just as I was in my most productive time, ¹  when God’s intimate friendship ²  was experienced in my tent,

biblegateway Job 29:4

As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;

I would be as I was in the days of my youth when God's friendship rested on my tent,

If only I were in the prime of my life again, when God was an adviser in my tent.

biblegateway Job 29:4

Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,

bibleoremus Job 29:4

when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;

If I could be as in the days of my prime, when God protected my home,

biblegateway Job 29:4

Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;

biblegateway Job 29:4

just as I was in my most productive time, ¹  when God’s intimate friendship ²  was experienced in my tent,

¹ tn Heb “in the days of my ripeness.” The word חֹרֶף (khoref) denotes the time when the harvest is gathered in because the fruit is ripe. Since this is the autumn, many translate that way here – but “autumn” has a different connotation now. The text is pointing to a time when the righteous reaps what he has sown, and can enjoy the benefits. The translation “most productive time” seems to capture the point better than “autumn” or even “prime.”

² tc The word סוֹד (sod) in this verse is an infinitive construct, prefixed with the temporal preposition and followed by a subjective genitive. It forms a temporal clause. There is some disagreement about the form and its meaning. The confusion in the versions shows that they were paraphrasing to get the general sense. In the Bible the derived noun (from יָסַד, yasad) means (a) a circle of close friends; (b) intimacy. Others follow the LXX and the Syriac with a meaning of “protect,” based on a change from ד (dalet) to כּ (kaf), and assuming the root was סָכַךְ (sakhakh). This would mean, “when God protected my tent” (cf. NAB). D. W. Thomas tries to justify this meaning without changing the text (“The Interpretation of BSOÝD in Job 29:4,” JBL 65 [1946]: 63-66).