G² H¹ 29. Saddened retrospect of past prosperity.
H² 30. Sorrowful description of present misery.
H³ 31. Solemn asseveration of innocence.
H¹ J p 1-6. Job's prosperity. [What he was.]
q 7-11. His honor. [What he had.]
K r 12. Redress of wrong.
s 13. Beneficence.
t 14-. Righteousness.
K t -14. Justice.
s 15,16. Beneficence.
r 17. Redress of wrong.
J p 18-20. Job's prosperity. [What he thought.]
q 21-25. His honor. [What he had.]
1656 B.C.
Job 29)
1 And Job continued his parable (i.e. again took up his impressive discourse. This is Job's last address, corresponding with his 1st), and said,
2 "Oh that I (note the frequency of "I" [self-occupation]. In ch. 29, the "I" of prosperity; in ch. 30, the "I" of adversity; in ch. 31, the "I" of self-righteousness. Contrast the "I" of 42:2-6, the "end") were as in months past, as in the days when GOD (Eloah) preserved me;
3 When His lamp shined upon my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my maturity, when the counsel of GOD was upon my tent;
5 When The Almighty was yet with me, when my youths were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out divisions of oil; (Hence the little channels made in garden irrigation. See Ps. 1:3; Prov. 21:1)
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the open place!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. (In a token of silence and submission.)
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the wretched (see Prov. 6:11) that cried, and the fatherless, and him 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 judgment 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 helpless: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.' (A note in Codex No. 1 states that the Western School points this to mean "as a phoenix". The Vulgate reads "as a palm".)
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain (i.e. the early rain, which is sometimes so late as to cause anxiety); and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comfort the mourners.