Job 29:4

New Living Translation

When I was in my prime, God's friendship was felt in my home.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I would be as I was in the days of my youthwhen God’s friendship rested on my tent,

Hebrew Names Version
As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;

King James Version
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

English Standard Version
as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,

New Century Version
I wish for the days when I was strong, when God's close friendship blessed my house.

New English Translation
just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

Amplified Bible
As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,

New American Standard Bible
Just as I was in the days of my youth, When the protection of God was over my tent;

World English Bible
As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;

Geneva Bible (1587)
As I was in the dayes of my youth: when Gods prouidence was vpon my tabernacle:

Legacy Standard Bible
As I was in the prime of my days,When the intimate counsel with God was over my tent,

Berean Standard Bible
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

Contemporary English Version
I was in the prime of life, God All-Powerful was my closest friend,

Complete Jewish Bible
as I was when I was young, and God's counsel graced my tent.

Darby Translation
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of +God was over my tent,

Easy-to-Read Version
I wish for the days when I was successful, when I enjoyed God's friendship and blessing in my home.

George Lamsa Translation
O, that I were as in the days when I was in favor, when God abode in my tabernacle;

Good News Translation
Those were the days when I was prosperous, and the friendship of God protected my home.

Lexham English Bible
as when I was in the days of my prime, when God's confiding was over my house,

Literal Translation
as I was in the days of my harvest, when the intimacy with God was on my tent;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As it stode wt me, whe I was welthy & had ynough: whe God prospered my house:

American Standard Version
As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

Bible in Basic English
As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

King James Version (1611)
As I was in the dayes of my youth, when the secret of God was vpon my tabernacle:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
As it stoode with me when I was young, when God prospered my house:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

English Revised Version
As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the secret of God was upon my tent;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.

Update Bible Version
As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was on my tent;

Webster's Bible Translation
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;

New King James Version
Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

New Life Bible
Those days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent.

New Revised Standard
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;

Douay-Rheims Bible
As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?

Revised Standard Version
as I was in my autumn days, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;

Young's Literal Translation
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;

Contextual Overview

¹ Job continued speaking: ² "I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, ³ when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. ⁴ When I was in my prime, God's friendship was felt in my home. ⁵ The Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me. ⁶ My steps were awash in cream, and the rocks gushed olive oil for me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the secret: Job 1:10, Job 15:8, Psalms 25:14, Psalms 27:5, Psalms 91:1, Proverbs 3:32, Colossians 3:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:7 - be accepted

Cross-References

Genesis 11:31
One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.

Genesis 24:10
Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled.

Genesis 27:43
So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran.

Genesis 28:10
Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran.

Acts 7:2
This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.

Acts 7:4
So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As I was in the days of my youth,.... Either taken literally, he being one like Obadiah, that feared God from his youth upward,

1 Kings 18:3; or figuratively, for his former state of prosperity, when he was like a tree in autumn laden with ripe and rich fruit, and in great abundance; and so some render the words "in the days of my autumn", or "autumnity" r; though it may respect the time of his first conversion, the infancy and youth of his spiritual state, who, when first regenerated, was as a newborn babe, and then became a young man, and now a father in Christ, his living Redeemer: and Job wishes it was with him as in his youth, or in the early days of his conversion, at which season, generally speaking, there are great zeal and fervency of spirit, a flow of love and affection to God and the best things; large discoveries of his love, much sensible communion with him, and enjoyment of his presence; wherefore such returning seasons are desirable; see Jeremiah 2:2;

when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle; either the secret power and providence of God, which was upon his house and family, and all that belonged to him; or the secret of his love, which was manifested to him, and is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear the Lord, as Job did; who had secret communion with God, his fellowship was with him; he dwelt in the secret place of the Almighty, and was taken into his secret chambers, where he had the greatest familiarity with him, see Psalms 25:14. Some observe the word for "secret" is used for an "assembly" s, and take the sense to be, that the assembly of the saints and people of God was in his tabernacle or house; there they met together for religious worship, and where Job had often a comfortable opportunity, and wishes for the same again, see

Psalms 42:1.

r בימי חרפי "in autumno dierum mearum", Hottinger. Thesaur. Phiolog. p. 507. "in diebus autumnitatis meae", Schultens; so the word signifies in Arabic, vid. Golium, col. 1415. Lud. Capell. in loc. s בסוד "in societate Dei", Pagninus, Beza; "societas Dei", i.e. "con gregatio", Bolducius; so Jarchi.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As I was in the days of my youth - The word here rendered “youth” (חרף chôreph), properly means “autumn - from” (חרף châraph), to “pluck, pull,” as being the time when fruits ace gathered. Then it means that which is mature; and the meaning here is probably “mature” or “manly” - “As I was in the days of my ripeness;” that is, of my vigor or strength. The whole passage shows that it does not mean “youth,” for he goes on to describe the honor and respect shown to him when in mature life. So the Septuagint - Ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοὺς Hote ēmēn epibrithōn hodous - “When I made heavy or laded my ways,” an expression referring to autumn as being laden with fruit. So we speak of the spring, the autumn, and the winter of life, and by the autumn denote the maturity of vigor, experience, and wisdom. So the Greeks used the word ὸπώρα opōra, Pindar, Isthm. 2, 7, 8; Nehemiah 5:10, Aeschyl. Suppl. 1005, 1022. So Ovid:

Excessit Autumnus posito fervore javentae

Maturus, mitisque inter juvenemque senemqae;

Temperie medius, sparsis per tempora canis.

Inde senilis hiems tremulo venit horrida passu.

Aut spoliata suos, aut. quos habet, alba capillos.

Metam. 15. 200.

The wish of Job was, that he might be restored to the vigor of mature life, and to the influence and honors which he had then, or rather, perhaps, it was that they might have a view of what he was then, that they might see from what a height he had fallen, and what cause he had of complaint and grief.

When the secret of God was upon my tabernacle - The meaning of this language is not clear, and considerable variety has obtained in the interpretation. The Septuagint renders it, “When God watched over - ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο episkopēn epoieito - my house.” Vulgate, “When God was secretly in my tabernacle.” Noyes, “When God was the friend of my tent.” Coverdale renders the whole, “As I stood when I was wealthy and had enough; when God prospered my house.” Umbreit, Als noch traulich Gott in meinem Zette weilte - “When God remained cordially in my tent.” Herder, “When God took counsel with me in my tent.” The word rendered “secret” (סוד sôd), means a “couch” or “cushion” on which one reclines, and then a divan, or circle of friends sitting together in consultation; see the word explained in the notes at Job 15:8. The idea here probably is, that God came into his tent or dwelling as a friend, and that Job was, as it were, admitted to the secrecy of his friendship and to an acquaintance with his plans.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 29:4. The days of my youth — The original word rather means in the days of my winter, חרפי charpi, from חרף charaph, "to strip or make bare." Mr. Harmer supposes the rainy season is intended, when the fields, c., parched up by long drought, are revived by the plentiful showers. Mr. Good thinks the word as found in the Arabic, which means top or summit, and which he translates perfection, is that which should be preferred. Others think the autumnal state is meant, when he was loaded with prosperity, as the trees are with ripe fruit.

The secret of God was upon my tabernacle — בסוד אלוה besod Eloah, "the secret assembly of God," meaning probably the same thing that is spoken of in the beginning of this book, the sons of God, the devout people, presenting themselves before God. It is not unlikely that such a secret assembly of God Job had in his own house where he tells us, in the next verse, "The Almighty was with him, and his children were about him."

Mr. Good translates differently: When God fortified my tent over me; supposing that the Hebrew סוד sod is the Arabic [Arabic] sud, "a barrier or fortification." Either will make a good sense.