Job 29:3-13

3 When 1His lamp shone over my head, And 2by His light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the 3friendship of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed in 4butter, And the 5rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 "When I went out to 6the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.
9 "The princes 7stopped talking And 8put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voice of the nobles was 9hushed, And their 10tongue stuck to their palate.
11 "For when 11the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
12 Because I delivered 12the poor who cried for help, And the 13orphan who had no helper.
13 "The blessing of the one 14ready to perish came upon me, And I made the 15widow's heart sing for joy.

Job 29:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

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 29:1-4; with respect to his family and domestic affairs, Job 29:5,6; with regard to the esteem he had from men of every age and station, Job 29:7-11; 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 29:12-17; in which honour and prosperity he expected to have lived and died, Job 29:18-20; and which he further describes by the respect he had among men, and the power and authority he exercised over them, Job 29:21-25.

Cross References 15

Footnotes 5

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