Job 31
Job 31 is both Job’s final statement and a vow of innocence concerning himself. In this chapter, Job looks back on his life from various angles and earnestly declares before the one true God that he has committed no wicked act. The entire chapter has a distinctive structure in which Job repeatedly argues his innocence through hypothetical expressions such as “If I…” This repeated form of oath shows Job’s sincerity, the integrity of his life, and his willingness to lay his life open transparently before the standards of the law and morals.
1verse“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
2verseFor what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3verseIs it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4verseDoesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5verse“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
6verse(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
7verseif my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8versethen let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9verse“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10versethen let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
11verseFor that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
12versefor it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13verse“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
14versewhat then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
15verseDidn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
16verse“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17verseor have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18verse(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
19verseif I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20verseif his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
21verseif I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
22versethen let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
23verseFor calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
24verse“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
25verseIf I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26verseif I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
27verseand my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
28versethis also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
29verse“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
30verse(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
31verseif the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32verse(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
33verseif like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34versebecause I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
35verseoh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
36verseSurely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37verseI would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
38verseIf my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39verseif I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40verselet briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Key Content Summary
- Verses 1-4: acknowledging that he protected himself from greed and lust, and recognizing that God searches all paths
- Verses 5-8: confessing that he has not done what is false, nor practiced deceit, nor carried out injustice
- Verses 9-12: emphasizing that he has kept far from adultery, temptation, and immoral acts
- Verses 13-15: treating slaves and others fairly
- Verses 16-23: describing how he helped the poor, the fatherless, widows, strangers, and others, and stating that he never oppressed or abused them
- Verses 24-28: making clear that he did not fall into riches or idol worship
- Verses 29-40: arguing regarding his attitude toward his enemies, the way he hosted guests, hidden sins, and more, and concluding with a vow that if he is in the wrong, he will receive the punishment appropriate to it
Overall Meaning and Message
Job 31 is a climactic moment when Job sets his own moral character and faith as his standard, and declares himself upright before God’s judgment. Even amid suffering, Job does not accept the idea that his pain is the result of sin. Instead, he examines his honesty, justice, mercy, and reverence throughout his life. This chapter invites a deep meditation on the human inner self, actions, and conscience and responsibility before God. It also leads the person of faith to ask themselves how they should live their life, and why innocence and moral responsibility are precious.
Meditation Points
- When I recognize that God knows even the details of my life, what about my words, actions, and mindset?
- Is there an effort like Job’s to examine myself and to strive for innocence in every area of my life?
- Don’t I need to learn from the perspective with which Job looked back on his life and sincerely reflected on himself and his life in the face of suffering?
Apply It to Yourself
- Like Job in this passage, check whether there are any hidden parts of my life—or any repeating habits—in which I am not transparent before God and my neighbors.
- Keeping justice, mercy, and honesty is not always easy, but as you begin each day, make a commitment so that you can choose a life that stands upright before God and before people.
