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
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, H6734 that ye may look H7200 upon it, and remember H2142 all the commandments H4687 of the LORD, H3068 and do H6213 them; and that ye seek H8446 not after H310 your own heart H3824 and your own eyes, H5869 after H310 which ye use to go a whoring: H2181
Rejoice, H8055 O young man, H970 in thy youth; H3208 and let thy heart H3820 cheer H2895 thee in the days H3117 of thy youth, H979 and walk H1980 in the ways H1870 of thine heart, H3820 and in the sight H4758 of thine eyes: H5869 but know H3045 thou, that for all these things God H430 will bring H935 thee into judgment. H4941
And G1161 if G1487 thy G4675 right G1188 eye G3788 offend G4624 thee, G4571 pluck G1807 it G846 out, G1807 and G2532 cast G906 it from G575 thee: G4675 for G1063 it is profitable G4851 for thee G4671 that G2443 one G1520 of thy G4675 members G3196 should perish, G622 and G2532 not G3361 that thy G4675 whole G3650 body G4983 should be cast G906 into G1519 hell. G1067
If I wash H7364 myself with H7950 snow water, H4325 H1119 and make my hands H3709 never H1252 H1253 so clean; H2141
I will set H7896 no wicked H1100 thing H1697 before mine eyes: H5869 I hate H8130 the work H6213 of them that turn aside; H7750 it shall not cleave H1692 to me.
He that walketh H1980 righteously, H6666 and speaketh H1696 uprightly; H4339 he that despiseth H3988 the gain H1215 of oppressions, H4642 that shaketh H5287 his hands H3709 from holding H8551 of bribes, H7810 that stoppeth H331 his ears H241 from hearing H8085 of blood, H1818 and shutteth H6105 his eyes H5869 from seeing H7200 evil; H7451
And they that escape H6412 of you shall remember H2142 me among the nations H1471 whither they shall be carried captives, H7617 because I am broken H7665 with their whorish H2181 heart, H3820 which hath departed H5493 from me, and with their eyes, H5869 which go a whoring H2181 after H310 their idols: H1544 and they shall lothe H6962 themselves H6440 for the evils H7451 which they have committed H6213 in all their abominations. H8441
Son H1121 of man, H120 these men H582 have set up H5927 their idols H1544 in their heart, H3820 and put H5414 the stumblingblock H4383 of their iniquity H5771 before H5227 their face: H6440 should I be enquired H1875 of at all H1875 by them?
For every one H376 of the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 or of the stranger H1616 that sojourneth H1481 in Israel, H3478 which separateth H5144 himself from me, H310 and setteth up H5927 his idols H1544 in his heart, H3820 and putteth H7760 the stumblingblock H4383 of his iniquity H5771 before H5227 his face, H6440 and cometh H935 to a prophet H5030 to enquire H1875 of him concerning me; I the LORD H3068 will answer H6030 him by myself:
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.