Job 29:2
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
Original Language Analysis
מִֽי
H4310
מִֽי
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
1 of 7
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
יִתְּנֵ֥נִי
Oh that
H5414
יִתְּנֵ֥נִי
Oh that
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
2 of 7
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
קֶ֑דֶם
past
H6924
קֶ֑דֶם
past
Strong's:
H6924
Word #:
4 of 7
the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the east) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)
Cross References
Job 1:10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.Jeremiah 31:28And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
Historical Context
Job 29-31 forms Job's final defense before Elihu's speeches. These chapters recall Job's former prosperity (29), contrast it with present misery (30), and conclude with oath of innocence (31). Ancient Near Eastern laments frequently contrasted past blessing with present distress. Job's nostalgia for God's preservation demonstrates that his complaints target his situation's incomprehensibility, not God's character.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Job's longing for past blessing model appropriate grief without faithless complaining?
- What is the difference between remembering past blessings with gratitude and nostalgia that breeds resentment?
Analysis & Commentary
Job laments: 'Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me.' The phrase mi yitteneini (מִי יִתְּנֵנִי, Oh that) expresses longing. Yerachim qedem (יְרָחִים קֶדֶם, months past) refers to former times. Shamar (שָׁמַר, preserved) means to keep, guard, or watch over. Job remembers when he experienced God's protective care. His lament isn't rebellion but honest grief over lost blessing. The passage validates that believers may mourn past blessings while maintaining faith—lament is legitimate expression of loss.