Job 29:14

29:7-17 All sorts of people paid respect to Job, not only for the dignity of his rank, but for his personal merit, his prudence, integrity, and good management. Happy the men who are blessed with such gifts as these! They have great opportunities of honouring God and doing good, but have great need to watch against pride. Happy the people who are blessed with such men! it is a token for good to them. Here we see what Job valued himself by, in the day of his prosperity. It was by his usefulness. He valued himself by the check he gave to the violence of proud and evil men. Good magistrates must thus be a restraint to evil-doers, and protect the innocent; in order to this, they should arm themselves with zeal and resolution. Such men are public blessings, and resemble Him who rescues poor sinners from Satan. How many who were ready to perish, now are blessing Him! But who can show forth His praises? May we trust in His mercy, and seek to imitate His truth, justice, and love.

Not the righteousness of his living Redeemer, the robe of righteousness and garment of salvation he had from him; though he had put on that by faith, and it was his clothing in the sight of God, which covered his person, and covered all his sins from the avenging eye of divine justice; and in which he was presented before God unblamable and irreprovable in his sight, and with which he was adorned and beautified, being made perfectly comely through it, and completely justified by it; but legal righteousness in the administration of his office as a magistrate; he put it on, that is, he exercised it, and he exercised it constantly from morning tonight, and day after day; as a man puts on his clothes in a morning, and keeps them on all the day, and which he is always repeating; and it was as visible in him, and to be seen and observed by all, as the clothes on his back; and it covered him all over as a garment does; no blemish was to be seen in him, or blame to be cast upon him, throughout the whole course of his administration; and this was a fence unto him against all calumny and reproach, as garments are against the inclemency of the weather; see 1 Samuel 12:3 ; so a godly conversation in the exercise of graces and virtues, and in the performance of duties both to God and man, is sometimes expressed by a putting them on, as garments are put on; see Ephesians 4:24 ; and these are an outward clothing to appear in before men, and should be shown forth with meekness and wisdom, so

(14) I put on righteousness. —Comp. Isaiah 61:10 ; Isaiah 28:5 ; Isaiah 62:3 ; 2Timothy 4:8 ; James 1:12 ; 1Peter 5:4 ; 1Thessalonians 2:19 . His judgment, the result of his personal righteousness, was as a robe of honour and a crown of glory to him. It clothed me.—Literally, it clothed itself with me. First, righteousness is the garment, and then he is the garment to righteousness. (Compare the expressions “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 13:14, and 2Corinthians 5:2-4, and the Hebrew of Psalm 143:9, where “I flee unto thee to hide me” is, I have covered myself with thee, or, have hidden me with thee.) This is the Gospel truth of the interchange of sin and righteousness between Christ and the believer. He bears our sins; we are clothed with the robe of His righteousness.

Job 29:14 . I put on righteousness, and it clothed me — As a garment covers the whole body, and is worn continually all the day long, so I was constantly just in the whole course of my administrations, public and private; and I never put off this clothing, out of partiality to myself, or respect to the persons of others, as the manner of many judges is. My judgment was as a robe and diadem — My judgments, or decrees, were so equal and righteous, that they never brought shame and reproach upon me, but rather honour and reputation; and I looked upon them as a greater ornament than the purple robe or the diadem.

Verse 14. - I put on righteousness, and it clothed me (comp. Isaiah 61:10 ; Psalm 132:9 , etc.). Job "put on righteousness;" i.e. made it as the garment wherewith he clothed himself withal ( Psalm 109:18, 19 ), covered up with it all his own natural imperfections, and made it part and parcel of his being. It was a beautiful covering, and, when once he had put it on, it clung to him, and could not be removed. It "clothed him," or rather, if we translate the Hebrew literally, "clothed itself with him." putting him on, as he had put it on. It was not merely external; it was internal, a habit of his soul and spirit. My judgment was as a robe and a diadem ; rather, my justice (see the Revised Version). My "justice," or "righteousness" (for the words are synonymous), was at once my robe and my crown, my necessary clothing and my ornament (comp. Isaiah 61:10 , "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels"). Job 29:14

14. (Isa 61:10; 1Ch 12:18). judgment—justice. diadem—tiara. Rather, "turban," "head-dress." It and the full flowing outer mantle or "robe," are the prominent characteristics of an Oriental grandee's or high priest's dress (Zec 3:5). So Job's righteousness especially characterized him.

It clothed me: as a garment covers the whole body, and is worn continually all the day long; so I was constantly just in the whole course of all my administrations, public and private, and never put off this garment out of a partial respect to myself, or to the persons of other men, as the manner of many judges is. My judgment was as a robe and diadem; my judgments or decrees were so equal and righteous, that they never brought shame and reproach upon me, but always honour and great reputation.

I put on righteousness - Or "justice" - as a magistrate, and in all his transactions with his fellow-men. It is common to compare moral conduct or traits of character with various articles of apparel; compare Isaiah 11:5 , note; Isaiah 61:10 , note. And it clothed me - It was my covering; I was adorned with it. So we speak of being "clothed with humility;" and so, also, of the "garments of salvation." My judgment - Or rather justice - particularly as a magistrate. Was as a robe - The word "robe" (מעיל me‛ı̂yl) denotes the "mantle" or outer garment that is worn by an Oriental. It constitutes the most elegant part of his dress; Notes at Isaiah 6:1. The idea is, that his strict justice was to him what the full flowing robe was in apparel. It was that for which he was best known; that by which he was distinguished, as one would be by an elegant and costly robe. And a diadem - Or, "turban". The word used here צניף tsânı̂yph - is from צנף tsânaph, to roll, or wind around, and is applied to the turban, because it was thus wound around the head. It is applied to the mitre of the high priest Zechariah 3:5, and may also be to a diadem or crown. It more properly here, however, denotes the "turban," which in the East is an essential part of dress. The idea is, that he was fully clad or adorned with justice. Job 29:14.I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, continued...