FocusWisdom and the demand for an answer
Job 31:16
KJVIf I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
The later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer.
- 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
- 31:2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
- 31:3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
- 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
- 31:5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
- 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
- 31:7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
- 31:8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
- 31:9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;
- 31:10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
- 31:11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
- 31:12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
- 31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
- 31:14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
- 31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
- 31:16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
- 31:17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
- 31:18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)
- 31:19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
- 31:20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
- 31:21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
- 31:22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
- 31:23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
- 31:24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
- 31:25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
- 31:26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
- 31:27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
- 31:28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
- 31:29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
- 31:30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
- 31:31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
- 31:32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
- 31:33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
- 31:34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
- 31:35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
- 31:36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
- 31:37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
- 31:38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
- 31:39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
- 31:40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Who
- Who wrote the book? The author is unknown. Moses is one ancient traditional proposal, but neither that proposal nor another named author can be established with confidence. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). book background
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Job 26:1–31:40): Job continues his reply, reflection, and final defense before the hearers of the dispute. The wisdom poem and remembered events are not separate gatherings of every person they mention. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Readers within Israel's wisdom tradition, wrestling with innocent suffering, justice, and the limits of human judgment. No named individual or first community is identified. Biblical references: Job 28:28; Job 42:7. book background
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Job’s Final Appeal. Read Job 31:1 through Job 31:40 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The book supplies no royal date or exact historical year for Job's experiences. Proposed patriarchal-era settings are historical inferences, not a date explicitly stated by the narrative. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Job is introduced as a man in the land of Uz. The poetic speeches range through imagined and remembered scenes that should not all be treated as the speakers' physical locations. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Job’s Final Appeal (Job 31:1 to Job 31:40). Start reading at Job 31:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? James refers to Job's endurance and the Lord's compassion. Connections between Job's suffering and Christ may be considered as comparisons; Job's speeches should not all be treated as direct predictions of Jesus. See Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Do not assume that a sufferer's losses prove a hidden sin. Listen carefully, distinguish the speakers, and read their claims alongside the LORD's concluding rebuke of the friends. interpretation
Cited: Job 31:1, Job 31:40, Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15
Who wrote it, and how we know
Related passages
- withheld Job 22:7-9 Deut 15:7-10 Ps 112:9 Luke 16:21 Acts 11:29 Gal 2:10
- the eyes Deut 28:32 Ps 69:3 Ps 119:82,123 Isa 38:14 Lam 4:17
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Job 31
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Job
Job's losses and the friends' arrival
Job 1:1–2:13FocusSuffering and the opening test
The lament and first exchange
Job 3:1–14:22FocusSuffering questioned and explained
The second exchange
Job 15:1–21:34FocusAccusation and protest intensify
FocusWisdom and the demand for an answer
Elihu speaks
Job 32:1–37:24FocusClaims about God's justice and instruction
The LORD answers
Job 38:1–41:34FocusCreation and the limits of human knowledge
Job's response and the conclusion
Job 42:1–17FocusRepentance, rebuke, and restoration
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.