Job 29:23

Job 29:23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.

Ver. 23. And they waited for me as for the rain] Which in those hot countries was highly prized, and dearly longed for.

And they opened their mouth wide] Stupebant, me loquente, et ore hiabant; they gaped, as if they would have eaten my words; they listened as for life.

As for the latter rain] A rain which came very seldom in that country, saith Diodati; but was much desired for the refreshing and nourishing of the grain and other fruits and benefits of the earth, Pro 26:1 Zec 10:1. Merlin collecteth from this text that Job came not into the public assemblies there to speak, and give counsel, but upon deliberate premeditation. Demosthenes would not be drawn to speak extemporarily to an audience. Aristides being by the emperor put upon such a task, answered, Propound today, and I will answer tomorrow; for I am not of those that spit or vomit out my conceptions; but of those that weigh things before I utter them, and polish before I publish them, ου γαρ εσμεν των εμουντων αλλα των ακριβουντων. Mr Bradshaw was called the weighing divine; and Melancthon took time to answer Eckius’s cavils, though by him and his Popish party he was jeered for so doing. It must be an elaborate speech that shall persuade or prevail much. Among the Romans the prince was not to be treated with otherwise than by writing. Caesar brought in this custom, that he might have time to consider that which was demanded, and what answer to return. Augustus sermones libello habuit, ne plus minusve loqueretur, Augustus had his speeches set down in a book, lest he should say more or less than what he thought of (Sueton.).

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.

As the dry ground thirsteth for the rain.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Image of Job 29:22 continued. They waited for my salutary counsel, as the dry soil does for the refreshing rain.

opened . . . mouth--panted for; Oriental image (Psa 119:131). The "early rain" is in autumn and onwards, while the seed is being sown. The "latter rain" is in March, and brings forward the harvest, which ripens in May or June. Between the early and latter rains, some rain falls, but not in such quantities as those rains. Between March and October no rain falls (Deu 11:14; Jam 5:7).

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 23. They waited for me as for the rain] The idea continued. They longed as much to hear me speak, to receive my counsel and my decisions, as the thirsty land does for refreshing waters.

They opened their mouth wide] A metaphor taken from ground chapped with long drought.

The latter rain.] The rain that falls a little before harvest, in order to fill and perfect the grain. The former rain is that which falls about seed-time, or in spring, in order to impregnate and swell the seed, and moisten the earth to produce its nourishment.

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

And they waited for me as for the rain,.... The former rain, as appears by the following clause, which fell in autumn, about October, after seedtime, in order to nourish and cherish it, and bring it up; now as the husbandman waited for this, was in daily expectation of it, and greatly desired it, and longed for it; see Jam 5:7; so the people waited for Job, for his coming into their public assemblies, whether civil or religious, and longed to hear him speak, for their counsel and instruction, for their comfort and direction in all things they stood in need of:

and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain; which fell in the spring about March, in the time of harvest, which was of use to fatten the kernals of grain, and make them fuller, and the flour finer; now Job's hearers opened their mouths, as the dry and parched earth gapes for rain; or the husbandman, or the gardener, as the Targum, opens his mouth, and asks and prays for rain; or as a hungry and thirsty man opens his mouth to take in refreshment, or expresses thereby his desire of it; or as persons somewhat deaf open their mouths to hear the better, there being a way through the mouth to the internal ear, as anatomists (h) observe; which lies through the Eustachian tube, out of the palate, to the internal cavity of the ear, called the "concha"; wherefore such persons naturally open their mouths when they would hear attentively; all which expresses the eager desire of Job's hearers after his doctrine, which, like the rain, would be useful, profitable, and edifying to them; their view was not to indulge their curiosity, to please their ears, but to affect their hearts, and instruct their minds.

(h) Scheuchzer, ut supra. (Physic. Sacr. l. vol. 4. p. 759.)

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

And they waited for me as for the rain - That is, as the dry and thirsty earth waits for the rain. This is a continuation of the beautiful image commenced in the previous verse, and conveys the idea that his counsel was as necessary in the assemblies of people as the rain was to give growth to the seed, and beauty to the landscape.

And they opened their mouth wide - Expressive of earnest desire; compare Psa 119:131 : “I opened my mouth and panted.”

As for the latter rain - The early and the latter rains are frequently spoken of in the Scriptures, and in Palestine and the adjacent regions are both necessary to the harvest. The early, or autumnal rains, commence in the latter half of October, or the beginning of November, not suddenly, but by degrees, so as to give the husbandman an opportunity to sow his wheat and barley. The rains come mostly from the west, or southwest, continuing for two or three days at a time, and failing especially during the nights. During the months of November and December, they continue to fall heavily; afterward they return only at longer intervals, and are less heavy; but at no period during the winter do they entirely cease to occur. Rain continues to fall more or less during the month of March, but it is rare after that period. The latter rains denote those which fall in the month of March, and which are so necessary in order to bring forward the harvest, which ripens early in May or June. If those rains fail, the harvest materially suffers, and hence, the expressions in the Scriptures, that “the husbandman waits for that rain;” compare Jam 5:7; Pro 16:15. The expression, “the early and the latter rain” seems, unless some material change has occurred in Palestine, not to imply that no rain fell in the interval, but that those rains were usually more copious, or were especially necessary, first for sowing, and then for bringing forward the harvest. In the interval between the “latter” and the “early” rains - between March and October - rain never falls, and the sky is usually serene; see Robinson’s Bibl. Researches, vol. ii. pp. 96-100. The meaning here is, that they who were assembled in counsel, earnestly desired Job to speak, as the farmer desires the rain that will bring forward his crop.

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

Shower, in autumn, at which season only, and in spring, it rained in those countries. (Calmet) (Deuteronomy xi. 14.) (Menochius) --- It would, of course, be very acceptable after the drought of summer, Proverbs xvi. 15.

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).

As for the rain; as the earth or the husbandman waiteth for the rain, to wit, the former rain, of which see Deu 11:14, because the

latter rain is here opposed to it: see Jam 5:7.

They opened their mouth to receive my words, and therewith to satisfy their thirst, as the dry and parched earth gapes or opens its mouth to receive the rain.

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

23. The latter rain — Falls in the months of March and April, and is quite indispensable for the ripening of vegetation.

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

They waited for me as for the rain; i.e. "they were as eager to heat" me speak as the parched ground is to receive the winter rain, which it expects and waits for and absorbs greedily." And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. They drank in my discourse as the spring vegetation drinks in the spring showers, known in the East generally as "the latter rains."

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

They always waited for me as they waited for rain

People waited for Job patiently and expected to hear good things. (See: Simile)

they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words

This represents waiting eagerly for Job to speak in order to benefit from what said. AT: "they eagerly waited for me to speak in order to benefit from what I said" (See: Metaphor)

as they would do for the latter rain

"as farmers wait eagerly for the latter rain"

the latter rain

This refers to the large amount of rain that falls just before the dry season.

I smiled on them

It can be stated clearly that the purpose of smiling was to encourage them. AT: "I smiled on them to encourage them" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

the light of my face

This represents the kindness they saw in Job's face. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

light

face

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

after a long time After a long time they would speak, because most of their time was spent in silence, for they were anxiously waiting to hear my words.

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.