Job31

Job 31 presents Job's final, extensive oath of integrity before God and his friends. He meticulously lists various sins he has abstained from, including lust, injustice towards servants, lack of charity, idolatry, and malice towards enemies. Job asserts his blameless conduct, invoking severe self-curses if he has committed any of these transgressions. He concludes by expressing a fervent desire for God to answer his plea and acknowledge his righteousness.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Job’s Oath of Integrity: Purity of the Eyes

1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin? ​
2
For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high? ​
3
Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity? ​
4
Does He not see my ways and count my every step? ​

Honesty and Uprightness in Conduct

5
If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6
let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity. ​
7
If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
8
then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

Commitment to Marital Fidelity

9
If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
10
then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her. ​
11
For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
12
For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.

Justice in Dealing with Servants

13
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
14
what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? ​
15
Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb? ​

Generosity to the Poor and Vulnerable

16
If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
17
if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
18
though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow— ​
19
if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
20
if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
21
if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate, ​
22
then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
23
For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.

Rejection of Materialism and Idolatry

24
If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, ​
25
if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
26
if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, ​
27
so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28
this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.

Ethics toward Enemies and Strangers

29
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
30
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
31
if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
32
but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—

Refusing to Hide Sin

33
if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart, ​
34
because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35
(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. ​
36
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. ​
37
I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—

Justice Regarding the Land

38
if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
39
if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40
then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job. ​

Study Notes for Job 31

Verse 1

Job begins his final defense by stating his absolute commitment to moral discipline, specifically controlling his gaze to avoid lust (a covenant with mine eyes). This reflects a profound understanding of internal purity.

Verse 2

Job ironically uses the friends' theology of retribution here: if he had sinned, he knows he would justly receive the portion and inheritance (punishment) due to the wicked.

Verse 3

The phrase strange punishment refers to the catastrophic fate reserved for those who actively commit iniquity, reinforcing the theological premise upon which Job bases his innocence.

Verse 4

The foundation of Job’s integrity is his belief in God's omniscience. He is confident in his ways because he knows God sees and counts every step, making hidden sin impossible.

Verse 6

Job demands a divine accounting, asking to be weighed in an even balance. He invites God to use the scales of justice, confident that his moral wholeness (integrity) will be proven.

Verse 10

The curse Job invokes upon himself—that his wife be forced into hard labor or even prostitution (grind unto another)—shows the severity of the crime (adultery) he denies committing, equating it with total social degradation.

Verse 14

Job recognizes that his actions toward his servants are ultimately judged by God, anticipating the day of divine judgment (when God riseth up) when he will have to give account.

Verse 15

Job grounds his social ethics in creation theology: master and servant share a common creator. This declaration of inherent equality is a radical statement in the ancient world.

Verse 18

This parenthetical statement emphasizes that Job’s charity was not a recent obligation but a lifelong commitment, suggesting he cared for the vulnerable from his youth, acting as a father to the fatherless.

Verse 21

To lift up my hand against the fatherless refers to abusing power or influence, especially in a legal setting (the gate). Job asserts he never took advantage of the defenseless when he had the opportunity.

Verse 24

Job addresses the temptation of materialism, declaring that he never allowed wealth (gold) to replace God as his ultimate source of security or hope (my confidence).

Verse 26

Beheld the sun... or the moon walking in brightness describes astral worship, a common form of idolatry in the Ancient Near East. Job denies this practice, which would be a direct denial of the Creator (v. 28).

Verse 33

To cover my transgressions as Adam refers to the primal sin of hiding guilt (Gen 3:7-10). Job claims he has not compounded his suffering by concealing any unknown sin from God or man.

Verse 35

This is the climax of Job’s defense, his final desperate appeal (and signature) to the Almighty, demanding a formal legal response (that mine adversary had written a book), signaling his readiness for trial.

Verse 36

Job asserts profound respect for divine judgment; he would wear God's indictment (the book) as a crown, affirming his willingness to face the charges openly and confidently, rather than trying to evade them.

Verse 40

Job concludes his comprehensive moral inventory with a curse pertaining to the land, affirming he did not commit injustice against the poor farmer or exploit his property. The editorial note confirms the end of Job’s speeches.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options