Job’s Final Claim of Innocence
1 Job continued his discourse, saying:
2 If only I could be as in months gone by,
in the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone above my head,
and I walked through darkness by his light! f
4 I would be as I was in the days of my youth
when God’s friendship g rested on my tent,
5 when the Almighty was still with me
and my children were around me,
6 when my feet were bathed in curds
and the rock h poured out streams of oil for me!
7 When I went out to the city gate i
and took my seat in the town square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew,
while older men stood to their feet.
9 City officials stopped talking
and covered their mouths with their hands. j
10 The noblemen’s voices were hushed,
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. k
11 When they heard me, they blessed me,
and when they saw me, they spoke well of me.
12 For I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
and the fatherless child who had no one to support him. l
13 The dying blessed me,
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice.
14 I clothed myself in righteousness, m
and it enveloped me;
my just decisions were like a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame. n
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I examined the case of the stranger.
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust o
and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 So I thought, “I will die in my own nest
and multiply my days as the sand.
19 My roots will have access to water, p
and the dew will rest on my branches all night.
20 My whole being will be refreshed within me,
and my bow will be renewed in my hand.” q
21 Men listened to me with expectation,
waiting silently for my advice.
22 After a word from me they did not speak again;
my speech settled on them like dew. r
23 They waited for me as for the rain
and opened their mouths as for spring showers.
24 If I smiled at them, they couldn’t believe it;
they were thrilled at the light of my countenance.
25 I directed their course and presided as chief.
I lived as a king among his troops,
like one who comforts those who mourn.
29:1–6. In 29:2–6 Job describes his experience of God’s blessing. The terms “months” and “days” (29:2) may indicate the general length of Job’s ordeal. He counts the time not in hours or in years, but in days and months. His adversity, then, has been relatively brief, but very intense. As Job reflects on his past, he paints a beautiful picture of God’s kindly care over him (cf. Pss 91:11; 121:7–8). Job is aware and appreciative of God’s blessing, but he does not manifest a sense of entitlement, as though it is his right. Job’s past life was so blessed that only the language of exaggeration is adequate to describe it. Just as the land of Canaan is depicted as a land flowing with milk and honey (e.g., Ex 3:8), so now Job says that the festive delights of curds and olive oil flowed over his life (29:6).
29:7–17. Next Job describes his esteem in his community. In 29:7, Job speaks about taking his seat in the gate of the city. As the center of community life, the gate combined the activities of the commercial marketplace (2 Kg 7:17–18), the legal court (Dt 21:19; Ru 4:1), and the intellectual interchange of ideas (cf. Ps 127:5). To have a seat in the gate was to enjoy a privilege reserved for the most prominent citizens (Gn 19:1; Pr 31:23), so it reflects Job’s lofty status (29:8–10; cf. Jb 1:3).
29:18–20. Job describes his expectation that blessing on his life would continue. During his prosperity, Job was not being presumptuous or arrogant, but because he had lived according to God’s way, he expected that his God-honoring life should result in divine blessing. He assumed that the retribution formula ensured blessing for him. He had every expectation of a long (29:18) and secure (29:19) life. The bow (29:20) is used in the Bible as a picture of physical vigor and virility (e.g., Gn 49:24). In his former state of blessing, Job anticipated that he would maintain the strength of his youth. He could not foresee anything that could make his glory fade but expected to remain active and influential throughout his life.
29:21–25. The chapter closes with Job depicting his positive effect on others around him. Despite what the friends have said, Job is not just interested in preserving his own affluence. Rather, Job sees himself as a channel of God’s blessings to others (29:21–24). By his generosity, Job has brought joy and help to those in need. Job concludes his recollection of his past condition by describing how he lived in his community as though he were a loved and respected king (29:25). He was influential in directing his community in good ways. His virtuous life benefited all who came into contact with him. He comforted those who mourned, in contrast to the treatment he has received from his friends during his own adversity.