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“The blessing of the one who was about to perish came upon me, And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
Job 29:13 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
  • KJV The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
  • BSB The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
  • NKJV The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
  • NLT I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The dying blessed Job, and he brought joy to the widow's heart.

Overview

Job recalls bringing blessing to those near death and causing widows, the most vulnerable in society, to sing for joy. His mercy reached the most helpless and despairing. Such care for the widow reflects God's own heart (Psalm 146:9) and foreshadows the compassion of Christ, who comforted the grieving and lifted the lowly.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • 2 Tim 1:16–18May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,
  • Phlm 1:7For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
  • Job 31:19–20if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
  • Job 22:9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
  • Isa 27:13It will happen in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and those who were outcasts in the land of Egypt, shall come; and they will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
  • Deut 26:5You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.
  • 2 Cor 9:12–14For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;
  • Isa 65:14Behold, my servants will sing for joy of heart, but you will cry for sorrow of heart, and will wail for anguish of spirit.
  • Prov 31:6–9Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:
  • Deut 16:11You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are among you, in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.
  • Deut 24:13You shall surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless you. It shall be righteousness to you before Yahweh your God.
  • Neh 8:10–12Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
  • Acts 9:39–41Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
  • Ps 67:4Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Job videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Job 29:13YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JobMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.

How Job 29:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.