Job 29:11

For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Job speaks in a retrospective monologue about his former social standing before his calamity, addressing his lost days of honor.

The words — עַיִן ('ayin) = eye and תְּעִידֵנִי (te'idéni) = it bore witness to me. The text states that visual observation and auditory testimony functioned as public validation of his conduct.

The thread — This motif of communal witness appears in Job 31:20, Proverbs 29:2, and Luke 4:22.

Why it lands — It asks the reader to recognize how ancient society measured righteousness through public testimony, while noting that such external validation is contingent and temporary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֤יkifor אֹ֣זֶן'O.zenan ear שָׁ֭מְעָהSham.'ahit heard וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִיva./te.'a.she.Re./niand/ it called blessed/ me וְעַ֥יִןve./'A.yinand/ an eye רָ֝אֲתָ֗הra.'a.Tahit saw וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃va./te.'i.De./niand/ it bore witness to/ me

King James Version

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

Cross-references

Luke 4:22 All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked.
Job 31:20 if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
Luke 11:27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!”