King James Version
What Does Job 29:5 Mean?
“When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;”
Job 29:5 · KJV
Context
3
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; candle: or, lamp
4
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; me: Heb. with me
7
When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
Commentary
KJV Study CommentaryWhen the Almighty was yet with me—the divine name שַׁדַּי (Shaddai, Almighty) appears 31 times in Job (more than the rest of the Old Testament combined), emphasizing God's power and sovereignty. The phrase was yet with me uses עִמָּדִי (immadi, with me), indicating intimate presence. Job laments God's felt absence—not theological denial of omnipresence but experiential loss of conscious fellowship. When my children were about me uses סְבִיבוֹתַי (sevivotay, around me/surrounding me)—his children encircled him like a protective hedge, the same word used in 1:10 where Satan complains God hedged Job in. That hedge is now gone.
This verse poignantly captures Job's double loss: God's sensed presence and his children's actual presence. The parallelism links these—God's presence was experienced partly through family blessing. Job doesn't merely miss his children; he misses the sense of divine favor they represented. Ancient theology understood children as covenant blessings (Psalm 127:3-5), so losing them suggested losing God's favor. Job's grief is compounded: he mourns his children and questions God's continued presence.
This verse poignantly captures Job's double loss: God's sensed presence and his children's actual presence. The parallelism links these—God's presence was experienced partly through family blessing. Job doesn't merely miss his children; he misses the sense of divine favor they represented. Ancient theology understood children as covenant blessings (Psalm 127:3-5), so losing them suggested losing God's favor. Job's grief is compounded: he mourns his children and questions God's continued presence.
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Historical & Cultural Context
In patriarchal culture, children (especially sons) represented legacy, security in old age, and divine blessing. The phrase "about me" suggests a protective circle—children gathered around their father for guidance, provision, and blessing. Job's former life included this relational richness. The loss of all ten children in a single day (1:18-19) was catastrophic not only emotionally but theologically—it seemed to prove God's disfavor, which Job's friends argued explicitly.
Reflection Questions
- How do we distinguish between God's actual presence (theological reality) and felt presence (experiential reality) during suffering?
- What blessings or relationships have represented God's favor to you, and how would their loss challenge your faith?
- How can we maintain confidence in God's presence when circumstances suggest His absence?
Original Language Analysis
Hebrew · 5 wordsבְּע֣וֹד1 of 5
H5750properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more
סְבִ֖יבוֹתַ֣י4 of 5
“were about”
H5439(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
נְעָרָֽי׃5 of 5
“was yet with me when my children”
H5288(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latit
Study Guide
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Job. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Job 29:5 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Job 29:5 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge