earth,
to trees, herbs, and plants, and the cause of great fertility; and this may
respect Job's temporal happiness, in the health and prosperity of his children,
who were to him what branches are to a tree; and in the affluence of worldly
good things, with which through the blessing of God, as dew upon him, he
abounded; and may also have regard to his spiritual affairs: believers in
Christ are branches in him, as Job was one; and the dew of divine grace and
favour lies upon them continually, even in the darkest seasons; which revives
and refreshes their souls, and makes them fruitful in the exercise of grace,
and performance of good works; see Proverbs 19:12; the
dew falls in the night, and the sooner it fails the longer it lies, and is most
useful: some render the words "upon my harvest", or
"mowing"F6בקצירי "in messe
mea", Montanus, Tigurine version; "in segete mea", Cocceius; so
the Targum. ; the dew is of great use in harvest time; mowers and reapers
choose the morning to work in, when the stalks are moistened by the dew; and which
is of use to keep the ears of corn from shedding by swelling the fibres, and so
retaining the grains in their proper placesF7Vid. Scheuchzer, ut
supra. (Physic. Sacr. l. vol. 4. p. 759.) ; see Isaiah 18:4.
Job 29:20 20 My glory is fresh
within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’
YLT
20My honour [is] fresh with
me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
My glory was,....
"Is" or "shall be";
fresh in me; or "new"F7חדש
"nova", Mercerus, Piscator, Michaelis, Schultens. ; renewed day by
day, having fresh additions made unto it; which was true of Job's temporal
honour from among men; as a prince and civil magistrate, he had the honour
given him that was due unto him, and this was continually increasing; and also
of his spiritual glory, which lay, as every good man's glory does, in the grace
of God wrought in him, and in the righteousness of Christ put upon him, Psalm 45:9; which
grace is renewed and increased in them by the Holy Spirit, and is therefore
called the renewing of the Holy Ghost; and which righteousness is revealed
"from faith to faith", Romans 1:17, from a
lesser degree of it to a greater:
and my bow was renewed in my hand; "is" or
"shall be"; meaning either his authority as a civil magistrate,
increasing daily to the terror of evildoers, and to the praise, profit, and
defence of them that did well; or his strength, as Gersom interprets it, his
spiritual strength, as in Isaiah 40:31; where
the same word is used as here; so that he grew stronger and stronger in faith
and other graces, and went from strength to strength; the bow was a warlike
instrument, and required strength to draw it, and is put for it; see Genesis 48:22.
Job 29:21 21 “Men listened to me
and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
YLT
21To me they have hearkened,
Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
Unto me men gave
ear,.... Or give ear, or shall give ear, being all ear; all attention
to him, listening to what he said with the utmost diligence and earnestness;
even all sorts of men, high and low, rich and poor, princes, nobles, and common
people; this they had done, and Job concluded they still would do the same; see
Job 29:9;
and waited; patiently, without any weariness, with pleasure and delight,
without giving any interruption, or wishing his discourse was ended; and though
continuing ever so long, were not impatient until it was finished:
and kept silence at my counsel; which was the thing
waited for, and which when given, it was to the highest satisfaction; they
acquiesced in it, and showed their approbation of it by their silence, not
having anything to object to it, any alteration to be made in it, or any thing
to be added to it; but being so complete and full, they were ready to take it
at once, and act according to it; Job's counsel being like that of Ahithophel,
which was as the oracle of God, 2 Samuel 16:23.
Job 29:22 22 After my words they did
not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.
YLT
22After my word they change
not, And on them doth my speech drop,
After my words they spake
not again,.... Did not or would not make any reply to them; they did not
attempt to change and alter them, to add unto them, or take from them, or in
any wise to correct them, and much less to contradict them, and treat them with
contempt; or "differed not", as Mr. Broughton renders it; differed
not from them, but agreed to them; and differed not among themselves, but
united in what Job said, as being full to the purpose, after which nothing more
could be said; see Ecclesiastes 2:12;
and my speech dropped upon them; his prophecy, as Jarchi,
prophesying being expressed by dropping, Amos 7:16; his
doctrine dropped from his lips like the honeycomb, and was sweet, grateful, and
delightful to his hearers, as the church's lips, Song of Solomon 4:11;
or rather like the rain, as in Deuteronomy 32:2,
when it falls and drops gently and easily, and so penetrates and soaks into the
earth, and abides and does good: in like manner, when good and sound doctrine
drops upon the hearers, so as to enter into their hearts, and work effectually
in them, it does them good, and they rejoice at it, and are far from having
anything to say against it.
Job 29:23 23 They waited for me as
for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
YLT
23And they wait as [for] rain
for me, And their mouth they have opened wide [As] for the latter rain.
And they waited for me as
for the rain,.... The former rain, as appears by the following clause, which
fell in autumn, about October, after seedtime, in order to nourish and cherish
it, and bring it up; now as the husbandman waited for this, was in daily
expectation of it, and greatly desired it, and longed for it; see James 5:7; so the
people waited for Job, for his coming into their public assemblies, whether
civil or religious, and longed to hear him speak, for their counsel and
instruction, for their comfort and direction in all things they stood in need
of:
and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain; which fell in
the spring about March, in the time of harvest, which was of use to fatten the
kernals of grain, and make them fuller, and the flour finer; now Job's hearers
opened their mouths, as the dry and parched earth gapes for rain; or the
husbandman, or the gardener, as the Targum, opens his mouth, and asks and prays
for rain; or as a hungry and thirsty man opens his mouth to take in
refreshment, or expresses thereby his desire of it; or as persons somewhat deaf
open their mouths to hear the better, there being a way through the mouth to
the internal ear, as anatomistsF8Scheuchzer, ut supra. (Physic.
Sacr. l. vol. 4. p. 759.) observe; which lies through the Eustachian tube, out
of the palate, to the internal cavity of the ear, called the
"concha"; wherefore such persons naturally open their mouths when
they would hear attentively; all which expresses the eager desire of Job's
hearers after his doctrine, which, like the rain, would be useful, profitable,
and edifying to them; their view was not to indulge their curiosity, to please
their ears, but to affect their hearts, and instruct their minds.
Job 29:24 24 If
I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my
countenance they did not cast down.
YLT
24I laugh unto them -- they
give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not,.... Not that
he at any time laughed at them, by way of derision; but when in a cheerful
frame of mind, or in a merry mood, he used freedom and familiarity, and jested
with them; but they could not believe that he did jest, or was in jest, he
being a man always of such gravity and seriousness, that they concluded the
smile on his countenance, and the pleasant turn of his expression, had a
serious meaning in them; or such familiarity with them was so pleasing to them,
that they could scarcely for joy believe that he did condescend to indulge such
an air of pleasantry: or as Mr. Broughton renders it, and so some others to the
same sense, "they would not be bold"F9לא
יאמינו "non tamen sibi sumebant audaciam",
Michaelis; "neque tam audaces fiunt", Reimar apud Schultens. ;
familiarity with them did not breed contempt, as it sometimes does; they did
not presume upon it, and grow bold and insolent, and make him their equal, and
jest with him again; but still there was an awe upon them, and they behaved
with reverence to him; and to show how great it was is the design of the
expression:
and the light of my countenance they cast not down; they did not
ruffle his mind, or disturb the serenity of it; or cause him to change his
countenance, through any bold and indecent behaviour towards him, encouraged by
the freedom and pleasantry he used with them; they did not put him to shame, or
provoke him to anger and displeasure by any unbecoming deportment; they kept
their distance, they did not detract from his authority and majesty, or in the
least lessen that, but behaved with the same reverence and regard to him they
ever did; see Genesis 4:6.
Job 29:25 25 I chose the way for them,
and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts
mourners.
YLT
25I choose their way, and sit
head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
I chose out their way,.... When his
friends and neighbours came to him for advice in things civil, he marked out
their way for them, directed what steps to take, what methods to pursue for
their good; they desired him to choose for them, preferring his judgment to
theirs, and were determined to abide by his choice of ways and means, and to
follow his counsel; and in religious matters, he instructed them in their duty,
both towards God and men, and proposed unto them what was most eligible, both
with respect to doctrine and practice;
and sat chief; in all their public assemblies; he presided
in their councils and courts of judicature; and when met together for religious
worship, he sat in the chair of the teacher, and instructed them; he was chief
speaker, as the Heathens said of the Apostle Paul, Acts 14:12;
and dwelt as a king in the army, or "troop"F11בגדוד "in agmine", Montanus, Bolducius; "in
turma", Mercerus, Drusius, Cocceius, Michaelis, Schultens. . Mr. Broughton
renders it with a garrison; Job was surrounded with multitudes of persons, that
waited upon him on one account or another, who were ready to receive his words,
and be obedient to them, as a king or general in the midst of an army,
surrounded by his general officers, and the whole army encamped about him,
doing him honour, and ready to obey whatever commands or instructions he should
give them; some conclude from hence that Job was really a king, as being not a
note of similitude, but of truth and reality, as in Matthew 14:2; and
so he might be; for in those times and countries every city almost had its
king; though this is not necessarily supposed here; for the phrase seems only
to denote the authority and influence Job had over men by his advice and
instruction, which were as much regarded as from a king; and the majesty he
appeared in, and the reverence in which he was had:
as one that comforteth the mourners: which some
restrain to the king in his army, and connect them therewith thus, "when
he comforteth the mourners"F12כאשר
"quando", Junius & Tremellius, Drusius; "quum vel
quando", Schmidt. ; the soldiers mourning for some loss sustained, and
slaughter made among them; whose minds the king or general by a set speech
endeavours to cheer, and comfort, and allay their fears, and animate them to
intrepidity and fortitude, when all eyes are upon him and attentive to him; and
so attentive were Job's hearers to him. Bar Tzemach observes, that the
copulative ו, or "and", is wanting, and so
is a clause by itself, and expresses something distinct from the forager, and
may be supplied, "and I was as one that comforteth the mourners"; as
a wise man that comforteth them, as Aben Ezra explains it; like one that made
it his business to visit mourners in affliction, on account of the death of a
relation, and the like: see Job 11:19; and
speaks comfortable words to them, to support them under their sorrow; when such
an one used to speak alone, and all stood silent before him, and attentive to
him; and in a like position was Job, when he gave his instructions to those
about him; and he was, no doubt, a comforter of mourners himself, being either
in temporal afflictions, or in spiritual troubles; comforted those that were
cast down in either sense, and was a type of Christ, who was appointed to
comfort all that mourn in Zion.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)