Job 29:6
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
Original Language Analysis
וְצ֥וּר
and the rock
H6697
וְצ֥וּר
and the rock
Strong's:
H6697
Word #:
4 of 8
properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous)
Cross References
Psalms 81:16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.Job 20:17He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.Genesis 49:11Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:Deuteronomy 33:24And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
Historical Context
Job 29 is Job's final monologue before God speaks, reflecting on his former honor and prosperity before calamity struck. This nostalgic recollection dates to the patriarchal period (c. 2000-1800 BC) when wealth was measured in livestock, servants, and agricultural yield. The ancient Near East valued hospitality and generosity as marks of a great man; Job's oil and butter abundance would have enabled lavish hospitality. Olive oil served multiple functions: cooking, lighting lamps, anointing, and medicine, making it essential to daily life and religious ritual.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Job's memory of past prosperity intensify his current suffering, and how do you handle losses that contrast sharply with former blessings?
- What does Job's description of abundance teach about viewing material blessings as gifts meant for generous stewardship?
- How does this verse's metaphorical language about supernatural provision point forward to God's abundant grace in Christ?
Analysis & Commentary
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil—Job employs extravagant metaphors of abundance. The Hebrew chema (חֶמְאָה), translated 'butter,' refers to cream or curds, luxury dairy products. The hyperbolic image of washing one's feet in cream depicts wealth so excessive that expensive foods become commonplace. Ancient olive oil production required significant labor, making oil a valuable commodity; the phrase the rock poured me out rivers of oil (tsur צוּר, rock; peleg פֶּלֶג, streams) suggests supernatural abundance—even barren stone yielded bounty.
This verse employs merism, using extremes (butter/oil, steps/rock) to convey totality: Job's former prosperity knew no bounds. The rock imagery recalls Moses striking the rock to produce water (Exodus 17:6), but Job's experience surpassed mere water to the more precious oil. Oil symbolized blessing, anointing, and the Spirit's presence (Psalm 23:5, 133:2). Job's language anticipates the messianic age when mountains drip with wine and hills flow with milk (Joel 3:18). His present destitution makes this memory of abundance particularly poignant—a stark before/after contrast defining the book's dramatic tension.