Job 29
Big idea: A remembered life, and the striking thing is what he chooses to remember: not the wealth but the standing — young men stepping aside, princes stopping mid-sentence, and the blessing of people who were about to die.
Chapter 30 answers this one line for line, which is why the two must be read as a pair.
29:1–17 — I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame
The longing is for a relationship before it is for a situation: oh that I were as in the months of old, in the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness — as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent. That word for friendship means intimate counsel, the confidence of a close companion. What he misses first is being on good terms.
1 Job again took up his parable, 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 on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, 4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent, 5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me, 6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me, 7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. 8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up 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 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me, 12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him, 13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on 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 to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know. 17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
29:18–25 — I lived as a king in the army
The expectation was ordinary and reasonable: then I said, I will die in my own house, and I will count my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lies all night on my branch; my glory is fresh in me, and my bow is renewed in my hand. Nothing here is arrogance — it is a well-watered life expecting to continue.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand. 19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch. 20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’ 21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. 22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them. 23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. 24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face. 25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).