translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JOB

label: NET study note

text: Now that the debate with his friends is over, Job concludes with a soliloquy, just as he had begun with one. Here he does not take into account his friends or their arguments. The speech has three main sections: Job’s review of his former circumstances ( 29:1-25 ); Job’s present misery ( 30:1-31 ); and Job’s vindication of his life ( 31:1-40 ).


text: Lamp and light are symbols of God’s blessings of life and all the prosperous and good things it includes.


text: In the public square . The area referred to here should not be thought of in terms of modern western dimensions. The wide space, plaza, or public square mentioned here is the open area in the gate complex where legal and business matters were conducted. The area could be as small as a few hundred square feet.


text: The word “father” does not have a wide range of meanings in the OT. But there are places that it is metaphorical, especially in a legal setting like this where the poor need aid.


text: The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.