[Then] let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Then let me sow {H2232}, and let another {H312} eat {H398}; yea, let my offspring {H6631} be rooted out {H8327}.
then let me sow and someone else eat, let what grows from my fields be uprooted.
then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
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Leviticus 26:16
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. -
Micah 6:15
Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. -
Deuteronomy 28:38
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather [but] little in; for the locust shall consume it. -
Job 20:18
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow [it] down: according to [his] substance [shall] the restitution [be], and he shall not rejoice [therein]. -
Judges 6:3
And [so] it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; -
Judges 6:6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. -
Deuteronomy 28:51
And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which [also] shall not leave thee [either] corn, wine, or oil, [or] the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
Context of Job 31:8
Job 31 is a pivotal chapter in the Book of Job, representing Job's final and most extensive declaration of his integrity before God and his friends. Throughout this chapter, Job systematically lists various sins he has *not* committed, such as lust, injustice, oppression of the poor, and idolatry. For each potential transgression, he invokes a severe self-imprecation, swearing that if he were guilty, he would accept a specific, dreadful consequence. This verse, Job 31:8, is part of a conditional curse related to his conduct concerning his land and his dealings with others, specifically following his assertion in verses 5-7 that he has not walked with vanity or deceit.
Meaning of the Verse
In Job 31:8, Job boldly challenges God to punish him if he has been guilty of injustice or dishonesty in his agricultural or personal life. The verse contains two distinct parts of the self-imposed curse:
Key Themes and Messages
Practical Application
Job 31:8, while part of a dramatic personal defense, offers several timeless lessons: