Job 29:20

Job 29:20 My glory [was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Ver. 20. My glory was fresh in me] i.e. I had daily new accessions to mine honours; and I was herein like a bay tree, that is always green. This was also Joseph’s happiness in Egypt; David’s in the court of Saul; Mordecai’s and Daniel’s in the court of Persia; and Queen Elizabeth’s; concerning whom (besides that famous epitaph set upon her tomb by command of King James) Thuanus, a French historian, testifieth, that the Lady Anna Atestina, mother to the Guises and Nemours, pronounced her to be Gloriosissimam et omnium quae unquam sceptrum gestarunt felicissimam foeminam, The most glorious and happiest woman that ever swayed sceptre. Among her subjects she got a continual increase of honour and respects, by coupling mildness with majesty, and stooping, yet in a stately manner, to the lowest sort; but especially by setting up God and his sincere service wherever she had to do, trusting God with her precious life (so much sought for by Popish assassinates); which while her contemporary, Henry IV of France, dared not do, he lost his life, and much of his honour; witness that known anagram, Borbonius, once Bonus orbi, the good of the bereft now Orbus boni. bereft of good.

And my bow was renewed in my hand] That is, I had fresh and new supplies of strength, by friends and otherwise, outwardly and inwardly, according to that above, Job 17:9, "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." Robur meum instaurabitur maiusque reddetur (Vatab.). See Gen 49:24 1Sa 2:4.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Job_29:20

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Freshness

The text tells us of the renown of Job, and of the way in which the providence of God continued to maintain the glory of his estate, his bodily health, and his prosperity, His glory was fresh in him. He did not achieve a hasty fame, and then suddenly become forgotten. He did not blaze out like a meteor, and then vanish into darkness. He says that his bow was renewed in his hand: whereas usually the bow loses its force by use, and is less able to shoot the arrow after a little while, and needs to lie still with a slack string, it was by no means so with him. He could send one arrow, and then another, and then another, and the bow seemed to gather strength by use. That is to say, he never seemed to be worn out in mind or body. However, this did not last always, for Job in this chapter is telling us of something that used to be--something that was--some-thing the loss of which he very sorrowfully deplored--my glory was fresh in me. He found himself suddenly stripped of riches and of honour, and put last in the list instead of first. So far as glory was concerned, he was forgotten as a dead man out of mind. This reads us a lesson that we put not our trust in the stability of earthly things.

I. First, then, notice the excellency of freshness. I shall be anointed with fresh oil (Psa_92:10). David had been anointed while still a youth to be king over Israel. He was anointed yet again when he came to the kingdom: that outward anointing with actual oil was the testimony of Gods choice and the ensign of Davids authorisation, and oftentimes when his throne seemed precarious God confirmed him in it, and subdued the people under him. When his dominion waxed weak, God strengthened him and strengthened his servants, and gave them great victories; so that as a king he was frequently anointed with fresh oil. Freshness is a most delightful thing if you see it in another. It is a charm in nature. How pleasant to go into the garden and see the spring flowers just peeping up. How agreeable to mark the rills, with their fresh water leaping down the hills after showers of rain. But spiritual freshness has a double charm. Sometimes we know what it is to have a freshness of soul, which is the dew from the Lord.

1. How that freshness is seen in a mans devotions. Oh, I have heard some prayers that are really fusty. I have heard them before so often that I dread the old familiar sounds. Some hackneyed expressions I recollect hearing when I was a boy. But, on the other hand, you hear a man pray who does pray, whose soul is fully in communion with God, and what life and freshness is there!

2. And so it is well to have a freshness about our feelings. I know that we do not hope to be saved by our feelings; neither do we put feeling side by side with faith; yet I should be very sorry to be trusting and yet never feeling. Whether it be joy or sorrow, let it be living feeling, fresh from the deep fountains of the heart. Whether it be exultation or depression, let it be true and not superficial or simulated. I hate the excitement which needs to be pumped up. God keep us from stale feelings, and give us freshness of emotion.

3. I believe that there is a very great beauty and excellence in freshness of utterance. Do not hinder yourself from that.

4. There should be a freshness, dear friends, about our labour. We ought to serve the Lord today with just as much novelty in it as there was ten years ago.

II. Now I will dwell upon the fear of losing it--the fear of its departure. I have heard some express the thought that perhaps the things of God might lose their freshness to us by our familiarity with them. I think that the very reverse will turn out to be the case if the familiarity be that of a sanctified heart. Let me tell you some points on which, I fear, we have good ground of alarm, for we do our best to rob ourselves of all life and freshness. Christian people can lose the freshness of their own selves by imitating one another. By adopting as our model some one form of the Christian life other than that which is embodied in the person of our Lord we shall soon manufacture a set of paste gems, but the diamond flash and glory will be unknown. Another way of spoiling your freshness is by repression. The feebler sort of Christians dare not say, feel, or do until they have asked their leaders leave. If we want to keep up our freshness, however, the main thing is never to fall into neglect about our souls. Do you know what state the man is generally in when you are charmed by his freshness? Is he not in fine health? Let the fountain of the heart be right, and then the freshness will speedily be seen. I have shogun you the things by which a man may lose his freshness; avoid them carefully.

III. I close with the third point, which is this precious word which gives us hope of its renewal. Let us not think that we must grow stale, and heavenly things grow old with us: For, first, our God in whom we trust renews the face of the year. He is beginning His work again in the fair processes of nature. The dreary winter has passed away. Put your trust, in God, who renews the face of the earth, and look for His Spirit to revive you. Moreover, there is an excellent reason why you may expect to have all your freshness coming back again: it is because Christ dwells in you. Then there is the other grand doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. He dwells in you. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My renown, like my bodily health, was continually fresh.

bow--Metaphor from war, for, my strength, which gains me "renown," was ever renewed (Jer 49:35).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 20. My glory was fresh in me] My vegetative power was great; my glory - my splendid blossom, large and mellow fruit, was always in season, and in every season.

My bow was renewed] I was never without means to accomplish all my wishes. I had prosperity everywhere.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. His “glory,” i. e. high respect and rank, would continue “fresh,” lit. new, never be tarnished or diminished. His bow, symbol of strength and power, would like a tree renew its freshness and suppleness in his hand.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My glory was,.... "Is" or "shall be";

fresh in me; or "new" (g); renewed day by day, having fresh additions made unto it; which was true of Job's temporal honour from among men; as a prince and civil magistrate, he had the honour given him that was due unto him, and this was continually increasing; and also of his spiritual glory, which lay, as every good man's glory does, in the grace of God wrought in him, and in the righteousness of Christ put upon him, Psa 45:9; which grace is renewed and increased in them by the Holy Spirit, and is therefore called the renewing of the Holy Ghost; and which righteousness is revealed "from faith to faith", Rom 1:17, from a lesser degree of it to a greater:

and my bow was renewed in my hand; "is" or "shall be"; meaning either his authority as a civil magistrate, increasing daily to the terror of evildoers, and to the praise, profit, and defence of them that did well; or his strength, as Gersom interprets it, his spiritual strength, as in Isa 40:31; where the same word is used as here; so that he grew stronger and stronger in faith and other graces, and went from strength to strength; the bow was a warlike instrument, and required strength to draw it, and is put for it; see Gen 48:22.

(g) "nova", Mercerus, Piscator, Michaelis, Schultens.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

My glory was fresh in me - Margin, “new.” “As we say, the man shall not overlive himself.” Umbreit. The idea is, that he was not exhausted; he continued in vigor and strength. The image is probably taken from that suggested in the previous verse - from a tree, whose beauty and vigor were continued by the waters, and by the dew that lay on its branches.

And my bow - An emblem of vigor and strength. The ancients fought with the bow, and hence, a man who was able to keep his bow constantly drawn, was an image of undiminished and unwearied vigor; compare Gen 49:24 : “But his bow abode in strength.”

Was renewed in my hand - Margin, as in Hebrew “changed.” The meaning is, that it constantly renewed its strength. The idea is taken from a tree, which “changes” by renewing its leaves, beauty, and vigor; Isa 9:10; compare Job 14:7. The sense is that his bow gathered strength in his hand. The figure is very common in Arabic poetry, many specimens of which may be seen in Schultens in loc.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Bow, strength. I thought my glory would never end. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

My glory was fresh; the reputation which I had gained by my just and virtuous life was not decaying, but growing, and every day augmented with the accession of new honours.

In me, Heb. with me.

My bow, i.e. my strength, which is signified by a bow, Gen 49:24; 1Sa 2:4, because in ancient times the bow and arrows were principal instruments of war.

Was renewed, Heb. changed itself, i.e. grew as it were a new bow, when other bows by much use grow weak and useless. Or, changed its strength, which word may be here understood, as it is expressed, Isa 40:31, i.e. hath got new strength.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. By glory he means honour with God and man. The bow, the principal weapon of the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, and Hebrews, was a recognised symbol of strength and dignity.

Renewed — The same word as in Job_14:7; “sprout again.” The dead bow should revive, a figure expressive of renewed life and vigour.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My glory was fresh in me; i.e. "my glory remained fresh received no tarnish, continued as bright as it had been at the first. And my bow was renewed in my hand. My strength did not fail. When it seemed on the point of failing, it was secretly and mysteriously "renewed." Some commentators regard vers. 19 and 20 as a portion of the speech begun in ver. 18, and view the verbs, not as past tenses, but as futures (compare the translation of the Revised Version). The general meaning is much the same, whichever of the two views we take.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Glory - My reputation was growing every day. Bow - My strength which is signified by a bow, Gen. xlix, 24; 1 Sam. ii, 4, because in ancient times the bow and arrows were the principal instruments of war.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The honor in me is always fresh

The abstract noun "honor" can be expressed with the verb "honor." Here "fresh" represents the honor being constantly given. AT: "People constantly give me honor" or "People always honor me" (See: Abstract Nouns)

the bow of my strength is always new in my hand

A new bow is very strong. Job's bow of strength in his hand represents his physical strength. AT: "I am always strong like a new bow" (See: Metaphor)

my speech dropped like water on them

Here "dropped like water on them" represents refreshing the people who heard him. The abstract noun "speech" can be translated with the verb "speak" or "say." AT: "my speech refreshed their hearts as drops of water refresh people's bodies" or "what I said to them refreshed them like drops of water" (See: Simile and Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

honor

bow and arrow

word

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And I thought that my honor would be renewed. which is with meconstantly.

and my bow And my strength will constantly change for the better.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.