The Book of Job: Pl. 12, I am Young and ye are very Old wherefore I was afraid

The Book of Job: Pl. 12, I am Young and ye are very Old wherefore I was afraid by William Blake, executed in 1825, is a powerful example of the artist's late-career graphic work. This piece is the twelfth plate in Blake’s renowned series of twenty-one illustrations interpreting the biblical Book of Job. Using the exacting medium of engraving, Blake captures the moment where Elihu, the youngest of Job’s four companions, addresses his elders. The image illustrates Elihu's opening statement, which provides the plate’s title, asserting that although he is young, he possesses wisdom and divine inspiration necessary to resolve the theological dilemma facing Job and his previous comforters.

As an artist of the United Kingdom working during the Romantic period, Blake utilized prints like this to distribute his unique spiritual and artistic vision. The highly detailed engraving technique allows for the expressive musculature and dramatic rendering of light and shadow characteristic of Blake's intensely personal style. Blake meticulously structures the composition, positioning the seated figures of Job and his three comforters in states of despair, while Elihu stands dynamically, pointing upward to indicate the source of his insight. This focus on spiritual and visionary realism, rather than empirical reality, defined Blake’s approach to producing graphic works.

The complete series of illustrations for the Book of Job is widely regarded as one of the pinnacles of Blake's graphic achievement, synthesizing his mastery of line with profound theological commentary. Today, many of these historically important religious prints have entered public domain collections, ensuring broad accessibility for scholars and the public. This specific print, representative of 19th-century British cultural output, is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.