Job 29:12

THE REASONS WHY THEY HONORED HIM

"Because I delivered the poor that cried,

The fatherless also that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me;

And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

50put on righteousness, and it clothed me:

My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

I was eyes to the blind,

And feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the needy:

And the cause of him that I knew not, I searched out.

And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous,

And plucked the prey out of his teeth."

The impressive thing here is how effectively Job's deeds emphasized his righteousness and compassion for the unfortunate. With a record such as Job claimed here, with the silence of his friends standing as an eloquent proof of what he said, it is almost inconceivable that they should have accused him of so many crimes during the dialogues. The two themes of this chapter are: (1) Job's former security, and (2) his prominent and positive role in society; "And these two themes will be repeated in Job 29:18-25."[5]