Job 29:2
Job 29:2 in Multiple Translations
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;
If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
“I wish I was back in the old days when God looked after me!
Oh that I were as in times past, when God preserued me!
Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 29:2
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 29:2 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מִֽי
יִתְּנֵ֥/נִי
כְ/יַרְחֵי
קֶ֑דֶם
כִּ֝/ימֵ֗י
אֱל֣וֹהַּ
יִשְׁמְרֵֽ/נִי
מִֽי
mîy
H4310
who?
Part
יִתְּנֵ֥/נִי
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
כְ/יַרְחֵי
yerach
H3391
month
Prep | N-mp
קֶ֑דֶם
qedem
H6924
front
N-ms
כִּ֝/ימֵ֗י
yôwm
H3117
day
Prep | N-mp
אֱל֣וֹהַּ
ʼĕlôwahh
H433
god
N-ms
יִשְׁמְרֵֽ/נִי
shâmar
H8104
to keep
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 29:2
מִֽי
mîy
H4310
"who?"
Part
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Definition: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Usage: Occurs in 342 OT verses. KJV: any (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God. See also: Genesis 3:11; 2 Samuel 15:4; Psalms 4:7.
יִתְּנֵ֥/נִי
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
כְ/יַרְחֵי
yerach
H3391
"month"
Prep | N-mp
This word refers to a month or lunar cycle. It is also translated as moon in some contexts, and is used to describe a calendar month.
Definition: 1) month (lunar cycle), moon 1a) month 1b) calendar month Aramaic equivalent: ye.rach (יְרַח "month" H3393)
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: month, moon. See also: Exodus 2:2; 2 Kings 15:13; Isaiah 60:20.
קֶ֑דֶם
qedem
H6924
"front"
N-ms
The front or east direction, often used to describe a location or time, such as in the book of Ezekiel where it describes the direction of the temple. It can also mean something is ancient or from the past, like the stories in Genesis.
Definition: : east 1) east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime 1a) front, from the front or east, in front, mount of the East 1b) ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time 1c) anciently, of old (adverb) 1d) beginning 1e) east
Usage: Occurs in 83 OT verses. KJV: aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare H6926 (קִדְמָה). See also: Genesis 2:8; Nehemiah 12:46; Psalms 44:2.
כִּ֝/ימֵ֗י
yôwm
H3117
"day"
Prep | N-mp
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
אֱל֣וֹהַּ
ʼĕlôwahh
H433
"god"
N-ms
Eloah refers to God or a deity, and is used to describe the one true God or false gods. It is often translated as God in the KJV, and is related to the word Elohim, which also refers to God.
Definition: 1) God 2) false god Aramaic equivalent: e.lah (אֱלָהּ "god" H0426)
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: God, god. See H430 (אֱלֹהִים). See also: Deuteronomy 32:15; Job 22:26; Psalms 18:32.
יִשְׁמְרֵֽ/נִי
shâmar
H8104
"to keep"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
To keep or obey means to protect, attend to, or guard something, like keeping a promise or watching over someone, as seen in the commands to observe the Sabbath.
Definition: : obey/observe 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep, have charge of 1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 1a3) to watch for, wait for 1a4) to watch, observe 1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory) 1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain 1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow) 1a8) to keep, preserve, protect 1a9) to keep, reserve 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware 1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain 1b3) to be kept, be guarded 1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed 1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
Usage: Occurs in 440 OT verses. KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man). See also: Genesis 2:15; Deuteronomy 11:1; 1 Kings 14:8.
Study Notes — Job 29:2
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 29:2 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 29:2
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 29:2
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 29:2
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 29:2
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 29:2
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 29:2
- Cambridge Bible on Job 29:2
- Barnes' Notes on Job 29:2
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 29:2
- Sermons on Job 29:2
Context — Job’s Former Blessings
1And Job continued his discourse:
2“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness, 4when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 1:10 | Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. |
| 2 | Job 1:1–5 | There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 31:28 | Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. |
| 4 | Job 7:3 | So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me. |
| 5 | Jude 1:1 | Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ: |
| 6 | Psalms 37:28 | For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. |
Job 29:2 Summary
In this verse, Job is expressing a deep longing for the past when he felt God's presence and protection in his life. He remembers a time when God watched over him and guided him, even in difficult times. This reminds us that God is always with us, even when we don't feel His presence, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28. We can trust that God is watching over us, just as He watched over Job, and that He has a plan to prosper us and give us hope for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Job expressing in this verse?
Job is expressing a deep sense of longing for the past when he felt God's presence and protection in his life, as seen in Job 29:2, and this is a common human emotion expressed throughout the Bible, such as in Psalm 42:1-2 where the psalmist longs for God's presence.
Why does Job mention the months gone by?
Job mentions the months gone by because he is reminiscing about a time when he felt God's watchful care over him, which is a theme also found in Psalm 23:4 where David writes about God's presence in the darkest valleys.
Is it okay to feel nostalgic for the past like Job does in this verse?
While it's natural to feel nostalgic for the past, as Job does in Job 29:2, the Bible encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness in all circumstances, as seen in Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11.
How can we apply Job's sentiment to our own lives?
We can apply Job's sentiment by reflecting on our own experiences of God's presence and care, and trusting that He is always with us, even in difficult times, as promised in Hebrews 13:5 and Matthew 28:20.
Reflection Questions
- What are some times in my life when I felt God's presence and care, and how can I reflect on those experiences to strengthen my faith?
- How can I, like Job, trust that God is watching over me even when I don't feel His presence?
- In what ways can I cultivate a sense of nostalgia for God's past workings in my life, while still trusting in His sovereignty over my present and future?
- What are some things that I can do to 'watch' for God's presence in my life, just as Job felt God watching over him?
- How can I use my experiences of God's presence to encourage others who may be going through difficult times?
Gill's Exposition on Job 29:2
Oh that I were as [in] months past,.... Which is either an earnest wish for restoration to his former state of outward prosperity; which he might desire, not through impatience and discontent under
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 29:2
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; Preserved me - from calamity.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 29:2
To wit, from all those miseries which now I feel. This he desires, not only for his own ease and comfort, but also for the vindication of his reputation, and of the honour of religion, which suffered by his means: for as his calamities were the only ground of all their hard speeches and censures of him, as a man forsaken and hated by God; so he rightly judged that this ground being removed, and his posterity restored, his friends would take it for a token of God’ s favour to him, and beget in them a milder and better opinion of him.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 29:2
Job 29:2 Oh that I were as [in] months past, as [in] the days [when] God preserved me;Ver. 2. Oh that I were as in months past] O mihi praeteritos, &c. Though Job desireth not so much to be young again (which to be Chiron and Cato are said seriously to have refused, Secundum menses antiquitatis vel anteaetatis) as to prosper again; for this is what we all covet; but we shrink in the shoulder when called to carry the cross. To show his earnest desire, he redoubled his wish, as in the days, &c., and God answered him to the full, by redoubling upon him his former prosperity; not for days and months, but for various years together; and by giving him again all things richly to enjoy. So liberal is the Lord to his, that he many times giveth them more than heart can wish. When God preserved me] That he acknowledged God to be the author of his earthly felicity was well done; but not so well to think that God preserved him not, because he prospered him not. See the like Job 29:5. God oft wraps himself up in a cloud, and will not be seen till afterwards; but his hand is ever upon all them for good that seek him, Ezekiel 18:21-22, he knoweth their souls in adversity, Psalms 31:7.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 29:2
(2) Preserved.—Or, watched over me. When does God not watch over us, if we only knew it?
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 29:2
Verse 2. O that I were as in months past] Job seems here to make an apology for his complaints, by taking a view of his former prosperity, which was very great, but was now entirely at an end. He shows that it was not removed because of any bad use he had made of it; and describes how he behaved himself before God and man, and how much, for justice, benevolence, and mercy, he was esteemed and honoured by the wise and good. Preserved me] Kept, guarded, and watched over me.
Cambridge Bible on Job 29:2
2. Job begins with a pathetic expression of regret as he remembers happier times. His former happiness was due to God’s preserving or watching over him, and the loss of it was due to God’s forsaking him.
Barnes' Notes on Job 29:2
Oh that I were - Hebrew “Who will give?” a common mode of expressing a wish; compare Job 6:8; Job 11:5; Job 13:5; Job 23:3.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 29:2
First division — JOB’S VIEW OF LONG , — A ARISING FROM WITH GOD AND WELL DOING TO MEN, chap.
Sermons on Job 29:2
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Job by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Job from the Bible. He highlights the various trials and tribulations that Job faced, including the loss of his possessions, the |
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The Book of Job by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the speaker recounts the story of Job from the Bible. Job, a wealthy and righteous man, experiences a series of devastating losses, including the death of his child |
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(Job: An Epic in Brokenness) 3. the Message of Elihu by Roy Hession | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the book of Job and its various chapters. He highlights how Job's friends were amazed and stopped speaking, allowing Job to finally have a ch |
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God's Truth About Responsibility by Russell Kelfer | In this sermon, the preacher addresses the controversial topic of responsibility and who is to blame for our problems. He discusses the common belief that Satan is responsible for |
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Spiritual Fluctuations by A.W. Pink | A.W. Pink explores the concept of 'Spiritual Fluctuations,' emphasizing that true Christians experience significant changes in their spiritual lives, contrasting with those who mai |
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Spiritual Sickness and Health by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot preaches on the importance of soul-prosperity, drawing from 3 John 2 where John wishes Gaius to prosper and be in health as his soul prospers. Philpot explains the dif |
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Oh That I Were as in the Months of Old! by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on Job's lamentation about longing for the past, drawing parallels to the human tendency to romanticize earlier days of faith. He emphasizes the importance of d |