Job 29:8–17

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^29:8the young men would see me and step aside,²¹

and the old men would get up and remain standing;

^29:9the chief men refrained from talking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

^29:10the voices of the nobles fell silent,²²

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Job’s Benevolence

^29:11“As soon as the ear heard these things,²³ it blessed me,²⁴

and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,

^29:12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,

and the orphan who²⁵ had no one to assist him;

^29:13the blessing of the dying man descended on me,²⁶

and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;²⁷

^29:14I put on righteousness and it clothed me,²⁸

my just dealing²⁹ was like a robe and a turban;

^29:15I was eyes for the blind

and feet for the lame;

^29:16I was a father³⁰ to the needy,

and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

^29:17I broke the fangs³¹ of the wicked,

and made him drop³² his prey from his teeth.

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Footnotes

21 The verb means “to hide; to withdraw.” The young men out of respect would withdraw or yield the place of leadership to Job (thus the translation “step aside”). The old men would rise and remain standing until Job took his seat—a sign of respect.
22 The verb here is “hidden” as well as in v. 8. But this is a strange expression for voices. Several argue that the word was erroneously inserted from 8a and needs to be emended. But the word “hide” can have extended meanings of “withdraw; be quiet; silent” (see Gen 31:27). A. Guillaume relates the Arabic habi’a, “the fire dies out,” applying the idea of “silent” only to v. 10 (it is a form of repetition of words with different senses, called jinas). The point here is that whatever conversation was going on would become silent or hushed to hear what Job had to say.
23 The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
24 The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.
25 The negative introduces a clause that serves as a negative attribute; literally the following clause says, “and had no helper” (see §152.u).
26 The verb is simply בּוֹא (bo’, “to come; to enter”). With the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) it could mean “came to me,” or “came upon me,” i.e., descended (see R. Gordis, Job, 320).
27 The verb אַרְנִן (’arnin) is from רָנַן (ranan, “to give a ringing cry”) but here “cause to give a ringing cry,” i.e., shout of joy. The rejoicing envisioned in this word is far greater than what the words “sing” or “rejoice” suggest.
28 Both verbs in this first half-verse are from לָבַשׁ (lavash, “to clothe; to put on clothing”). P. changed the vowels to get a verb “it adorned me” instead of “it clothed me” ( 11 [1930]: 324). The figure of clothing is used for the character of the person: to wear righteousness is to be righteous.
29 The word מִשְׁפָּטִי (mishpati) is simply “my justice” or “my judgment.” It refers to the decisions he made in settling issues, how he dealt with other people justly.
30 The word “father” does not have a wide range of meanings in the OT. But there are places that it is metaphorical, especially in a legal setting like this where the poor need aid.
31 The word rendered “fangs” actually means “teeth,” i.e., the molars probably; it is used frequently of the teeth of wild beasts. Of course, the language is here figurative, comparing the oppressing enemy to a preying animal.
32 “I made [him] drop.” The verb means “to throw; to cast,” throw in the sense of “to throw away.” But in the context with the figure of the beast with prey in its mouth, “drop” or “cast away” is the idea. Driver finds another cognate meaning “rescue” (see 52 [1935/36]: 163).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

the young men saw me and withdrew,

and the aged rose and stood;

the princes refrained from talking

and laid their hand on their mouth;

the voice of the nobles was hushed,

and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

When the ear heard, it called me blessed,

and when the eye saw, it approved,

because I delivered the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to help him.

The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,

and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

my justice was like a robe and a turban.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy,

and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.

I broke the fangs of the unrighteous

and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

the young men saw me and stepped aside

and the old men rose to their feet;

the chief men refrained from speaking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

the voices of the nobles were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,

because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

The one who was dying blessed me;

I made the widow’s heart sing.

I put on righteousness as my clothing;

justice was my robe and my turban.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy;

I took up the case of the stranger.

I broke the fangs of the wicked

and snatched the victims from their teeth.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

the young men saw me and withdrew,

while older men stood to their feet.

City officials stopped talking

and covered their mouths with their hands.

The noblemen’s voices were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

When they heard me, they blessed me,

and when they saw me, they spoke well of me.

For I rescued the poor who cried out for help,

and the fatherless child who had no one to support him.

The dying blessed me,

and I made the widow’s heart rejoice.

I clothed myself in righteousness,

and it enveloped me;

my just decisions were like a robe and a turban.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy,

and I examined the case of the stranger.

I shattered the fangs of the unjust

and snatched the prey from his teeth.

NLTNew Living Translation

The young stepped aside when they saw me,

and even the aged rose in respect at my coming.

The princes stood in silence

and put their hands over their mouths.

The highest officials of the city stood quietly,

holding their tongues in respect.

“All who heard me praised me.

All who saw me spoke well of me.

For I assisted the poor in their need

and the orphans who required help.

I helped those without hope, and they blessed me.

And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.

Everything I did was honest.

Righteousness covered me like a robe,

and I wore justice like a turban.

I served as eyes for the blind

and feet for the lame.

I was a father to the poor

and assisted strangers who needed help.

I broke the jaws of godless oppressors

and plucked their victims from their teeth.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Young men saw me and stepped aside,

and the aged rose up and stood.

Officials refrained from talking,

and they laid their hand on their mouth.

The voices of nobles were hushed,

and their tongue stuck to their palate.

“When the ear heard and commended me,

and the eye saw and testified in support of me

because I saved the needy who cried for help,

and I saved the orphan for whom there was no helper.

The blessing of the wretched came upon me,

and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

my justice was like a robe and a headband.

“I was eyes to the blind,

and I was feet to the lame.

I was a father to the poor,

and I investigated the stranger’s legal dispute.

And I broke the evil one’s jaw bones,

and I made his prey drop from his teeth.

KJV 1900King James Version

The young men saw me, and hid themselves:

And the aged arose, and stood up.

The princes refrained talking,

And laid their hand on their mouth.

The nobles held their peace,

And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me;

And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

Because I delivered the poor that cried,

And the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me:

And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:

My judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

I was eyes to the blind,

And feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the poor:

And the cause which I knew not I searched out.

And I brake the jaws of the wicked,

And plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

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