Job 29:24

Myles Coverdale Bible

When I laughed, they knew well it was not earnest: & this testimony of my coutenaunce pleased the nothinge at all.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If I smiled at them, they couldn’t believe it;they were thrilled at the light of my countenance.

Hebrew Names Version
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.

King James Version
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

English Standard Version
I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down.

New Century Version
I smiled at them when they doubted, and my approval was important to them.

New English Translation
If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.

Amplified Bible
"I smiled at them when they did not believe, And they did not diminish the light of my face.

New American Standard Bible
"I smiled at them when they did not believe, And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously.

World English Bible
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If I laughed on them, they beleeued it not: neither did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.

Legacy Standard Bible
I laughed with them as they could not believe it,And the light of my face they did not cast down.

Berean Standard Bible
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

Contemporary English Version
and the smile on my face renewed everyone's hopes.

Complete Jewish Bible
When I joked with them, they couldn't believe it; and they never darkened the light on my face.

Darby Translation
[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

Easy-to-Read Version
I smiled at them, and they could hardly believe it. My smile made them feel better.

George Lamsa Translation
If I ridiculed them, they did not take offense; and they did not turn from the light of my countenance.

Good News Translation
I smiled on them when they had lost confidence; my cheerful face encouraged them.

Lexham English Bible
I smiled for them when they had no confidence in anything, and they did not extinguish the light of my face.

Literal Translation
I laughed on those when they did not believe, and they did not make the light of my face to fall.

American Standard Version
I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

Bible in Basic English
I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

King James Version (1611)
If I laughed on them, they beleeued it not, and the light of my countenance they cast not downe.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When I laughed, they beleued it not, & the light of my countenaunce would they not put out.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe it; and the light of my face has not failed.

English Revised Version
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.

Update Bible Version
I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

Webster's Bible Translation
[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

New King James Version
If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

New Living Translation
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them.

New Life Bible
I looked at them with joy when they were not sure of themselves, and the light of my face gave them comfort.

New Revised Standard
I smiled on them when they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they did not extinguish.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I laughed at them - they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;

Douay-Rheims Bible
If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.

Revised Standard Version
I smiled on them when they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

Young's Literal Translation
I laugh unto them -- they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Therfore, I thought verely, yt I shulde haue dyed in my nest: & yt my dayes shulde haue bene as many as the sondes of the see. ¹⁹ For my rote was spred out by the waters syde, & the dew laye vpo my corne. ²⁰ My honor encreased more & more, and my bowe was euer the stronger in my hande. ²¹ Vnto me men gaue eare, me they regarded, & wt sylence they taried for my coucell. ²² Yf I had spoken, they wolde haue it none other wayes, my wordes were so well taken amonge the. ²³ They wayted for me, as the earth doth for the rayne: & gaped vpon me, as the groude doth to receaue the latter shower. ²⁴ When I laughed, they knew well it was not earnest: & this testimony of my coutenaunce pleased the nothinge at all. ²⁵ When I agreed vnto their waye, I was the chefe, & sat as a kynge amonge his seruauntes: Or as one that comforteth soch as be in heuynesse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they believed: Genesis 45:26, Psalms 126:1, Luke 24:41

the light: Psalms 4:6, Psalms 89:15

Reciprocal: Job 9:16 - would I Job 39:24 - neither Proverbs 16:15 - the light Proverbs 19:6 - will

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai Abrams wife bare him no children: but she had an handmayde an Egipcian, whose name was Agar,

Genesis 24:59
So they let Rebecca their syster go with hir norse and Abrahams seruaunt, and his men.

Genesis 29:9
Whyle he yet talked with them, Rachel came with hir fathers shepe, for she kepte ye shepe.

Genesis 29:12
and tolde her, yt he was hir fathers brother, and ye sonne of Rebecca. Then ranne she, and tolde her father.

Genesis 46:18
These are the children of Silpa, whom Laban gaue vnto Lea his doughter, and she bare vnto Iacob these sixtene soules.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[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 Genesis 4:6.

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

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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; Psalms 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 29:24. I laughed on them, they believed it not — Similar to that expression in the Gospel, Luke 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.