Job 29:20 · Bible study
Job 29:20 Commentary: Glory Fresh, Bow Renewed
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Job 29:20 where Job recalls his former glory as fresh and his bow renewed. Unpack the metaphors of honor and strength in this lament.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Job recalls a time when his honor was continually fresh and his strength (symbolized by a warrior's bow) was constantly renewed.
- Key words: 'Glory' (כָּבוֹד, honor, reputation); 'fresh' (חָדָשׁ, new, renewed); 'bow' (קֶשֶׁת, symbol of might); 'renewed' (תַחֲלִיף, changes, shows newness).
- Main debate: Whether the 'glory' and 'bow' refer primarily to temporal honor and physical strength (Barnes, Clarke) or also to spiritual grace and righteousness (Gill).
- Theological theme: The fragility of human blessing; the honesty of lament; the memory of God's goodness as both comfort and pain.
- Best use: In sermons or studies on suffering, memory, and the loss of status or health.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
KJV King James Version 1769
My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
My honour is fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mi honra se renovaba en mí, y mi arco se corroboraba en mi mano.
Minha honra se renovava em mim, e meu arco se revigorava em minha mão.
Ma gloire reverdira sans cesse,
Meine Herrlichkeit erneute sich immer an mir, und mein Bogen ward immer stärker in meiner Hand.
Mijn heerlijkheid was nieuw bij mij, en mijn boog veranderde zich in mijn hand.
la mia gloria sempre si rinnoverà, e l’arco rinverdirà nella mia mano”.
Chwała moja odmłodzi się przy mnie, a łuk mój w ręce mojej odnowi się.
слава моя не стареет, лук мой крепок в руке моей.
我的榮耀 在身上 增新；我的弓 在手中 日強。
My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 29:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Job 29:20 uses two vivid metaphors to describe his former prosperity. The word for 'glory' (כָּבוֹד) points to his honor, reputation, and the respect he once received from others. Barnes notes that 'fresh' or 'new' (חָדָשׁ) conveys the idea of continual renewal, his honor did not fade. Clarke adds that the image suggests a tree's 'splendid blossom' always in season. The second metaphor, 'my bow is renewed' (תַחֲלִיף), draws on the bow as a symbol of strength and military power (compare Genesis 49:24). Barnes explains that a bow that is constantly 'changed' or renewed implies undiminished vigor. Gill extends this to spiritual strength, seeing the bow as the grace of God renewed by the Holy Spirit. All traditions read the verse as Job’s lament for a past state of blessing that has now vanished, setting up the stark contrast with his current suffering in chapter 30.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal honor and strength: Barnes and Clarke emphasize temporal honor and physical vigor; supported by context of Job's social standing and warrior imagery.
- Spiritual glory and grace: Gill sees the glory as including the righteousness of Christ and the bow as spiritual strength renewed by the Holy Spirit; supported by cross-references like Psalms 103:5 and Isaiah 40:31.
What is clear: Job is describing his former state of flourishing—his honor was fresh and his strength was renewed—in contrast to his current suffering.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'glory' (כָּבוֹד) | All commentators see it as referring to Job's honor, reputation, or splendor in his former state. | Some read it as purely temporal honor (Barnes, Clarke), while others include spiritual glory and the righteousness of Christ (Gill). |
| Meaning of 'bow' (קֶשֶׁת) | Most understand it as a metaphor for strength, military power, or the ability to defend oneself. | The debate is whether it denotes only physical vigor (Clarke, Barnes) or also spiritual strength and grace (Gill, Wesley on 'strength'). |
| Whether Job is being presumptuous | Job is describing his past expectations; he thought his prosperity would last (v.18). | Some (Matthew Henry) see a warning against false security; others (Lange) view it as natural human hope, not arrogance. |
| Connection to the tree image | Verse 20 concludes the tree metaphor from v.19; both speak of ongoing vitality. | The debate is whether 'root to waters' and 'dew on branch' imply self-sufficiency or dependence on God's provision. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 29 is a soliloquy of longing. After three cycles of debate with his friends, Job pauses to recall 'the months of old' when God's friendship was over his tent (Job 29:4). The chapter is a unified portrait of his former prosperity, material, social, and moral. Verses 19-20 conclude a section where Job compares himself to a tree: 'my root is spread out to the waters, the dew lies all night on my branch' (v.19). The image of the bow strengthens the warrior motif: in the ancient Near East, the bow was the primary weapon of the elite. A warrior’s bow 'remaining strong' was a mark of divine favor (Genesis 49:24; 1 Samuel 2:4). Job’s claim that his bow 'is renewed in my hand' (literally 'changes' or 'shows newness') implies that his strength did not wane with age or use. The language reflects a culture where honor and physical prowess were closely tied. The surrounding verses (vv.21-24) describe how people hung on his words, waiting for his counsel like rain. Job had been a father to the needy and a champion of justice (vv.16-17). This whole passage forms the backdrop to the sharp reversal in chapter 30, where Job is mocked by youths and crushed by suffering. Understanding this context makes the loss more poignant.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Job 29:20. The Masoretic Text is stable, and the few differences among translations (e.g., 'is fresh' vs. 'was fresh') reflect interpretive choices about the tense of the Hebrew verbless clause, not manuscript evidence.
Reception History
Job 29:20 has been read through the ages as part of the larger lament in Job 29, 30. Early Christian commentators like Gregory the Great saw Job’s former glory as a type of the righteous soul before trial, the 'glory' of Adam before the Fall, or of Christ before His passion. Medieval Jewish exegetes such as Rashi focused on the literal meaning: Job’s former prosperity. In the Reformation, Luther and Calvin used the verse to teach that worldly honor is a gift from God but not to be trusted. The Geneva Bible’s marginal note says 'My glory shall renue towarde me, and my bowe shall be restored in mine hand,' emphasizing the expectation of continued blessing. In Puritan tradition, Matthew Henry drew a pastoral lesson: even the godly may mistakenly assume their prosperity will never end. The verse continues to be used in hymns about longing for lost blessing and in sermons on the honesty of lament.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The glory that never fades, Job’s honor was continually fresh, rooted in righteous living (Job 29:14-17).
- The strength that never fails, His bow was constantly renewed, a sign of God’s sustaining power (cf. Isaiah 40:31).
- The loss that cuts deepest, These memories make his current anguish unbearable (Job 30:1-15).
Five-point outline
- Job’s past was marked by God’s favor (vv.2-5).
- That favor showed in public honor and private integrity (vv.7-17).
- The metaphors of root and bow confirm a life flourishing under blessing (vv.19-20).
- Job expected this blessing to last; he thought he would die in his nest (v.18).
- The painful irony: the same God who gave fresh glory now seems to have stripped it away (Job 19:9).
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who loses a crop after years of good harvests, memory of past abundance makes the empty field hurt more.
- An athlete whose body no longer responds as it used to, the bow that once bent easily now feels stiff.
- A respected elder in a community who, through illness or misfortune, now feels invisible, people who once sought advice now look past him.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to look back on past blessings and feel sad about their loss?
- How do I keep from bitterness when I remember when things were better?
- Can a person’s honor and strength be restored after a season of suffering?
Leading a Discussion
Job 29:20 sits in a long memory of blessing. For small groups, this verse opens a window into how honest lament can include both gratitude and grief. As you discuss, notice that Job does not deny the goodness he once had. He names it. That naming is part of his integrity before God.
Discussion questions
- Read Job 29:1-20. What details of Job’s former life stand out to you? Which one would you most want to experience?
- The word 'fresh' (חָדָשׁ) can mean 'new' or 'renewed.' Why does it matter that Job’s glory was not just present but continually fresh?
- How is the bow a fitting image for strength in your own context? What would be a modern equivalent?
- Job says his bow 'is renewed' in his hand. Does this sound like something he did, or something God did? What clues does the rest of Job give?
- Compare this verse with Job 19:9 ('He has stripped me of my glory'). How does that contrast shape your understanding of both verses?
- When have you felt a sharp contrast between a past season of blessing and a present season of hardship?
- How can remembering past kindnesses from God help you trust Him in a current trial? What is the risk of remembering wrong?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 45:13 | You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.” |
| Genesis 49:24 | But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), |
| Job 19:9 | He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. |
| Job 29:14 | I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. |
| Psalms 3:3 | But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. |
| Psalms 18:34 | He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. |
| Psalms 103:5 | who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. |
| Isaiah 40:31 | but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the man in Job 29:20 describes his physical strength and ability to produce fruit as being at their best at every time of year. He also says he always had enough resources to do whatever he wanted.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads "my glory fresh in me" and "my bow renewed in my hand" as images of unexhausted, constant vigor. He connects both to the tree metaphor from the previous verse, where continuous water and dew keep strength from fading. The bow, a warrior's emblem, here signifies strength that actually increases rather than diminishes over time.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view understand that in those times Job saw his life sustaining itself naturally. He believed his roots would reach water and dew would stay on his branches each night. His strength would remain fresh and his ability to work would be restored.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note interprets this as the speaker's confident expectation that his former honor and strength will be fully restored. The renewal of glory and the restoration of the bow together express a complete reversal of his present affliction.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees Job's words as describing a continuous renewal of both outward honor and inner spiritual strength. The glory includes increasing grace and righteousness, while the bow represents growing faith and authority that are strengthened daily.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the phrase bow refers to a warrior’s strength which is constantly refreshed just as health remains fresh. This shows that the reputation which comes from such strength stays new all the time.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Job compares himself to the phoenix, not to sand. They point to strong Jewish tradition, including the Talmud and Midrash, where this bird lives a thousand years and rises from its own ashes. For them, the phoenix fits Job's Egyptian and Arabian setting.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats Job 29–31 as a genuine soliloquy, not a dialogue. His key point is that Job here argues his suffering cannot stem from his moral conduct, so it must have a deeper cause. This monologue forms the negative side of the problem, preparing for the divine answers that follow.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Job thought he would die in his comfortable home and that his life would last as long as sand. He also believed he had no reason to fear death because he saw no cause for trouble.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the word glory refers to growing reputation. He also says the word bow means strength as shown in other verses.