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I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
Job 29:25 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
  • KJV I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
  • NKJV I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.
  • NASB “I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And lived as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.
  • NLT Like a chief, I told them what to do. I lived like a king among his troops and comforted those who mourned.

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

Job led as a respected chief and king, yet also comforted those who mourned.

Overview

Job concludes his recollection by describing his role as both leader and comforter, exercising kingly authority while caring tenderly for the grieving. He combined strength with compassion. This blend of rule and mercy faintly foreshadows Christ, the King who reigns with authority yet comforts the broken-hearted (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • 2 Cor 1:3–4Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
  • Judg 11:8They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
  • Isa 35:3–4Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
  • Isa 61:1–3The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
  • 1 Th 3:2–3We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
  • Gen 14:14–17And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.
  • Gen 41:40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
  • Job 4:3–4Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
  • Job 31:37I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
  • 2 Sam 5:2Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
  • 1 Chr 13:1–4Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
  • Deut 33:5So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.
  • 2 Cor 7:5–7For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
  • Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.

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 29:25YouTube · 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 29:25 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.