Job 29:9-19

9 The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11 For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; And when the eye saw [me], it gave witness unto me:

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, 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 justice 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 needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

17 And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey 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 is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;

Job 29:9-19 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.