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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 31:33–40. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here Job's protestation against three more sins, together with his general appeal to God's bar and his petition for a hearing there, which, it is likely, was intended to conclude his discourse (and therefore we will consider it last), but that another particular sin occurred, from which he thought it requisite to acquit himself. He clears himself from the charge,
I.Of dissimulation and hypocrisy.
The general crime of which his friends accused him was that, under the cloak of a profession of religion, he had kept up secret haunts of sin, and that really he was as bad as other people, but had the art of concealing it. Zophar insinuated (Job 20:12) that he hid his iniquity under his tongue. "No," says Job, "I never did (Job 31:33), I never covered my transgression as Adam, never palliated a sin with frivolous excuses, nor made fig-leaves the shelter of my shame, nor ever hid my iniquity in my bosom, as a fondling, a darling, that I could by no means part with, or as stolen goods which I dreaded the discovery of." It is natural to us to cover our sins; we have it from our first parents. We are loth to confess our faults, willing to extenuate them and make the best of ourselves, to devolve the blame upon others, as Adam on his wife, not without a tacit reflection upon God himself. But he that thus covers his sins shall not prosper, Pro 28:13. Job, in this protestation, intimates two things, which were certain evidences of his integrity: - 1. That he was not guilty of any great transgression or iniquity, inconsistent with sincerity, which he had now industriously concealed. In this protestation he had dealt fairly, and, while he denies some sins, was not conscious to himself that he allowed himself in any. 2. That what transgression and iniquity he had been guilty of (Who is there that lives and sins not?) he had always been ready to own it, and, as soon as ever he perceived he had said or done amiss, he was ready to unsay it and undo it, as far as he could, by repentance, confessing it both to God and man, and forsaking it: this is doing honestly.
II.From the charge of cowardice and base fear.
His courage in that which is good he produces as an evidence of his sincerity in it (Job 31:34): Did I fear a great multitude, that I kept silence? No, all that knew Job knew him to be a man of undaunted resolution in a good cause, that boldly appeared, spoke, and acted, in defence of religion and justice, and did not fear the face of man nor was ever threatened or brow-beaten out of his duty, but set his face as a flint. Observe,
1.What great conscience Job had made of his duty as a magistrate, or a man of reputation, in the place where he lived. He did not, he durst not, keep silence when he had a call to speak in an honest cause, or keep within doors when he had a call to go abroad to do good. The case may be such that it may be our sin to be silent and retired, as when we are called to reprove sin and bear our testimony against it, to vindicate the truths and ways of God, to do justice to those who are injured or oppressed, or in any way to serve the public or to do honour to our religion.
2.What little account Job made of the discouragements he met with in the way of his duty. He valued not the clamours of the mob, feared not a great multitude, nor did he value the menaces of the mighty: The contempt of families never terrified him. He was not deterred by the number or quality, the scorns or insults, or the injurious from doing justice to the injured; no, he scorned to be swayed and biassed by any such considerations, nor ever suffered a righteous cause to be run down by a high hand. He feared the great God, not the multitude, and his curse, not the contempt of families.
III.From the charge of oppression and violence, and doing wrong to his poor neighbours. And here observe,
1.What his protestation is - that the estate he had he both got and used honestly, so that his land could not cry out against him nor the furrows thereof complain (Job 31:38), as they do against those who get the possession of them by fraud and extortion, Hab 2:9-11. The whole creation is said to groan under the sin of man; but that which is unjustly gained and held cries out against a man, and accuses him, condemns him, and demands justice against him for the injury. Rather than his oppression shall go unpunished the very ground and the furrows of it shall witness against him, and be his prosecutors. Two things he could say safely concerning his estate: - (1.) That he never ate the fruits of it without money, Job 31:39. What he purchased he paid for, as Abraham for the land he bought (Gen 23:16), and David, Sa2 24:24. The labourers that he employed had their wages duly paid them, and, if he made use of the fruits of those lands that he let out, he paid his tenants for them, or allowed it in their rent. (2.) That he never caused the owners thereof to lose their life, never got an estate, as Ahab got Naboth's vineyard, by killing the heir and seizing the inheritance, never starved those that held lands of him nor killed them with hard bargains and hard usage. No tenant, no workman, no servant, he had, could complain of him.
2.How he confirms his protestation. He does it, as often before, with a suitable imprecation (Job 31:40): "If I have got my estate unjustly, let thistles grow instead of wheat, the worst of weeds instead of the best of grains." When men get estates unjustly they are justly deprived of the comfort of them, and disappointed in their expectations from them. They sow their land, but they sow not that body that shall be. God will give it a body. It was sown wheat, but shall come up thistles. What men do not come honestly by will never do them any good. Job, towards the close of his protestation, appeals to the judgment-seat of God concerning the truth of it (Job 31:35-37): O that he would hear me, even that the Almighty would answer me! This was what he desired and often complained that he could not obtain; and, now that he had drawn up his own defence so particularly, he leaves it upon record, in expectation of a hearing, files it, as it were, till his cause be called.
(1.)A trial is moved for, and the motion earnestly pressed: "O that one, any one, would hear me; my cause is so good, and my evidence so clear, that I am willing to refer it to any indifferent person whatsoever; but my desire is that the Almighty himself would determine it." An upright heart does not dread a scrutiny. He that means honestly wishes he had a window in his breast, that all men might see the intents of his heart. But an upright heart does particularly desire to be determined in every thing by the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to the truth. It was holy David's prayer, Search me, O God! and know my heart; and it was blessed Paul's comfort, He that judgeth me is the Lord.
(2.)The prosecutor is called, the plaintiff summoned, and ordered to bring in his information, to say what he has to say against the prisoner, for he stands upon his deliverance: "O that my adversary had written a book - that my friends, who charge me with hypocrisy, would draw up their charge in writing, that it might be reduced to a certainty, and that we might the better join issue upon it." Job would be very glad to see the libel, to have a copy of his indictment. He would not hide it under his arm, but take it upon his shoulder, to be seen and read of all men, nay, he would bind it as a crown to him, would be pleased with it, and look upon it as his ornament; for,
[1.]If it discovered to him any sin he had been guilty of, which he did not yet see, he should be glad to know it, that he might repent of it and get it pardoned. A good man is willing to know the worst of himself and will be thankful to those that will faithfully tell him of his faults.
[2.]If it charged him with what was false, he doubted not but to disprove the allegations, that his innocency would be cleared up as the light, and he should come off with so much the more honour. But,
[3.]He believed that, when his adversaries came to consider the matter so closely as they must do if they put the charge in writing, the accusations would be trivial and minute, and every one that saw them would say, "If this was all they had to say against him, it was a shame they gave him so much trouble."
(3.)The defendant is ready to make his appearance and to give his accusers all the fair play they can desire. He will declare unto them the number of his steps, Job 31:37. He will let them into the history of his own life, will show them all the stages and scenes of it. He will give them a narrative of his conversation, what would make against him as well as what would make for him, and let them make what use they pleased of it; and so confident he is of his integrity that as a prince to be crowned, rather than a prisoner to be tried, he would go near to him, both to his accuser to hear his charge and to his judge to hear his doom. Thus the testimony of his conscience was his rejoicing.
Hic murus aheneus esto, nil conscire sibi -
Be this thy brazen bulwark of defence,
Still to preserve thy conscience innocence.
Those that have kept their hands without spot from the world, as Job did, may lift up their faces without spot unto God, and may comfort themselves with the prospect of his judgment when they lie under the unjust censures of men. If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.
Thus the words of Job are ended; that is, he has now said all he would say in answer to his friends: he afterwards said something in a way of self-reproach and condemnation (Job 40:4, Job 40:5, Job 42:2, etc.), but here ends what he had to say in a way of self-defence and vindication. If this suffice not he will say no more; he knows when he has said enough and will submit to the judgment of the bench. Some think the manner of expression intimates that he concluded with an air of assurance and triumph. He now keeps the field and doubts not but to win the field. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.
Historical interpretation
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“If my land has ever cried out against me, or if its furrows have wept together.” Therefore, neither the land cries out nor weeps. What does he mean? Certainly the land does not really groan, but inanimate beings perceive injustices. As the prophet asserts, “The earth stood up and shuddered.” Now the earth moans every time we make an unjust use of its fruits.
55. As though he said in plain words; ‘If I have done aught unjust towards those under me, if I have exacted the debts due to me, and have not myself paid what I owed, if I have envied others the executing of good practice, for the good things which refresh for ever and ever, may evil things that sting be repaid me in the Judgment.’ Since ‘instead of the wheat there springs up the thistle, and instead of barley the thorn,’ when in the final Retribution, wherefrom the recompensing of our labour is looked for, the piercing of pain is met with. And observe, that as barley is different from wheat, though both regale, so the thorn differs from the thistle, though either be a thing that pricks, because the thistle is softer, and the thorn always the harder as to pricking. Thus he says, Let the thistle grow instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly and openly; ‘I know indeed that I have both done great good acts and lesser ones; and if it is not so, may lesser evils match me for my great good acts, and the greater evils for the lesser good ones.’ Though this may also be understood in another sense. For in ‘wheat’ there is denoted in spiritual action which regales the mind, but in ‘barley’ the disposal of earthly things. Wherein while we are often forced to serve the weak and carnal, we as it were prepare their food for the beasts of burthen, and the very practice of our deeds after the manner of barley has somewhat of a mixture of chaff. And it very often happens, that the ruler who is set at the head, while he enforces what is unjust against those under his charge, while he cheers not the good with any soothing, whilst, that which is more grievous, all those acting rightly he distresses out of envy, still some good things he sometimes does, as if he sowed corn, and mixed in the disposing of earthly things at times not in the passion of avarice, but for the use of the carnal, and so looks for the fruit of that labour as a crop of barley. But the several persons under his charge, in consideration of this, that they are borne hard upon in the chief things, cannot feel joy in his lesser good things; because neither is this practice well pleasing in the sight of God, which is defiled by the injustice of other practice, nor yet is the very disposal of earthly things believed to be undertaken for the service of those under his charge, when he who is over them is seen to pant with avarice. Whence it happens that even in answer to the few good things themselves, which they see to be done in the midst of a multitude of evil ones, they give back not praises but groans, and that those that go weakly murmur, while they take thought that that which they see is not a thing of pure practice. And so he says, If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof: let the thistle grow instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly, ‘If the great things which I owed I have not needfully performed, may I receive the prickings of murmuring from those under me, even with reference to the good that I have done. If I have omitted to set forth what might cheer, may their tongue springing forth into complaint with justice pierce me.’
56. Wherein it requires always to be minded with heedful consideration, that neither they that are set at the head offer examples of bad practice to those under them, and kill the life of those by the sword of their evil doing, nor they that are subject to the control of another presume to judge lightly the deeds of their rulers, and from this, that they utter murmurs touching those who are placed over them, set themselves not against a human appointment but against that Divine Appointment, which disposes all things. For to those it is said, And as for My flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet: they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. [Ez. 34, 19] For ‘the sheep drink what is fouled with the feet,’ when those under charge for example of living seek after things, which the persons over them severally corrupt by bad practice. But on the other hand these persons hear from those in command; And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. [Ex. 16, 8] For he that murmurs against power established over him, it is plain reproves Him Who gave that power to man.
At length, God vouchsafing it, we have explored those sentences of blessed Job, full of mystical force, in which he made answer to the words of his friends. Now it remains that we come to the words of Elihu, which are to be weighed with so much the graver caution, in proportion as they are also put forward through the boldness of youth with a hotter spirit.
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Summary
Job 31:40 serves as the climactic conclusion to Job's extensive and impassioned final defense, where he meticulously asserts his integrity and innocence before God and his accusers. This verse functions as the ultimate statement of his self-imprecation, a solemn oath in which Job invokes a severe agricultural curse upon his own land should he be found guilty of the transgressions he has vehemently denied. The subsequent narrative interjection, "The words of Job are ended," marks a pivotal transition in the book, signaling the definitive close of Job's direct speeches and setting the stage for the divine intervention that will follow.
Context
Literary Context
Job 31:40 stands as the powerful culmination of Job's final monologue, which spans chapters 29-31. Throughout this extended discourse, Job reflects on his past prosperity and righteousness (Job 29), laments his current suffering and the scorn he endures (Job 30), and most significantly, presents a comprehensive oath of innocence in Job 31. In this chapter, Job systematically denies a wide array of potential sins, from coveting and adultery to injustice towards the poor and idolatry, concluding each denial with a self-curse, inviting divine judgment if he has indeed transgressed. Verse 40 is the final, sweeping imprecation, summarizing his absolute conviction in his blamelessness. This verse directly follows Job's challenge to God in Job 31:35, where he expresses a desire for God to answer him and to have his "indictment written." The concluding phrase, "The words of Job are ended," is a crucial editorial note by the narrator, signaling the end of the long dialogue phase between Job and his three friends, and preparing the reader for the subsequent speeches of Elihu and, ultimately, God's direct address from the whirlwind in Job 38:1.
Historical & Cultural Context
The practice of self-imprecatory oaths was deeply ingrained in ancient Near Eastern legal and social systems. Such oaths were not mere figures of speech but solemn, binding declarations made before deities, invoking specific curses upon oneself or one's property if the oath was violated or if one was found to be lying. In an agrarian society like ancient Israel, the well-being of the land and its productivity were directly linked to divine favor and human righteousness. A curse involving agricultural desolation, such as "thistles instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley," was therefore one of the most severe and tangible forms of judgment imaginable. This concept resonates with the broader biblical understanding that human sin can defile the land, leading to barrenness or expulsion, as seen in the curse on the ground after Adam's sin in Genesis 3:17-19 or the covenant curses described in Deuteronomy 28. Job's willingness to stake his very livelihood and the productivity of his land on his integrity underscores the profound seriousness with which such oaths were regarded and his absolute conviction in his own moral uprightness.
Key Themes
Job 31:40 powerfully encapsulates several major themes woven throughout the Book of Job. Primarily, it highlights Job's unwavering confidence in his innocence and integrity. Despite immense suffering and the persistent accusations of his friends, Job maintains his blamelessness before God, to the point of inviting a devastating agricultural curse upon himself if he were proven false. This profound commitment to truth and righteousness in the face of overwhelming adversity is a central tenet of the book, challenging the conventional wisdom of his friends. Secondly, the verse underscores the gravity and binding nature of ancient oaths and covenants, particularly those involving self-imprecation, demonstrating how deeply personal conduct was believed to affect the natural world and divine judgment. This reflects a worldview where spiritual and physical realities were intricately linked. Finally, the concluding phrase, "The words of Job are ended," serves as a critical narrative transition, marking the end of the human dialogue and setting the stage for God's ultimate revelation. This transition emphasizes the limitations of human wisdom and argument in fully comprehending divine justice and suffering, preparing the reader for the dramatic shift from human discourse to divine discourse.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root apparently meaning to pierce; a thorn; by analogy, a ring for the nose; bramble, thistle, thorn. In this context, it refers to various thorny, prickly, and useless weeds that infest cultivated land. In biblical imagery, thistles often symbolize the futility of human effort, the curse on the ground, or the unproductive nature of a life apart from God's blessing. Here, it represents a complete reversal of agricultural prosperity, yielding only pain and uselessness instead of sustenance.
Feminine of בְּאֹשׁ (beʼosh); stink-weed or any other noxious or useless plant. This weed is known for its noxious odor and its ability to choke out valuable crops. It is a potent symbol of corruption, worthlessness, and a repulsive outcome. The pairing with "thistles" intensifies the imagery of utter desolation and the production of only harmful, undesirable growth.
A primitive root; to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive; accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-) ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole. In the context of "The words of Job are ended," it functions as a definitive narrative marker, indicating that Job has said all he intends to say in his defense and challenge, closing his part of the extended dialogue and moving the narrative forward to a new phase.
Verse Breakdown
"Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley."
This is Job's final self-imprecation, a conditional curse he places upon his own land and livelihood. It is a powerful declaration of his absolute confidence in his innocence and integrity. If he has committed any of the sins he has just disavowed (Job 31:1-39), then his fields, which should produce life-sustaining wheat and barley, should instead yield only worthless and harmful weeds. This vividly portrays a land cursed by God due to the owner's sin, a direct inversion of the blessings promised for obedience, and a powerful testament to the severity and sincerity of the oath.
"The words of Job are ended."
This is an editorial comment by the author of the Book of Job, rather than part of Job's direct speech. It functions as a crucial narrative bridge, signaling to the reader that Job's extensive monologue, which has dominated the preceding chapters, has now concluded. This phrase marks a significant structural turning point in the book, indicating that the stage is now set for a new character (Elihu) and ultimately, for God Himself to speak. It underscores the finality and exhaustion of Job's human arguments and his readiness for a divine response.
Literary Devices
Job 31:40 employs several potent literary devices that enhance its impact and meaning. The primary device is Imprecation, where Job invokes a curse upon himself and his land as a solemn testament to his unwavering innocence. This is a common feature in ancient Near Eastern legal oaths, emphasizing the gravity and binding nature of his declaration. The specific imagery used, "thistles instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley," is a powerful form of Antithesis and Agricultural Imagery. It creates a stark contrast between desired productivity and utter desolation, vividly illustrating the severity of the proposed curse and its direct impact on sustenance. This imagery is also a form of Symbolism, where the barren, weed-infested land symbolizes a life or character deemed worthless, unproductive, or cursed by God. Finally, the concluding phrase, "The words of Job are ended," functions as a Narrative Interjection or Authorial Comment. It breaks the flow of direct speech to provide a meta-narrative observation, guiding the reader through the structural progression of the book and marking a significant narrative transition from human discourse to divine revelation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 31:40 stands as a profound theological statement on human integrity, divine justice, and the nature of covenants. Job's willingness to invoke such a severe land-curse underscores the deep-seated belief in the ancient world that human moral conduct had direct implications for the natural order and divine blessing. His self-imprecation is not merely a legal formality but a spiritual act, expressing his conviction that God is just and would indeed bring judgment upon him if he were guilty. This resonates powerfully with the biblical principle that the land itself can be defiled by human sin and respond with barrenness, as seen in the consequences of the Fall and the curses outlined in the Mosaic Covenant. Job's desperate plea for vindication, culminating in this oath, highlights the tension between his perceived righteousness and his inexplicable suffering, setting the stage for God's ultimate revelation, which transcends human understanding of justice and often operates beyond our immediate comprehension.
Reflection and Application
Job 31:40, while rooted in an ancient cultural context of self-imprecatory oaths, offers timeless insights into integrity, the weight of our words, and the posture of waiting before God. Job's willingness to stake his entire well-being on his blamelessness challenges us to examine the depth of our own convictions and the sincerity of our walk before God. Do we live with such integrity that we could, metaphorically, invite the consequences of our actions upon ourselves if we were found to be deceitful? While we are not called to make such literal oaths in the New Covenant, Job's example calls us to a radical transparency and honesty in our lives, particularly in the face of adversity or accusation. It prompts us to consider if our private lives align with our public declarations of faith. Furthermore, the concluding phrase "The words of Job are ended" serves as a powerful reminder of the limits of human argument and the necessity of patient waiting for God's divine revelation. After all our pleas, defenses, and questions, there often comes a period of silence before God speaks, teaching us to trust in His timing and His sovereign wisdom, even when the answers are not immediately apparent.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is a "self-imprecatory oath" and why was it so significant in Job's time?
A self-imprecatory oath is a solemn declaration where an individual calls down a curse upon themselves or their property if their statement is found to be false. In ancient Near Eastern societies, such oaths were extremely serious and legally binding, often made before deities. They were invoked to prove innocence, establish truth, or confirm a covenant. The significance lay in the profound belief that the gods (or God, in Israel's case) would enforce the curse if the oath-taker was lying or had committed the denied transgression. For Job, a wealthy landowner, invoking a curse of agricultural desolation ("thistles instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley") was the ultimate demonstration of his absolute conviction in his own integrity, as it threatened his very livelihood and status. It was a public challenge to divine justice to expose any falsehood in his claims, showcasing his readiness to face the consequences if he were indeed guilty.
Why does the text say, "The words of Job are ended"? Does he never speak again?
The phrase "The words of Job are ended" is an important narrative interjection by the author of the Book of Job, not a statement by Job himself. It signals the conclusion of Job's extensive and climactic monologue (chapters 29-31), which has been the primary focus of the narrative since the dialogue with his friends began. It marks a structural turning point in the book, indicating that the long period of human argument, lament, and defense has come to a close. While Job does speak again later in the book (e.g., in Job 40:3-5 and Job 42:1-6 after God's direct addresses from the whirlwind), this specific phrase signifies the end of his defense and challenge to God and his friends, paving the way for new voices (Elihu) and ultimately, God's direct revelation and the resolution of the narrative.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 31:40, with its imagery of a land cursed with thistles and cockle, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Job's self-imprecation, though a testament to his human integrity and a desperate plea for vindication, highlights the pervasive reality of a world under a curse due to sin—a curse first pronounced in Genesis 3:17-18 where the ground yields "thorns and thistles" because of Adam's disobedience. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, perfectly embodies the integrity Job desperately sought to prove. He did not need to invoke a self-curse, for He was truly blameless, "who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). Yet, in an astonishing act of divine love and substitutionary atonement, Christ became a curse for us, taking upon Himself the very curse of sin and death that humanity deserved (Galatians 3:13). He wore a crown of thorns, symbolizing the very thistles and curses of the fallen world, as He bore the weight of humanity's sin on the cross (Matthew 27:29). Through His sacrifice, Jesus redeems us from the curse, transforming the barrenness of sin into the fruitfulness of righteousness and new life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-4). Ultimately, His finished work ushers in a new creation where the curse is no more, and God's people will serve Him without impediment (Revelation 22:3). Job's words ended, but Christ's finished work on the cross speaks an eternal word of redemption, restoration, and ultimate victory over the curse of sin.