NOTES for Job 29:1-25

Continuing his speech, Job recalls the righteous life he once led (vv. 2-25). At first glance it may appear that he is merely praising himself, putting his righteousness on display. But this is not about self-praise, nor even about the contrast between that former life and the situation in which Job found himself after the disasters permitted by God had overtaken him. Listing the good deeds he had done, Job gives God a kind of report, as though summing up his former life. He cannot fail to understand that this former, correct, virtuous, and pious life is over. Summing it up, Job is as though saying to God: I have done everything that a righteous man following You could and should have done. I have fulfilled everything possible for a human being; I have nothing to reproach myself for, and no one will say anything bad about me. I not only did no evil to anyone; I did good in full measure, as much as my strength and circumstances allowed. As we can see, Job is completely sincere in his words. This is not boasting; it is preparation for judgment, for that lawsuit with God of which Job himself has spoken more than once.

One could say that, by listing everything he did in his past life, Job presents his case in court, the dossier containing all the materials concerning him and testifying to the righteousness of the litigant. Such a position is not surprising: neither in the pre-exilic nor in the post-exilic period did the righteous consider it necessary to hide their righteousness or be ashamed of it. Of course, flaunting one's righteousness, as the Gospel Pharisee did, was considered rather unseemly for a truly righteous person. But once the matter has come to court, the righteous person has nothing to hide; he will not bear false witness against himself by calling himself a sinner where he sees no sin. And Job too presents to God the arguments for his righteousness. He has all the more moral right to do so because the matter concerns not words but deeds, and deeds for which many of those he helped could have thanked him. Not to say this before the face of God, not to answer the accusations of wickedness that have just been voiced, would mean agreeing with those accusations. But Job does not agree to a lie; he considers his actions the actions of a righteous man, and he says this directly to God.