5 If I have walked H1980 with vanity, H7723 or if my foot H7272 hath hasted H2363 to deceit; H4820
6 Let me be weighed H8254 in an even H6664 balance, H3976 that God H433 may know H3045 mine integrity. H8538
7 If my step H838 hath turned out H5186 of the way, H1870 and mine heart H3820 walked H1980 after H310 mine eyes, H5869 and if any blot H3971 hath cleaved H1692 to mine hands; H3709
8 Then let me sow, H2232 and let another H312 eat; H398 yea, let my offspring H6631 be rooted out. H8327
9 If mine heart H3820 have been deceived H6601 by a woman, H802 or if I have laid wait H693 at my neighbour's H7453 door; H6607
10 Then let my wife H802 grind H2912 unto another, H312 and let others H312 bow down H3766 upon her.
11 For this is an heinous crime; H2154 yea, it is an iniquity H5771 to be punished by the judges. H6414
12 For it is a fire H784 that consumeth H398 to destruction, H11 and would root out H8327 all mine increase. H8393
13 If I did despise H3988 the cause H4941 of my manservant H5650 or of my maidservant, H519 when they contended H7379 with me;
14 What then shall I do H6213 when God H410 riseth up? H6965 and when he visiteth, H6485 what shall I answer H7725 him?
15 Did not he that made H6213 me in the womb H990 make H6213 him? and did not one H259 fashion H3559 us in the womb? H7358
16 If I have withheld H4513 the poor H1800 from their desire, H2656 or have caused the eyes H5869 of the widow H490 to fail; H3615
17 Or have eaten H398 my morsel H6595 myself alone, and the fatherless H3490 hath not eaten H398 thereof;
18 (For from my youth H5271 he was brought up H1431 with me, as with a father, H1 and I have guided H5148 her from my mother's H517 womb;) H990
19 If I have seen H7200 any perish H6 for want of clothing, H3830 or any poor H34 without covering; H3682
20 If his loins H2504 have not blessed H1288 me, and if he were not warmed H2552 with the fleece H1488 of my sheep; H3532
21 If I have lifted up H5130 my hand H3027 against the fatherless, H3490 when I saw H7200 my help H5833 in the gate: H8179
22 Then let mine arm H3802 fall H5307 from my shoulder blade, H7929 and mine arm H248 be broken H7665 from the bone. H7070
23 For destruction H343 from God H410 was a terror H6343 to me, and by reason of his highness H7613 I could H3201 not endure.
24 If I have made H7760 gold H2091 my hope, H3689 or have said H559 to the fine gold, H3800 Thou art my confidence; H4009
25 If I rejoiced H8055 because my wealth H2428 was great, H7227 and because mine hand H3027 had gotten H4672 much; H3524
26 If I beheld H7200 the sun H216 when it shined, H1984 or the moon H3394 walking H1980 in brightness; H3368
27 And my heart H3820 hath been secretly H5643 enticed, H6601 or my mouth H6310 hath kissed H5401 my hand: H3027
28 This also were an iniquity H5771 to be punished by the judge: H6416 for I should have denied H3584 the God H410 that is above. H4605
29 If I rejoiced H8055 at the destruction H6365 of him that hated H8130 me, or lifted up H5782 myself when evil H7451 found H4672 him:
30 Neither have I suffered H5414 my mouth H2441 to sin H2398 by wishing H7592 a curse H423 to his soul. H5315
31 If the men H4962 of my tabernacle H168 said H559 not, Oh that we had H5414 of his flesh! H1320 we cannot be satisfied. H7646
32 The stranger H1616 did not lodge H3885 in the street: H2351 but I opened H6605 my doors H1817 to the traveller. H734
33 If I covered H3680 my transgressions H6588 as Adam, H121 by hiding H2934 mine iniquity H5771 in my bosom: H2243
34 Did I fear H6206 a great H7227 multitude, H1995 or did the contempt H937 of families H4940 terrify H2865 me, that I kept silence, H1826 and went not out H3318 of the door? H6607
35 Oh that H5414 one would hear H8085 me! behold, my desire H8420 is, that the Almighty H7706 would answer H6030 me, and that mine adversary H376 H7379 had written H3789 a book. H5612
36 Surely I would take H5375 it upon my shoulder, H7926 and bind H6029 it as a crown H5850 to me.
37 I would declare H5046 unto him the number H4557 of my steps; H6806 as a prince H5057 would I go near H7126 unto him.
38 If my land H127 cry H2199 against me, or that the furrows H8525 likewise H3162 thereof complain; H1058
39 If I have eaten H398 the fruits H3581 thereof without money, H3701 or have caused the owners H1167 thereof to lose H5301 their life: H5315
40 Let thistles H2336 grow H3318 instead of wheat, H2406 and cockle H890 instead of barley. H8184 The words H1697 of Job H347 are ended. H8552
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 31
Commentary on Job 31 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 31
Job had often protested his integrity in general; here he does it in particular instances, not in a way of commendation (for he does not here proclaim his good deeds), but in his own just and necessary vindication, to clear himself from those crimes with which his friends had falsely charged him, which is a debt every man owes to his own reputation. Job's friends had been particular in their articles of impeachment against him, and therefore he is so in his protestation, which seems to refer especially to what Eliphaz had accused him of, ch. 22:6, etc. They had produced no witnesses against him, neither could they prove the things whereof they now accused him, and therefore he may well be admitted to purge himself upon oath, which he does very solemnly, and with many awful imprecations of God's wrath if he were guilty of those crimes. This protestation confirms God's character of him, that there was none like him in the earth. Perhaps some of his accusers durst not have joined with him; for he not only acquits himself from those gross sins which lie open to the eye of the world, but from many secret sins which, if he had been guilty of them, nobody could have charged him, with, because he will prove himself no hypocrite. Nor does he only maintain the cleanness of his practices, but shows also that in them he went upon good principles, that the reason of his eschewing evil was because he feared God, and his piety was at the bottom of his justice and charity; and this crowns the proof of his sincerity.
Job 31:1-8
The lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world, are the two fatal rocks on which multitudes split; against these Job protests he was always careful to stand upon his guard.
Job 31:9-15
Two more instances we have here of Job's integrity:-
Job 31:16-23
Eliphaz had particularly charged Job with unmercifulness to the poor (ch. 22:6, etc.): Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, stripped the naked of their clothing, and sent widows away empty. One would think he could not have been so very positive and express in his charge unless there had been some truth in it, some ground, for it; and yet it appears, by Job's protestation, that it was utterly false and groundless; he was never guilty of any such thing. See here,
Job 31:24-32
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:-
Job 31:33-40
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,
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 (ch. 40:4, 5, 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.