Job 29:24

Job 29:24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

Ver. 24. If I laughed on them, they believed it not] They took it for a great favour, and could hardly think that I would grace them so far as to smile upon them, or jest with them; which if I did at any time, they were over joyed, Ecc 10:19. Ingenii fructus tenuissimus eat risus, saith Cicero (de Orat. lib. 2). To break a jest is no such witty thing as men conceit it. Howbeit, a harmless jest (that hath nothing in it which may justly grieve or offend another) may very well consistent with piety and Christian gravity; whatever some sour Anabaptists have held to the contrary. Jocularity indeed and scurrility are strictly forbidden, and reckoned among those τα ανηκοντα, things that conduce not to the main end of our lives, Eph 5:4. But Socrates would be very merry when he liked his company; yet so as that his mirth should be some way profitable, saith Xenophon, lib. 4, de Dict. et Fact. (Socr.) And Erasmus did the Papists more prejudice by his jesting, saith a grave author, than Luther did by his stomaching and storming. Good men’s jests should have something in them of seriousness and usefulness. All their speeches should be seasoned with salt of grace; and in the midst of their recreations they should show that their best affections are upon better things. Great care must be taken, that too much familiarity with those below us breed not contempt; which some think is means by the next clause, "And the light of my countenance they cast not down"; or, Yet the light, &c., that is, they did not slight me because of this familiar carriage; they did not therefore count me ridiculous and vain as men did that Rodulphus, the 35th archbishop of Canterbury, that succeeded Anselm; whom, for his jesting and merry toys, unbeseeming the gravity of his age and place, they surnamed or rather nicknamed, Nugax, the trifler. Sed authoritatem meam non spernebant, nihilomin, us me reverebantur, They despised not mine authority, they reverenced me no whit the less (Vatablus); but rather they took care that nothing might be done whereby of merry I might be made sad; they cherished this sign of complacency in me as a rare thing, and so much the more accepted as less expected and unusual; neither would they be so bold and so bob with me as to return me jest for jest, as if I had been their compeer and hail fellow well met. One paraphrast, Mr Abbot, senseth the whole verse thus: If I by my smiles gave any intimation of my suspicion of any report or business, it was presently distrusted and dissented from of all the rest. And on the other hand; my least countenance or show of approbation to any cause was observed of others, as a rule to go by. He goes on to give the meaning of the next words thus:

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 29:24. If I laughed on them — That is, carried myself familiarly and pleasantly with them; they believed it not — It was so acceptable to them to see me well pleased with them, and cheerful among them, that they could scarcely believe their eyes and ears which testified that it was so. And the light of my countenance they cast not down — My familiarity with them did not produce presumption in them to say or do any thing that might grieve me, or make my countenance to fall. They were very cautious not to abuse my smiles, nor to give me any occasion to change my countenance or carriage toward them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, they thought it not to be a rest, or they thought not that I would condescend unto them.

They were afraid to offend me and cause me to be angry.

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

When I relaxed from my wonted gravity (a virtue much esteemed in the East) and smiled, they could hardly credit it; and yet, notwithstanding my condescension, they did not cast aside reverence for my gravity. But the parallelism is better in UMBREIT'S translation, "I smiled kindly on those who trusted not," that is, in times of danger I cheered those in despondency. And they could not cast down (by their despondency) my serenity of countenance (flowing from trust in God) (Pro 16:15; Psa 104:15). The opposite phrase (Gen 4:5-6). "Gravity" cannot well be meant by "light of countenance."

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 24. I laughed on them, they believed it not] Similar to that expression in the Gospel, Lu 24:41: And while they believed not for joy, and wondered, he said __. Our version is sufficiently perspicuous, and gives the true sense of the original, only it should be read in the indicative and not in the subjunctive mood: I laughed on them - they believed it not. We have a similar phrase: The news was too good to be true.

The light of my countenance] This evidence of my benevolence and regard. A smile is, metaphorically, the light of the countenance.

They cast not down.] They gave me no occasion to change my sentiments or feelings towards them. I could still smile upon them, and they were then worthy of my approbation. Their change he refers to in the beginning of the next chapter.

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

(24) If I laughed on them.—That is, “They would not believe that I could be so affable to them, could so condescend to them—they looked up to me with the greatest deference.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. The verse means rather,

I laughed on them, when they had no confidence,

And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

Job, with his broader insight and more capable counsel, smiled on those who were perplexed and despondent; what seemed insurmountable difficulty or threatened disaster to them, seemed to him a thing easy to overcome and nothing to create alarm; while on the other hand the despondency of others was never able to cloud the cheerfulness of his countenance, so full was his mind of resource.

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.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not,.... Not that he at any time laughed at them, by way of derision; but when in a cheerful frame of mind, or in a merry mood, he used freedom and familiarity, and jested with them; but they could not believe that he did jest, or was in jest, he being a man always of such gravity and seriousness, that they concluded the smile on his countenance, and the pleasant turn of his expression, had a serious meaning in them; or such familiarity with them was so pleasing to them, that they could scarcely for joy believe that he did condescend to indulge such an air of pleasantry: or as Mr. Broughton renders it, and so some others to the same sense, "they would not be bold" (i); familiarity with them did not breed contempt, as it sometimes does; they did not presume upon it, and grow bold and insolent, and make him their equal, and jest with him again; but still there was an awe upon them, and they behaved with reverence to him; and to show how great it was is the design of the expression:

and the light of my countenance they cast not down; they did not ruffle his mind, or disturb the serenity of it; or cause him to change his countenance, through any bold and indecent behaviour towards him, encouraged by the freedom and pleasantry he used with them; they did not put him to shame, or provoke him to anger and displeasure by any unbecoming deportment; they kept their distance, they did not detract from his authority and majesty, or in the least lessen that, but behaved with the same reverence and regard to him they ever did; see Gen 4:6.

(i) "non tamen sibi sumebant audaciam", Michaelis; "neque tam audaces fiunt", Reimar apud Schultens.

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

If I laughed on them they believed it not - There is considerable variety in the interpretation of this member of the verse. Dr. Good renders it, “I smiled upon them, and they were gay.” Herder, If I laughed at them, they were not offended.” Coverdale,” When I laughed, they knew well it was not earnest.” Schultens, “I will laugh at them, they are not secure.” But Rosenmuller, Jun. et Trem., Noyes and Umbreit, accord with the sense given in our common translation. The Hebrew literally is, “Should I laugh upon them, they did not confide;” and, according to Rosenmuller, the meaning is, “Such was the reverence for my gravity, that if at any time I relaxed in my severity of manner, they would scarcely believe it, nor did they omit any of their reverence toward me, as if familiarity with the great should produce contempt.” Grotius explains it to mean, “Even my jests, they thought, contained something serious.” The word used here, however (שׂחק śâchaq), means not only to laugh or smile upon, but; to laugh at, or deride; Psa 52:6; Job 30:1; compare Job 5:22; Job 39:7; Job 22:19. It seems to me, that the sense is that so great was his influence, that he was able to control them even with a smile, without saying a word; that if, when a measure was proposed in debate, he should even smile, though he said nothing, they would have no confidence in it, but would at once abandon it as unwise. No higher influence than this can be well conceived, and this exposition accords with the general course of remark, where Job traces along the various degrees of his influence until he comes to this, the highest of them all.

And the light of my countenance they cast not down - His smile of favor on an undertaking, or his smile at the weakness or lack of wisdom of any thing proposed, they could not resist. It settled the matter. They had not power by their arguments or moral courage to resist him even if he did not say a word, or even to change the aspect of his countenance. A look, a token of approbation or disapprobation from him, was enough.

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

Earth, with neglect. (Calmet) --- My attendants could scarcely believe their own eyes, through joy, (Haydock) when I assumed a more familiar air with them. (Calmet) --- They still revered my authority. (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).

If I laughed on them, or sported or jested with them, i.e. carried myself familiarly and pleasantly with them.

They believed it not; it was so acceptable to them to see me well-pleased with them, that they could scarce believe their eyes and ears that it was so: compare Gen 45:26; Psa 126:1.

The light of my countenance they cast not down; my familiarity did not breed contempt or presumption in them to say or do any thing that might grieve me, or make my countenance to fall, as it doth in case of shame or sorrow, Gen 4:5. They were very cautious not to abuse my smiles, nor to give me any occasion to change my countenance or carriage towards them.

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

24. Believed it not — They could not believe that he would condescend so much as to smile upon them. According to others, “I smiled upon them,” to infuse confidence, when “they believed not” — were despairing.

Light of my countenance — A figure common to the Scriptures founded upon emotional expression through the face. Anger darkens, benignity and grace light up, the countenance. To cast down its light, then, would be to disturb its serenity, or cause sadness.

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

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; rather, if I smiled on them. If, as a mark of favour, I smiled on any, they thought it such graciousness and condescension that they could scarcely believe it possible. And the light of my countenance they cast not down. They never put me out of countenance, or made me sad and gloomy, by opposing my views and ranging themselves against me.

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

Laughed - Carried myself so familiarly with them, that they could scarce believe their eyes and ears. Cast not down - They were cautious not to give me any occasion to change my countenance towards them.

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

they would not believe it that I was jesting with them, because of my esteem[ed position].

and they would not cast down the light of my countenance They were afraid to get near me and to become familiar with me.

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.