Job 31:26

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking [in] brightness;

If I beheld {H7200} the sun {H216} when it shined {H1984}, or the moon {H3394} walking {H1980} in brightness {H3368};

or if, on seeing the shining sun or the full moon as it moved through the sky,

if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

In Job 31:26, Job continues his passionate declaration of innocence, asserting before God and his accusers that he has never engaged in idolatry, specifically the worship of celestial bodies. This verse is part of his elaborate oath, where he systematically denies a long list of potential sins, affirming his integrity and devotion to the one true God.

Context

Chapter 31 is the culmination of Job's final defense, a powerful and detailed monologue where he swears an oath of innocence against various moral failings. He lists numerous ethical and religious principles he has upheld, inviting God's judgment if he has transgressed in any of these areas. This particular verse addresses a prevalent form of pagan worship in the ancient Near East: the adoration of the sun and moon. In many cultures surrounding Job's time, these celestial objects were revered as deities or divine manifestations, believed to influence human destiny and agricultural prosperity. Job's denial here highlights his steadfast adherence to monotheism in a polytheistic world.

Key Themes

  • Rejection of Idolatry: The primary message is Job's emphatic refusal to worship created things rather than the Creator. He explicitly states he did not give homage to the sun in its brilliance or the moon in its splendor, demonstrating a profound understanding of God's unique sovereignty.
  • Job's Unwavering Integrity: This declaration underscores Job's deep personal piety and moral uprightness. His integrity was not merely external but extended to his inner thoughts and spiritual allegiances, setting him apart from the common practices of his era.
  • God's Sole Sovereignty: By refusing to worship the sun or moon, Job implicitly acknowledges that true power and divinity reside only with God, who is the ultimate source and controller of all creation, including the celestial lights. This resonates with later commands against worshipping the host of heaven, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:19.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness" vividly describes the act of looking upon these celestial objects with a sense of reverence or awe that could lead to worship. The Hebrew term for "walking" (הָלַךְ, halak) here implies their regular movement across the sky, which ancient peoples often attributed to divine agency. Job's denial is not just of the outward act of worship but of the inward inclination to attribute divine power to them, or to "kiss his hand" in homage (as mentioned in the subsequent verse, Job 31:27).

Practical Application

While literal sun and moon worship is uncommon today, the principle of worshipping the creature rather than the Creator remains a relevant challenge. Modern "idols" can take many forms: wealth, career, possessions, status, comfort, technology, or even self-worship. Job's example calls us to examine what truly holds our ultimate allegiance and trust. His unwavering devotion to God alone serves as a timeless reminder to place our ultimate hope, trust, and adoration exclusively in the Lord, recognizing Him as the sole source of all good and the only worthy object of worship.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ezekiel 8:16

    And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

  • Deuteronomy 4:19

    And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

  • Deuteronomy 17:3

    And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

  • 2 Kings 23:11

    And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which [was] in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

  • Jeremiah 8:2

    And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

  • Jeremiah 44:17

    But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

  • 2 Kings 23:5

    And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

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