Job 29:23 kjv
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
Job 29:23 nkjv
They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
Job 29:23 niv
They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.
Job 29:23 esv
They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
Job 29:23 nlt
They longed for me to speak as people long for rain.
They drank my words like a refreshing spring rain.
Job 29 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:4 | "then I will give you your rains in their season..." | God's promise of seasonal rain as blessing |
| Deut 11:14 | "he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain" | Divine provision of vital rains |
| 1 Ki 17:1 | "...there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." | Absence of rain as divine judgment |
| Psa 42:1 | "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God." | Spiritual longing for God, like thirst for water |
| Psa 63:1 | "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you..." | Intense spiritual desire for God |
| Psa 72:6 | "May he be like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!" | Righteous king bringing refreshing blessings |
| Prov 11:25 | "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." | Reciprocity of blessing, like refreshing water |
| Isa 30:23 | "And he will give rain for the seed that you sow..." | God's blessing of rain for harvest |
| Isa 32:2 | "Each will be like a hiding place from the wind...like streams of water in a dry place..." | Righteous leaders providing comfort and sustenance |
| Isa 44:3 | "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground..." | God promises spiritual refreshing |
| Jer 5:24 | "They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain...'" | God's faithfulness in providing seasonal rain |
| Hos 6:3 | "...he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rain that waters the earth." | God's coming as refreshing rain |
| Hos 10:12 | "...sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you." | Seeking God brings spiritual 'rain' |
| Joel 2:23 | "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain..." | Latter rain symbolizes abundant blessing |
| Zec 10:1 | "Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the latter rain..." | Prayer for crucial latter rain |
| John 4:10 | "...If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." | Jesus as the source of living water |
| John 7:37-38 | "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" | Jesus provides ultimate spiritual thirst satisfaction |
| Acts 2:16-17 | "But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel... 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh...'" | Prophecy of the Spirit's outpouring as latter rain |
| Jam 5:7 | "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the latter rains." | Patience while awaiting spiritual "latter rain" (Christ's return) |
| Rev 21:6 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." | God provides water of life freely |
Job 29 verses
Job 29 23 Meaning
Job, recalling his past eminence, likens the people's eager anticipation of his presence and counsel to the desperate yearning for rain in a parched land. This imagery underscores their profound dependence on him as a source of wisdom, justice, and blessing, indispensable for their wellbeing and flourishing.
Job 29 23 Context
Job 29:23 is a poignant part of Job's final monologue, where he contrasts his past, honorable life with his present, inexplicable suffering. Chapter 29 vividly details Job's former prominence and respected position in his community. He remembers how people sought him out for wisdom and guidance, his words carrying immense weight. He sat as judge, protected the vulnerable, and was a beacon of righteousness and prosperity. The verse specifically portrays the intensity of this respect: people anticipated his wisdom with the same vital urgency they felt for life-giving rain in an agricultural society heavily dependent on seasonal precipitation for survival. The "spring rain" (or latter rain) was especially critical, ensuring the final ripening of crops before harvest. Historically, in the Ancient Near East, leaders like Job held significant judicial and communal authority, and their wisdom was often sought out like a precious resource.
Job 29 23 Word analysis
They waited for me:
- וְיִחֲלוּ (v'yiḥălu): From the Hebrew root yaḥal (יָחַל), meaning "to hope," "to wait expectantly," "to linger," "to be patient for." This implies not mere passive waiting, but an active, hopeful, and perhaps even desperate anticipation. It denotes a profound dependence.
- Significance: Highlights the active longing and deep trust people placed in Job. They didn't just casually expect him; they longed for his input.
as for the rain:
- כַמָּטָר (kammaṭar): "Like the rain." Maṭar (מָטָר) is a general term for rain. In arid regions, rain is synonymous with life, growth, prosperity, and God's blessing.
- Significance: Establishes the analogy of essential sustenance. Job was as vital to the community's welfare as rain was to the land.
and opened their mouth wide:
- וּפָצוּ פִיהֶם (uphaṭzu fihem): From patsah (פָּצָה), meaning "to open wide," "to gape," "to split open." "Pihem" means "their mouth." This is a strong visual metaphor.
- Significance: This phrase amplifies the intensity of their longing. It suggests a literal and spiritual "thirst," akin to parched ground or a creature gasping for water, signifying extreme eagerness and absolute need.
as for the spring rain:
- כְּמַלְקוֹשׁ (k'malqosh): "Like the latter rain." Malqosh (מַלְקוֹשׁ) refers specifically to the rain that falls in late spring (March-April) just before harvest. This "latter rain" was crucial for the ripening of crops, without which the harvest would fail, leading to widespread famine.
- Significance: Elevates the dependence from general sustenance to a critical, final, and indispensable source of life. Job wasn't just helpful; he was seen as essential for ensuring a "harvest" of justice and wellbeing in their lives, preventing disaster.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "They waited for me as for the rain": This initial comparison establishes the foundational level of essential need and active expectation directed towards Job, portraying him as a source of consistent refreshment and life.
- "and opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain": This second part intensifies the metaphor significantly. "Opened their mouth wide" expresses a heightened, desperate yearning, while "spring rain" (latter rain) implies a vital, last-chance resource critical for final completion and preventing catastrophe. The doubling of the rain imagery—general rain followed by the more specific and crucial "latter rain"—underscores the depth of Job's perceived indispensability and the community's profound reliance on him, not just for general upkeep but for the culmination of their hopes and survival.
Job 29 23 Bonus section
- The longing for Job's words and presence, as described, foreshadows the deeper human spiritual hunger that only God, and ultimately Christ, can truly satisfy (Isa 44:3; John 4:10). While Job filled a human role, he was a reflection of the greater need for divine wisdom and righteousness.
- The "latter rain" analogy extends beyond literal agriculture; in prophetic contexts (e.g., Joel 2:23), it often symbolizes a powerful outpouring of divine blessing or the Holy Spirit in the "last days," leading to a spiritual harvest (Acts 2). Job's self-assessment, therefore, carries an unintentional spiritual depth, albeit a self-centered one, that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the salvific work of Christ.
- This verse underlines the ancient world's profound understanding of natural cycles as direct indicators of divine favor or displeasure, imbuing commonplace elements like rain with immense spiritual and symbolic significance.
Job 29 23 Commentary
Job 29:23 vividly portrays Job's deep sense of his former indispensability and reverence within his community. He felt like a life-sustaining force, as critical to the people's spiritual and judicial well-being as rain was to their agricultural survival. The double simile involving "rain" and "spring rain" intensifies this perception, revealing a time when his counsel was sought with a desperate, thirsting eagerness. People not only respected him but also profoundly depended on his wisdom and just decisions, viewing him as the ultimate resolver of their dilemmas and disputes, akin to God providing sustenance. This poignant recollection starkly contrasts with his current, shattered state, where he is reviled and suffering, highlighting the vast chasm between his glorious past and his lamentable present. The passage reveals Job's human perspective on his righteousness and influence, which God will later address, ultimately pointing to a divine source of all true refreshment and justice.