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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Job 29:16

I was a father to the needy, and I defended them in court, even if they were strangers.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beneficence;   Poor;   Thompson Chain Reference - Helpfulness;   Social Duties;   Work-Workers, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Liberality;   Magistrates;   Poor, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Poor;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Poor and Poverty, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Alms;   Father;   Job;   Poor;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Job, the Book of;   Justice;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Interesting facts about the bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Father;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Poor;   Search;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ethics;   Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I was a father to the needy,and I examined the case of the stranger.
Hebrew Names Version
I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
King James Version
I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
English Standard Version
I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
New Century Version
I was like a father to needy people, and I took the side of strangers who were in trouble.
New English Translation
I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;
Amplified Bible
"I was a father to the needy; I investigated the case I did not know [and assured justice].
New American Standard Bible
"I was a father to the poor, And I investigated the case which I did not know.
World English Bible
I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I was a father vnto the poore, and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently.
Legacy Standard Bible
I was a father to the needy,And I searched out the case which I did not know.
Berean Standard Bible
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
Complete Jewish Bible
I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the problems of those I didn't know.
Darby Translation
I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;
Easy-to-Read Version
I was like a father to the poor. I helped people I didn't even know win their case in court.
George Lamsa Translation
I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Good News Translation
I was like a father to the poor and took the side of strangers in trouble.
Lexham English Bible
I was a father to the poor, and I investigated the stranger's legal dispute.
Literal Translation
I was father to the poor, and the cause which I did not know, I searched out.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I was a father vnto the poore, & whe I knew not their cause, I sought it out diligetly.
American Standard Version
I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
Bible in Basic English
I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
King James Version (1611)
I was a father to the poore: and the cause which I knewe not, I searched out.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I was a father to the poore: and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
English Revised Version
I was a father to the needy: and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
Update Bible Version
I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I didn't know I searched out.
Webster's Bible Translation
I [was] a father to the poor: and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out.
New King James Version
I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.
New Living Translation
I was a father to the poor and assisted strangers who needed help.
New Life Bible
I was a father to those in need. And I helped those I did not know who had a need.
New Revised Standard
I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
Douay-Rheims Bible
I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
Revised Standard Version
I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
Young's Literal Translation
A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know.

Contextual Overview

7 When I sat down at the meeting of the city council, 8 the young leaders stepped aside, 9 while the older ones stood 10 and remained silent. 11 Everyone was pleased with what I said and did. 12 When poor people or orphans cried out for help, I came to their rescue. 13 And I was highly praised for my generosity to widows and others in poverty. 14 Kindness and justice were my coat and hat; 15 I was good to the blind and to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I defended them in court, even if they were strangers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a father: Job 31:18, Esther 2:7, Psalms 68:5, Ephesians 5:1, James 1:27

the cause: Exodus 18:26, Deuteronomy 13:14, Deuteronomy 17:8-10, 1 Kings 3:16-28, Proverbs 25:2, Proverbs 29:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 39:19 - heard Genesis 45:8 - father Exodus 18:21 - men Judges 17:10 - a father 2 Samuel 14:8 - I will give Ezra 6:1 - and search Ezra 10:16 - to examine the matter Psalms 82:4 - Deliver Proverbs 18:13 - that Proverbs 24:25 - them Proverbs 31:9 - General Ezekiel 18:17 - hath taken Luke 14:13 - call

Cross-References

Genesis 29:25
The next morning Jacob found out that he had married Leah, and he asked Laban, "Why did you do this to me? Didn't I work to get Rachel? Why did you trick me?"
Genesis 29:32
Leah gave birth to a son and named him Reuben, because she said, "The Lord has taken away my sorrow. Now my husband will love me more than he does Rachel."
Genesis 30:19
When Leah had another son,
Genesis 31:4
Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his sheep,
Genesis 33:2
The two servant women, Zilpah and Bilhah, together with their children went first, followed by Leah and her children, then by Rachel and Joseph.
Genesis 35:23
Jacob had twelve sons while living in northern Syria. His first-born Reuben was the son of Leah, who later gave birth to Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Leah's servant Zilpah had two sons: Gad and Asher. Jacob and his wife Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel's servant woman Bilhah had two more sons: Dan and Naphtali.
Ruth 4:11
The town leaders and the others standing there said: We are witnesses to this. And we pray that the Lord will give your wife many children, just as he did Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob. May you be a rich man in the tribe of Ephrath and an important man in Bethlehem.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I [was] a father to the poor,.... Not in a literal sense; for his children were rich as well as himself, while he had them; but in a civil sense, he was the patron of the poor; he was an advocate for them, he took their part, he pleaded their cause, defended their persons, and secured the little property they had; he had the pity and compassion of a father for them, and supplied their wants; he fed them and clothed them; he did not eat his morsel alone, but gave them part of it, and warmed them with the fleece of his flock:

and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out; any cause that was brought before him, he knew thing of before, and which, upon the opening of it, did not appear plain and easy, but had its difficulties; this he closely examined, and searched thoroughly into the merits of, till it appeared plain to him on which side the truth and justice of it lay; he did not hurry it over, and pass sentence, having only in a superficial manner considered it, as is too often the case; but after a long examination of the contending parties, and of the witnesses on both sides, to whom he gave an impartial hearing, he pronounced the decisive sentence; see Proverbs 25:2. Some think this refers to his diligent search and inquiry after causes that were not brought before him; he did, not wait for application to be made to him, but hearing of, or upon inquiry finding, that there were persons oppressed and distressed by cruel men, he of himself voluntarily offered his assistance, searched into their cause, made himself master of it, and freed them from their distresses; so different were his behaviour and character from that of the unjust judge, Luke 18:1; though others, choose to render the words, "the cause of him that I knew not", c. t of a stranger, of one that he had never seen before, of one that was most unknown to him in the world; the cause of such an one he took as, much pains with to get the true knowledge of, and do justice to, as of the dearest relation, the nearest neighbour, and the most intimate friend and acquaintance that he had.

t ידעתי "quem non cognoveram", Junius Tremellius, Michaelis "ignotissimi", Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I was a father to the poor - I took them under my protection, and treated them as if they were my own children.

And the cause which I knew not I searched out - This is according to the interpretation of Jerome. But the more probable meaning is, “the cause of him who was unknown to me, that is, of the stranger, I searched out.” So Rosenmuller, Herder, Umbreit, and Good. According to this, the sense is, that, as a magistrate, he gave particular attention to the cause of the stranger, and investigated it with care. It is possible that Job here designs specifically to reply to the charge brought against him by Eliphaz in Job 22:6 ff. The duty of showing particular attention to the stranger is often inculcated in the Bible, and was regarded as essential to a character of uprightness and piety among the Orientals.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 29:16. The cause which I knew not I searched out. — When any thing difficult occurred, I did not give it a slight consideration; I examined it to the bottom, whatever pain, time, and trouble it cost me, that I might not pronounce a hasty judgment.


 
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