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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 31:24–32. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Four articles more of Job's protestation we have in these verses, which, as all the rest, not only assure us what he was and did, but teach us what we should be and do: -
I.He protests that he never set his heart upon the wealth of this world, nor took the things of it for his portions and happiness.
He had gold; he had fine gold. His wealth was great, and he had gotten much. Our wealth is either advantageous or pernicious to us according as we stand affected to it. If we make it our rest and our ruler, it will be our ruin; if we make it our servant, and an instrument of righteousness, it will be a blessing to us. Job here tells us how he stood affected to his worldly wealth.
1.He put no great confidence in it: he did not make gold his hope, Job 31:24. Those are very unwise that do, and enemies to themselves, who depend upon it as sufficient to make them happy, who think themselves safe and honourable, and sure of comfort, in having abundance of this world's goods. Some make it their hope and confidence for another world, as if it were a certain token of God's favour; and those who have so much sense as not to think so yet promise themselves that it will be a portion for them in this life, whereas the things themselves are uncertain and our satisfaction in them is much more so. It is hard to have riches and not to trust in riches; and it is this which makes it so difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, Mat 19:23; Mar 10:24.
2.He took no great complacency in it (Job 31:25): If I rejoiced because my wealth was great and boasted that my hand had gotten much. He took no pride in his wealth, as if it added any thing to his real excellency, nor did he think that his might and the power of his hand obtained it for him, Deu 8:17. He took no pleasure in it in comparison with the spiritual things which were the delight of his soul. His joy did not terminate in the gift, but passed through it to the giver. When he was in the midst of his abundance he never said, Soul, take thy ease in these things, eat, drink, and be merry, nor blessed himself in his riches. He did not inordinately rejoice in his wealth, which helped him to bear the loss of it so patiently as he did. The way to weep as though we wept not is to rejoice as though we rejoiced not. The less pleasure the enjoyment is the less pain the disappointment will be.
II.He protests that he never gave the worship and glory to the creature which are due to God only; he was never guilty of idolatry, Job 31:26-28. We do not find that Job's friends charged him with this. But there were those, it seems, at that time, who were so sottish as to worship the sun and moon, else Job would not have mentioned it. Idolatry is one of the old ways which wicked men have trodden, and the most ancient idolatry was the worshipping of the sun and moon, to which the temptation was most strong, as appears Deu 4:19, where Moses speaks of the danger which the people were in of being driven to worship them. But as yet it was practised secretly, and durst not appear in open view, as afterwards the most abominable idolatries did. Observe,
1.How far Job kept from this sin. He not only never bowed the knee to Baal (which, some think, was designed to represent the sun), never fell down and worshipped the sun, but he kept his eye, his heart, and his lips, clean from this sin.
(1.)He never so much as beheld the sun or the moon in their pomp and lustre with any other admiration of them than what led him to give all the glory of their brightness and usefulness to their Creator. Against spiritual as well as corporal adultery he made a covenant with his eyes; and this was his covenant, that, whenever he looked at the lights of heaven, he should by faith look through them, and beyond them, to the Father of lights.
(2.)He kept his heart with all diligence, that that should not be secretly enticed to think that there is a divine glory in their brightness, or a divine power in their influence, and that therefore divine honours are to be paid to them. Here is the source of idolatry; it begins in the heart. Every man is tempted to that, as to other sins, when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.
(3.)He did not so much as put a compliment upon these pretended deities, did not perform the least and lowest act of adoration: His mouth did not kiss his hand, which, it is likely, was a ceremony then commonly used even by some that yet would not be thought idolaters. It is an old-fashioned piece of civil respect among ourselves, in making a bow, to kiss the hand, a form which, it seems, was anciently used in giving divine honours to the sun and moon. They could not reach to kiss them, as the men that sacrificed kissed the calves (Hos 13:2, Kg1 19:18); but, to show their good will, they kissed their hand, reverencing those as their masters which God has made servants to this lower world, to hold the candle for us. Job never did it.
2.How ill Job thought of this sin, Job 31:28.
(1.)He looked upon it as an affront to the civil magistrate: It were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, as a public nuisance, and hurtful to kings and provinces. Idolatry debauches men's minds, corrupts their manners, takes off the true sense of religion which is the great bond of societies, and provokes God to give men up to a reprobate sense, and to send judgments upon a nation; and therefore the conservators of the public peace are concerned to restrain it by punishing it.
(2.)He looked upon it as a much greater affront to the God of heaven, and no less than high treason against his crown and dignity: For I should have denied the God that is above, denied his being as God and his sovereignty as God above. Idolatry is, in effect, atheism; hence the Gentiles are said to be without God (atheists) in the world. Note, We should be afraid of every thing that does but tacitly deny the God above, his providence, or any of his perfections.
III.He protests that he was so far from doing or designing mischief to any that he neither desired nor delighted in the hurt of the worst enemy he had. The forgiving of those that do us evil, it seems, was Old Testament duty, though the Pharisees made the law concerning it of no effect, by teaching, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy, Mat 5:43. Observe here,
1.Job was far from revenge. He did not only not return the injuries that were done him, not only not destroy those who hated him; but,
(1.)He did not so much as rejoice when any mischief befel them, Job 31:29. Many who would not wilfully hurt those who stand in their light, or have done them a diskindness, yet are secretly pleased and laugh in their sleeve (as we say) when hurt is done them. But Job was not of that spirit. Though Job was a very good man, yet, it seems, there were those that hated him; but evil found them. He saw their destruction, and was far from rejoicing in it; for that would justly have brought the destruction upon him, as it is intimated, Pro 24:17, Pro 24:18.
(2.)He did not so much as wish in his own mind that evil might befel them, Job 31:30. He never wished a curse to his soul (curses to the soul are the worst of curses), never desired his death; he knew that, if he did, it would turn into sin to him. He was careful not to offend with his tongue (Psa 39:1), would not suffer his mouth to sin, and therefore durst not imprecate any evil, no, not to his worst enemy. If others bear malice to us, that will not justify us in bearing malice to them.
2.He was violently urged to revenge, and yet he kept himself thus clear from it (Job 31:31): The men of his tabernacle, his domestics, his servants, and those about him, were so enraged at Job's enemy who hated him, that they could have eaten him, if Job would but have set them on or given them leave. "O that we had of his flesh! Our master is satisfied to forgive him, but we cannot be so satisfied." See how much beloved Job was by his family, how heartily they espoused his cause, and what enemies they were to his enemies; but see what a strict hand Job kept upon his passions, that he would not avenge himself, though he had those about him that blew the coals of his resentment. Note,
(1.)A good man commonly does not himself lay to heart the affronts that are done him so much as his friends do for him.
(2.)Great men have commonly those about them that stir them up to revenge. David had so, Sa1 24:4; Sa1 26:8; Sa2 16:9. But if they keep their temper, notwithstanding the spiteful insinuations of those about them, afterwards it shall be no grief of heart to them, but shall turn very much to their praise.
IV.He protests that he had never been unkind or inhospitable to strangers (Job 31:32):
The stranger lodged not in the street, as angels might lately have done in the streets of Sodom if Lot alone had not entertained them. Perhaps by that instance Job was taught (as we are, Heb 13:2) not to be forgetful to entertain strangers. He that is at home must consider those that are from home, and put his soul into their soul's stead, and then do as he would be done by. Hospitality is a Christian duty, Pe1 4:9. Job, in his prosperity, was noted for good house-keeping: He opened his door to the road (so it may be read); he kept the street-door open, that he might see who passed by and invite them in, as Abraham, Gen 18:1.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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21. For it is clear that he does deny Him, when setting at nought His grace, he claims to himself the powers of good practice. Which too is rightly called as well ‘the chiefest iniquity’ because every act of sin which is from infirmity destroyeth not hope, seeing that it asks forgiveness from the Judge Above. But presuming on our own goodness is so much the worse in desperateness, the further it is removed from humility. And when it ascribes the strength of practice to itself, it does not have recourse to the aid of the Maker, and it is brought to pass that the sinner perishes so much the worse, for that even this very thing, that he is a sinner, he is ignorant of.
“My mouth has kissed my hand” … is said in analogy with those who have the habit to bring their hands [to their mouth] and to kiss [them] when they meet people who are dear to them.
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Summary
Job 31:28 stands as a pivotal declaration within Job's final defense, articulating his unwavering commitment to the one true God and framing any denial of Him as a profound iniquity deserving of divine judgment. This verse is a cornerstone of Job's extensive oath of innocence, powerfully asserting his fidelity and rejecting all forms of idolatry, especially the prevalent ancient Near Eastern practice of astral worship, which he views as a direct affront to the Creator's supreme authority and transcendence.
Context
Literary Context
Job 31 serves as the dramatic culmination of Job's final discourse (chapters 29-31), where he presents his most comprehensive and impassioned defense against the persistent accusations of his friends. This chapter is meticulously structured as a detailed "oath of innocence" or "negative confession," a legalistic literary form in which Job systematically enumerates various sins he has not committed, often invoking a curse upon himself if his claims are false. Verses 26-28 specifically target the sin of idolatry, particularly the worship of the sun and moon, which were pervasive religious practices in the ancient Near East. Job's emphatic declaration in verse 28 functions as the ultimate statement of his exclusive fidelity to Yahweh, portraying the denial of God as the gravest possible offense and thereby reinforcing his earlier assertions of integrity and righteousness, as seen in his initial portrayal in Job 1:1.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, astral worship—the veneration of the sun, moon, and stars—was a deeply entrenched religious practice, frequently intertwined with fertility cults, divination, and state religion. Empires like Babylon, Egypt, and the Canaanite city-states attributed divine powers to celestial bodies, believing they exerted direct influence over earthly events and human destiny. Job's fervent denouncement of such practices in verses like Job 31:26-27 underscores his adherence to a pure monotheistic faith, standing in stark contrast to the polytheistic and pantheistic religious landscape of his era. The concept of "the judge" (Hebrew: pᵉlîylîy) would have been universally understood as a figure of ultimate authority and justice, whether human or divine. Job's appeal to God as the supreme judge reflects a profound belief in divine accountability and the inherent moral order of the cosmos, where denying the Creator was not merely a social transgression but a cosmic one, disrupting the very fabric of existence.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job. Firstly, it profoundly underscores the theme of Job's unwavering integrity and righteousness, demonstrating his consistent and exclusive devotion to God despite immense suffering, a characteristic established from the book's opening chapters. Secondly, it highlights the profound sinfulness of idolatry, not merely as a ritualistic act but as a fundamental denial of God's unique sovereignty and transcendence. Job understands that placing trust or worship in anything other than "the God that is above" is a direct affront to the Creator, echoing the foundational prohibition against other gods in the Decalogue. Finally, the verse emphasizes the theme of divine justice and accountability, as Job acknowledges that denying God is an "iniquity to be punished by the judge," affirming God's role as the ultimate arbiter of truth and righteousness, a concept central to the book's exploration of suffering, justice, and the nature of divine governance, as seen in passages like Job 34:10-12.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H5771) signifies more than a simple error or unintentional sin; it carries the profound weight of moral perversity, distortion, or the twisting of what is inherently right. It implies deep-seated guilt and the deserved punishment that inevitably follows. Job employs this term to convey the profound moral corruption inherent in denying God, suggesting a deliberate and deep-seated rebellion against the divine order rather than a mere lapse in judgment.
This primitive root (H3584) encompasses the ideas of being untrue, whether in word (to lie, feign, disown) or in deed (to disappoint, fail, cringe). In this context, it denotes a profound act of disowning or repudiating God, a betrayal of allegiance that goes beyond mere intellectual disbelief to an active rejection of His authority and existence. It implies a deliberate turning away from the truth of God's being.
This word (H410), shortened from a root meaning strength, refers to the Mighty One, especially the Almighty. While it can be used for any deity, in the context of Job's monotheistic confession and the phrase "God that is above," it unequivocally refers to Yahweh, the supreme and singular Creator. Its usage here emphasizes God's inherent power, might, and unique status as the ultimate divine being, distinct from all created things.
Verse Breakdown
"This also [were] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judge"
Job initiates this clause by declaring that the action he is about to specify (denying God) would constitute a profound moral wrong, an act of perversity that inherently deserves divine retribution. The phrase "to be punished by the judge" clarifies that this "iniquity" is not merely a personal failing or social transgression but a violation against a cosmic, moral order, demanding ultimate accountability from God Himself, who is the supreme arbiter of justice.
"for I should have denied the God [that is] above"
This clause precisely identifies the "iniquity": the denial of God. The crucial phrase "the God that is above" (Hebrew: 'El mima'al, incorporating H4605 maʻal) powerfully emphasizes God's absolute transcendence, His supreme position, and His unparalleled authority over all creation. Job is not merely speaking of denying any deity, but specifically denying the one, true, sovereign God who stands above all things, including the celestial bodies (sun and moon) he referenced in the preceding verses. This denial, therefore, would be a profound act of rebellion against the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
Literary Devices
Job 31:28 masterfully employs several potent literary devices that amplify its theological weight. The entire chapter functions as a negative confession or oath of innocence, a sophisticated legalistic literary form where the speaker meticulously lists sins they have not committed, often invoking a self-curse if their claims are false. This structure imbues Job's defense with a powerful sense of forensic drama, moral certainty, and personal integrity. The verse also utilizes hyperbole in Job's absolute declaration, emphasizing the extreme gravity of denying God and portraying it as the ultimate, unforgivable transgression. Furthermore, the phrase "the God that is above" serves as a powerful epithet or divine appellation, highlighting God's transcendence, His supreme authority, and His distinctness from all created things. This appellation creates a stark thematic opposition between true worship of the transcendent Creator and the idolatrous worship of immanent, created entities, thereby reinforcing the central theological message of exclusive monotheism.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 31:28 stands as a profound testament to the absolute sovereignty of God and the foundational nature of true worship. It asserts that the ultimate sin is not merely an act of commission but the fundamental denial of God's supreme authority, existence, and unique identity, particularly when this denial manifests as the worship of created things. This denial is viewed as a direct affront to the Creator, warranting divine judgment, and irrevocably establishes a clear hierarchy where God alone is worthy of ultimate allegiance. Job's declaration powerfully reinforces the biblical emphasis on exclusive worship and warns against the perils of idolatry, whether overt or subtle, as a profound betrayal of the covenant relationship between humanity and its Creator. This principle is foundational to biblical faith.
Reflection and Application
Job 31:28 presents a timeless challenge to believers today, urging us to deeply examine the true object of our ultimate allegiance. While overt worship of celestial bodies is rare in contemporary society, the "denial of the God that is above" can manifest in myriad, often subtle, forms. It occurs whenever we prioritize anything—be it wealth, career advancement, personal relationships, self-fulfillment, political ideologies, or even our own desires and comfort—above God's revealed will and His supreme authority. Such prioritization effectively denies His unique place as the sovereign Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all. This verse calls us to a radical reorientation of our lives, demanding that our thoughts, words, and actions consistently affirm God's absolute sovereignty and our complete, humble dependence on Him. It serves as a potent reminder that true faith is not merely intellectual assent to theological propositions but an active, undivided loyalty that recognizes God as the ultimate arbiter of truth, the sole source of ultimate meaning, and the only worthy recipient of our worship and devotion.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the God that is above" specifically mean in this context?
In Job 31:28, "the God that is above" (Hebrew: 'El mima'al, utilizing H4605 maʻal) emphasizes God's absolute transcendence, His supreme authority, and His unique position over all creation. This phrase directly contrasts with the celestial bodies (sun, moon) mentioned in the preceding verses (Job 31:26-27), which were common objects of idolatry in the ancient Near East. Job is asserting that to worship anything created, or to deny the Creator's ultimate sovereignty, is a profound sin. This phrase highlights God's distinctness from the created order and His unparalleled power and majesty, reinforcing that He alone is worthy of worship and allegiance, as He is the one who rules from on high, above all earthly and cosmic powers.
How does Job's understanding of "iniquity" relate to divine judgment?
Job's use of "iniquity" (Hebrew: ʻâvôn, H5771) in this verse signifies a deep moral perversion or guilt that inherently warrants punishment. He explicitly states that such an act "were an iniquity [to be punished by] the judge." This reveals Job's profound conviction that denying God is not a minor transgression but a fundamental betrayal of the cosmic order, which demands accountability from the ultimate "judge"—God Himself. It underscores the biblical principle that God is not only the Creator but also the righteous arbiter of justice, who will hold humanity responsible for their actions and their allegiance. This concept of divine judgment is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing God's holiness and His commitment to justice, as seen in passages like Psalm 7:11.
Is Job suggesting that denying God is the only sin that warrants judgment?
No, Job is not suggesting that denying God is the only sin, but rather that it is a foundational and supremely grave sin. In Job 31, Job meticulously lists numerous other sins he has not committed (e.g., injustice, lust, oppression, deceit, mistreatment of servants, lack of charity in Job 31:13-25), each of which he implies would warrant judgment. However, denying "the God that is above" is presented as perhaps the ultimate, most comprehensive transgression, as it strikes at the very root of one's relationship with the Creator. It is the ultimate act of rebellion against the source of all moral law and existence. This aligns perfectly with the First Commandment, which prohibits having other gods before the Lord, establishing the supremacy of God as the basis for all other moral obligations and the foundation for all true righteousness.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 31:28, with its profound declaration against denying "the God that is above," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Job rightly understood the immense gravity of denying the transcendent Creator, humanity's deepest and most pervasive denial is not merely of God's existence, but of His redemptive plan uniquely embodied in His Son. Jesus, as the image of the invisible God, perfectly revealed the "God that is above," bridging the infinite chasm between the transcendent Creator and fallen humanity. To deny Christ is, in essence, to deny the Father who sent Him, as Jesus Himself unequivocally declared, "Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Furthermore, the ultimate "iniquity" that Job spoke of, the rebellion against the sovereign God, was decisively and perfectly punished, not in human judgment, but in the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, where He bore the full weight of humanity's sin, rebellion, and denial. Through His glorious resurrection, Jesus is now the appointed judge of the living and the dead, ensuring that every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the eternal glory of God the Father. Thus, the ancient call to undivided allegiance to "the God that is above" is now fully realized and perfectly fulfilled in the call to confess, trust, and follow Jesus, the divine Son, who perfectly embodies, reveals, and reconciles us to the Father.