Job 31: Job's "if I have" sentences and his call for an answer
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job speaks in "if I have" sentences and says what should happen to him if he has done these things: looked lustfully at a young woman, walked with falsehood, laid wait at a neighbor's door, despised his servants, withheld from the poor, the widow and the fatherless, made gold his hope, let his heart be secretly enticed when he saw the sun and moon, rejoiced at an enemy's fall, hidden his sin, or wronged his land. He ends by wishing for someone to hear him, asking the Almighty to answer, and saying he would carry the accuser's written charge on his shoulder and go near to God like a prince. The chapter closes with the line that the words of Job are ended.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Job speaks the whole chapter, as the speech that began in [[JOB 29:1|Job 29:1]] goes on. Inside his "if" sentences Job names words said to the gold, "You are my confidence" (verse 24), and words of the men of his tent, "Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?" (verse 31). The last sentence of verse 40, "The words of Job are ended", is not Job speaking: the text says it of him. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
In plain English: "I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman (the Hebrew says: a virgin)?
The Hebrew word: "Young woman" is bethulah, which the dictionary gives as "a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state". It is in 50 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "virgin" or "virgins" in 48 of them and "young woman" in 1, this one.
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2For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
In plain English: For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
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3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
In plain English: Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
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4Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
In plain English: Doesn't he see my ways, and count all my steps?
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5“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
In plain English: "If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
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6(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
In plain English: (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
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7if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
In plain English: if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
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8then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
In plain English: then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
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9“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
In plain English: "If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,
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10then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
In plain English: then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her (the Hebrew says: let others bow down over her).
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11For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
In plain English: For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
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12for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
In plain English: for it is a fire that consumes to destruction (the Hebrew says: to Abaddon), and would root out all my increase.
The Hebrew word: "Destruction" is Abaddon, the same Hebrew word as in . In this verse the WEB says "to destruction". The word is in 5 verses of the Bible.
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13“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
In plain English: "If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
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14what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
In plain English: what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
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15Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
In plain English: Didn't he who made me in the womb make him? Didn't one fashion us in the womb?
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16“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
In plain English: "If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
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17or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
In plain English: or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
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18(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
In plain English: (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother's womb);
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19if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
In plain English: if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
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20if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
In plain English: if his heart (the Hebrew says: his loins) hasn't blessed me, if he hasn't been warmed with my sheep's fleece;
The Hebrew word: "Heart" is chalats in the Hebrew, which the dictionary gives as "the loins (as the seat of vigor)". It is in 10 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "heart" in 1 of them, this one.
What changes: With the dictionary meaning the line reads "if his loins have not blessed me". The text does not say more.
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21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
In plain English: if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
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22then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
In plain English: then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
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23For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
In plain English: For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
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24“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
In plain English: "If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, 'You are my confidence;'
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25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
In plain English: if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
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26if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
In plain English: if I have seen the sun (the Hebrew says: the light) when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
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27and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
In plain English: and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth (the Hebrew says: my hand kissed my mouth);
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28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
In plain English: this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
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29“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
In plain English: "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
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30(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
In plain English: (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
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31if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
In plain English: if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat (the Hebrew says: his flesh)?'
The Hebrew word: "Meat" is basar, which the dictionary gives as "flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person". It is in 241 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "flesh" in 139 of them and "meat" in 64, this one among them.
What changes: With "meat" the line is about being filled with Job's food. With "flesh" it reads "Who will give of his flesh, we are not satisfied". The text does not rule between them.
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32(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
In plain English: (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
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33if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
In plain English: if like Adam (or: as people do) I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart (the Hebrew says: in my bosom),
The Hebrew word: "Adam" is adam, which the dictionary gives as "Adam the name of the first man, also of a place in Palestine". The same Hebrew letters are also the ordinary word for a human being. The name is in 10 verses of the Bible. also says "like Adam" in the WEB.
What changes: With "Adam", Job speaks of the first man in connection with covering transgressions. With "people" he says he has not hidden his sin as people do. The text does not rule between them.
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34because 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—
In plain English: because 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,
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35oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
In plain English: oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature (or: my mark, or: my desire)! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser (the Hebrew says: the man of my case) write my indictment (the Hebrew says: a document)!
The Hebrew word: "Signature" is tav, which the dictionary gives as "a mark; by implication, a signature". It is in 3 verses of the Bible: this one, and . The WEB says "mark" in 2 of them and "signature" in 1, this one. "Accuser" is the Hebrew "the man of my case", from riv, which the dictionary gives as "a contest (personal or legal)".
What changes: With "signature" or "mark", Job offers his own mark. Other translations read the word as "my desire", so the line reads "here is my desire". The text does not rule between them.
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36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
In plain English: Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
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37I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
In plain English: I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
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38If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
In plain English: If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
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39if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
In plain English: if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
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40let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
In plain English: let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Good to know: The last sentence of the verse, "The words of Job are ended", sits outside Job's quotation marks. It is the text saying that Job's speeches are done. Job answers Yahweh later, in .
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