Job 31 Study Notes: Job’s Final Oath of Innocence
Job closes his defense by swearing he is innocent of lust, dishonesty, adultery, and unfair treatment of servants, the poor, widows, orphans and strangers. He denies trusting wealth, worshiping the heavens, gloating over enemies or hiding sin, then signs his case, asks God to answer, and ends with an oath on his land.
General
In 31:11-12, how does Job describe the sin of adultery?
Answer: A grave crime that deserves judgment and destroys like a fire
Job denies that his heart was ever drawn to his neighbor’s wife or that he waited secretly at his neighbor’s door (31:9). If he had, he says, a fitting loss should fall on his own household (31:10). He calls adultery a terrible crime that deserves to be judged, and compares it to a blaze reaching all the way down to Abaddon, a name for the place of destruction, consuming everything he has (31:11-12). Proverbs uses the same picture of fire, asking whether anyone can hold fire close and not be burned (Proverbs 6:27-29), and says the adulterer destroys himself (Proverbs 6:32). The New Testament teaches that marriage is to be honored by everyone, and that God will judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).
- Job 31:9 (BSB)“If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,”Job denies that his heart was ever drawn toward his neighbor’s wife.
- Job 31:11-12 (BSB)“For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged. For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.”Job explains how serious that sin would have been.
- Proverbs 6:27-29 (BSB)“Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.”Proverbs also compares adultery to fire that cannot be handled without harm.
- Proverbs 6:32 (BSB)“He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.”The one who commits adultery brings destruction on himself.
- Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)“Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”The New Testament says marriage is to be honored and God will judge adulterers.
Theological
How does Job characterize adultery in 31:11-12?
Answer: A grave crime that deserves judgment and destroys like a fire
Job disavows any enticement toward his neighbor’s wife or lurking at his door (31:9), invoking on himself a corresponding loss within his own household should he be guilty (31:10). He calls adultery a heinous crime liable to judgment and a blaze reaching down to Abaddon, the realm of destruction, consuming his whole harvest (31:11-12). Proverbs employs the same image of fire that cannot be embraced without burning (Proverbs 6:27-29) and declares that the adulterer destroys himself (Proverbs 6:32). The New Testament likewise commands that everyone honor marriage and warns that God will judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:4). Job treats sexual faithfulness as a matter of justice before God, not merely of private conduct.
- Job 31:9 (BSB)“If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,”Job denies that his heart was ever drawn toward his neighbor’s wife.
- Job 31:11-12 (BSB)“For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged. For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.”Job explains how serious that sin would have been.
- Proverbs 6:27-29 (BSB)“Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.”Proverbs also compares adultery to fire that cannot be handled without harm.
- Proverbs 6:32 (BSB)“He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.”The one who commits adultery brings destruction on himself.
- Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)“Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”The New Testament says marriage is to be honored and God will judge adulterers.
General
True or False: In 31:16-22, Job admits that during his prosperous years he sometimes neglected widows and orphans, as Eliphaz had charged.
Answer: False
This is false. Job firmly denies it. He says he never refused what the poor asked for, never let a widow lose hope, and never kept his food to himself while the fatherless went without (31:16-17). From his youth he raised orphans as a father would and guided widows (31:18). He clothed the needy with wool from his own sheep (31:19-20), and he never used his influence in court against the fatherless (31:21). If any of this were untrue, he says, his arm should fall from his shoulder (31:22). These are the very sins Eliphaz had accused him of (22:6-9), and they match what Job said in chapter 29 about rescuing the poor (29:12-13). James later says that looking after widows and orphans is part of the pure religion God accepts (James 1:27).
- Job 31:16-17 (BSB)“If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—”Job denies refusing the poor, failing the widow, or eating without sharing with the fatherless.
- Job 31:19-20 (BSB)“if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak, if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,”Job denies leaving the needy without clothing, for he warmed them with his own wool.
- Job 22:6-9 (BSB)“For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing. You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished, while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it. You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.”Eliphaz had accused Job of exactly these failures toward the needy, the widow and the fatherless.
- Job 29:12-13 (BSB)“because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper. The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.”Job had already described how he rescued the poor and gladdened the widow.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”Caring for orphans and widows is a mark of pure religion before God.
Theological
True or False: In 31:16-22, Job concedes that in his prosperity he at times neglected widows and orphans, as Eliphaz had alleged.
Answer: False
This is false. Job categorically denies withholding from the poor, disappointing the widow, or eating alone without sharing with the fatherless (31:16-17); from youth he fathered the orphan and guided the widow (31:18), clothed the needy from his own flocks (31:19-20), and never exploited his standing at the gate against the fatherless (31:21), invoking the loss of his arm if he lies (31:22). The denial answers point by point the charges Eliphaz had drawn from his retribution theology (22:6-9) and coheres with Job’s earlier account of his justice (29:12-13). Such concern for widows and orphans is what James describes as religion that is pure and undefiled before God (James 1:27).
- Job 31:16-17 (BSB)“If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—”Job denies refusing the poor, failing the widow, or eating without sharing with the fatherless.
- Job 31:19-20 (BSB)“if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak, if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,”Job denies leaving the needy without clothing, for he warmed them with his own wool.
- Job 22:6-9 (BSB)“For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing. You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished, while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it. You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.”Eliphaz had accused Job of exactly these failures toward the needy, the widow and the fatherless.
- Job 29:12-13 (BSB)“because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper. The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.”Job had already described how he rescued the poor and gladdened the widow.
- James 1:27 (BSB)“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”Caring for orphans and widows is a mark of pure religion before God.
General
In 31:1, what commitment does Job say he made?
Answer: He resolved not to look at a young woman with lust
Job opens his final defense by describing a covenant he entered into with his own eyes. A covenant is a solemn, binding promise. Job had promised himself not to look at a young woman with desire (31:1). He goes on to say that God sees all his ways and counts every step (31:4), so his purity had to reach even to where he let his eyes linger. Job’s commitment goes beyond outward behavior to the heart, which is exactly where Jesus places the issue: looking at a woman with lust is already adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28). A psalmist makes a similar promise to set nothing worthless before his eyes (Psalm 101:3), and John lists what the eyes crave among the things that do not come from the Father (1 John 2:16).
- Job 31:1 (BSB)““I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?”Job begins his oath of innocence with a commitment about what he allows his eyes to do.
- Matthew 5:28 (BSB)“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”Jesus teaches that lustful looking is already adultery in the heart.
- Psalm 101:3 (BSB)“I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”The psalmist likewise resolves to keep worthless things away from his eyes.
- 1 John 2:16 (BSB)“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.”John names the desires of the eyes among the things that are not from the Father.
Theological
What vow does Job describe in 31:1?
Answer: He resolved not to look at a young woman with lust
Job’s oath of innocence opens with a covenant made with his eyes: a binding resolve not to look lustfully at a young woman (31:1). The reason follows: God observes his ways and numbers his steps (31:4), so his integrity must extend to the inward life. Job thus anticipates the Lord’s own teaching that lustful looking is adultery committed in the heart (Matthew 5:28). The resolve parallels the psalmist’s vow to set nothing worthless before his eyes (Psalm 101:3) and John’s naming of the cravings of the eyes as belonging to the world rather than the Father (1 John 2:16). Job’s righteousness, as he describes it, is a matter of heart as well as deed.
- Job 31:1 (BSB)““I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?”Job begins his oath of innocence with a commitment about what he allows his eyes to do.
- Matthew 5:28 (BSB)“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”Jesus teaches that lustful looking is already adultery in the heart.
- Psalm 101:3 (BSB)“I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”The psalmist likewise resolves to keep worthless things away from his eyes.
- 1 John 2:16 (BSB)“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.”John names the desires of the eyes among the things that are not from the Father.
General
What does Job say in 31:31-32 about how he treated strangers and travelers?
Answer: No traveler ever had to spend the night out in the street
Job says that the men of his own household could ask whether anyone had not been filled from his table (31:31). His generosity reached outsiders too: no outsider had to sleep in the street, because his door was always open to travelers (31:32). Hospitality means welcoming guests and strangers and caring for their needs. The New Testament keeps this command for believers: welcome strangers as guests (Hebrews 13:2), practice hospitality (Romans 12:13), and do it without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9).
- Job 31:31-32 (BSB)“if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’— but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—”Job says his household was generously fed and his door stood open to travelers.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”The New Testament commands hospitality to strangers.
- Romans 12:13 (BSB)“Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.”Paul lists the practice of hospitality among the marks of genuine love.
- 1 Peter 4:9 (BSB)“Show hospitality to one another without complaining.”Peter calls believers to show hospitality without complaining.
Theological
What claim does Job make in 31:31-32 about strangers and travelers?
Answer: No traveler ever had to spend the night out in the street
Job appeals to the testimony of his own household, who could ask whether anyone had gone unfed from his table (31:31), and affirms that no stranger lodged in the street, since his door was always open to anyone on a journey (31:32). Job counts this welcome of the outsider among the marks of the righteous life he claims to have lived. The New Testament carries the obligation forward: hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2), hospitality as a practice of love (Romans 12:13), and hospitality offered ungrudgingly (1 Peter 4:9).
- Job 31:31-32 (BSB)“if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’— but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—”Job says his household was generously fed and his door stood open to travelers.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”The New Testament commands hospitality to strangers.
- Romans 12:13 (BSB)“Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.”Paul lists the practice of hospitality among the marks of genuine love.
- 1 Peter 4:9 (BSB)“Show hospitality to one another without complaining.”Peter calls believers to show hospitality without complaining.
General
True or False: In 31:29-30, Job says he never celebrated an enemy’s downfall and never cursed an enemy by calling for his death.
Answer: True
This is true. Job denies being glad when disaster struck someone who hated him, or cheering when trouble came on him (31:29). He says he did not let his mouth sin by calling down a curse on his enemy’s life (31:30). This is a high standard, because it reaches the private feelings no one else could see. Proverbs warns against gloating when an enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17-18), and Jesus goes further, commanding His followers to love their enemies and to pray for the people who mistreat them (Matthew 5:44). Paul says to bless such people and not curse them (Romans 12:14). Job claims he had already lived this way.
- Job 31:29-30 (BSB)“If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him— I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—”Job denies taking pleasure in his enemy’s ruin or cursing him.
- Proverbs 24:17-18 (BSB)“Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.”Proverbs forbids rejoicing when an enemy falls.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands love and prayer for enemies.
- Romans 12:14 (BSB)“Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.”Paul tells believers to bless rather than curse those who persecute them.
Theological
True or False: In 31:29-30, Job affirms that he never exulted over an enemy’s ruin and never invoked a curse calling for his enemy’s death.
Answer: True
This is true. Job disclaims any rejoicing at the calamity of one who hated him (31:29) and any curse invoked against his enemy’s life (31:30). The claim reaches past outward conduct to inward disposition. Proverbs forbids gloating over a fallen enemy (Proverbs 24:17-18); Jesus commands love and intercession for enemies and persecutors (Matthew 5:44); and Paul enjoins blessing rather than cursing (Romans 12:14). Job’s ethic of the heart anticipates the fuller standard of the New Testament.
- Job 31:29-30 (BSB)“If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him— I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—”Job denies taking pleasure in his enemy’s ruin or cursing him.
- Proverbs 24:17-18 (BSB)“Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.”Proverbs forbids rejoicing when an enemy falls.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands love and prayer for enemies.
- Romans 12:14 (BSB)“Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.”Paul tells believers to bless rather than curse those who persecute them.
General
According to 31:24-28, why would trusting in gold or secretly honoring the heavenly lights be a sin deserving judgment?
Answer: It would amount to disowning the God who reigns above
Job denies two kinds of false trust. He did not make gold his security or take pride in how rich he had become (31:24-25). Nor was his heart secretly drawn to worship the shining sun or the bright moon, even with a small gesture like blowing a kiss toward them (31:26-27). Either one, he says, would have been a sin worthy of judgment, because it would mean he had disowned the God who rules above (31:28). Both are forms of idolatry, giving to something created the trust and honor that belong to God alone. Israel was warned not to be lured into worshiping the sun, moon and stars (Deuteronomy 4:19). Paul tells the rich to hope in God rather than in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17), and Jesus says no one can be the servant of God and of money at once (Matthew 6:24).
- Job 31:24-25 (BSB)“If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,”Job denies placing his confidence in gold or priding himself on his wealth.
- Job 31:26-28 (BSB)“if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.”Job denies being drawn to honor the sun and moon, which would be a denial of God.
- Deuteronomy 4:19 (BSB)“When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”Israel was warned not to be enticed into worshiping the sun, moon and stars.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”The rich are told to hope in God, not in uncertain wealth.
- Matthew 6:24 (BSB)“No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”Jesus teaches that no one can serve both God and money.
Theological
In 31:24-28, why does Job say confidence in riches or secret reverence for the heavenly lights would merit judgment?
Answer: It would amount to disowning the God who reigns above
Job disclaims both confidence in wealth (31:24-25) and the covert veneration of the heavenly bodies, even by the token gesture of a kiss blown from the hand (31:26-27). Either would be iniquity deserving judgment because it would constitute a denial of God on high (31:28). Job recognizes that idolatry need not be public ritual; the heart that rests in gold or secretly honors the creation has already transferred to creatures the trust owed to the Creator. The Law warned Israel against being enticed to worship sun, moon and stars (Deuteronomy 4:19); Paul charges the rich to hope in God rather than uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17); and Jesus declares that no one can be the servant of God and of money at once (Matthew 6:24).
- Job 31:24-25 (BSB)“If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,”Job denies placing his confidence in gold or priding himself on his wealth.
- Job 31:26-28 (BSB)“if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.”Job denies being drawn to honor the sun and moon, which would be a denial of God.
- Deuteronomy 4:19 (BSB)“When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”Israel was warned not to be enticed into worshiping the sun, moon and stars.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”The rich are told to hope in God, not in uncertain wealth.
- Matthew 6:24 (BSB)“No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”Jesus teaches that no one can serve both God and money.
General
In 31:33-34, what does Job deny ever having done?
Answer: Covering up his wrongdoing as Adam did, out of fear of others
Job says he never covered his sins the way Adam did, hiding his guilt in his heart (31:33). He did not keep quiet or stay indoors because he feared what the crowds would say or dreaded being scorned by the leading families (31:34). The comparison looks back to Genesis, where Adam and his wife hid from the LORD among the trees after they sinned (Genesis 3:8-10). Job is not claiming he never sinned; he is saying he never hid his sin to protect his reputation. Scripture teaches that hiding sin brings no blessing, but confessing and turning from it brings mercy (Proverbs 28:13). David learned this when he stopped hiding his guilt and confessed it to the LORD (Psalm 32:3-5).
- Job 31:33-34 (BSB)“if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart, because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—”Job denies concealing his sins out of fear of what people would think.
- Genesis 3:8-10 (BSB)“Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.””After the first sin, Adam and his wife hid from God out of fear.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Concealed sin brings no blessing, but confessed sin finds mercy.
- Psalm 32:3-5 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes the misery of hiding sin and the forgiveness that came when he confessed.
Theological
What does Job disavow in 31:33-34?
Answer: Covering up his wrongdoing as Adam did, out of fear of others
Job denies covering his offenses as Adam did, keeping his iniquity hidden in his heart (31:33), and denies that fear of the crowd or dread of the clans’ contempt ever silenced him or kept him indoors (31:34). The allusion recalls the first sinner’s attempt to conceal himself from God in the garden (Genesis 3:8-10). Job claims not sinlessness but transparency: he did not shelter guilt behind a respectable reputation. The claim aligns with Scripture’s teaching that concealed sin does not prosper while confessed sin finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13), and with David’s testimony that silence about sin brought misery until confession brought forgiveness (Psalm 32:3-5).
- Job 31:33-34 (BSB)“if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart, because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—”Job denies concealing his sins out of fear of what people would think.
- Genesis 3:8-10 (BSB)“Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.””After the first sin, Adam and his wife hid from God out of fear.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Concealed sin brings no blessing, but confessed sin finds mercy.
- Psalm 32:3-5 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes the misery of hiding sin and the forgiveness that came when he confessed.
General
What reason does Job give in 31:14-15 for treating his servants’ complaints fairly?
Answer: One God shaped both him and his servants before birth
Job had a very large number of servants (1:3). He says he never brushed aside the cause of a manservant or maidservant who brought a complaint against him (31:13). His reason looks to God. First, he would have to answer to God when God stands up as Judge (31:14). Second, the same God who formed Job in his mother’s womb also formed his servants (31:15). Master and servant were equal in the most basic way: both were made by the same Creator. Proverbs teaches the same truth, that the LORD made the wealthy and the poor alike (Proverbs 22:2), and that oppressing the poor insults their Maker (Proverbs 14:31). Paul tells masters to give up threatening their slaves, because master and slave answer to the same Master in heaven, who shows no favoritism (Ephesians 6:9).
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job explains why he listened when his servants brought complaints against him.
- Proverbs 22:2 (BSB)“The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.”Rich and poor share the same Maker.
- Proverbs 14:31 (BSB)“Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.”How a person treats the poor is how he treats their Maker.
- Ephesians 6:9 (BSB)“And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”Masters are reminded that they and their slaves have the same Master in heaven, who shows no favoritism.
Theological
On what ground does Job base his just treatment of his servants in 31:14-15?
Answer: One God shaped both him and his servants before birth
Job, whose household included a very large number of servants (1:3), affirms that he never dismissed a servant’s grievance against him (31:13). He grounds this in two theological convictions: his own accountability when God stands up as Judge (31:14), and the shared creaturehood of master and servant, both fashioned in the womb by the one God (31:15). Human dignity here rests on God’s creative act, not on social rank. Proverbs draws the same conclusion from the same premise: the LORD made rich and poor alike (Proverbs 22:2), and to oppress the poor is to taunt their Maker (Proverbs 14:31). Paul applies it to masters, who answer to the same impartial Master in heaven as their slaves (Ephesians 6:9).
- Job 31:13-15 (BSB)“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?”Job explains why he listened when his servants brought complaints against him.
- Proverbs 22:2 (BSB)“The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.”Rich and poor share the same Maker.
- Proverbs 14:31 (BSB)“Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.”How a person treats the poor is how he treats their Maker.
- Ephesians 6:9 (BSB)“And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”Masters are reminded that they and their slaves have the same Master in heaven, who shows no favoritism.
General
As Job signs his defense in 31:35-37, what does he ask for?
Answer: That God would answer and his accuser put the charges in writing
Job wishes someone would hear him, and he puts his signature to his defense, like a man signing a legal statement. He asks the Almighty to answer him and wants his accuser to write the charges down (31:35). He is so sure of his innocence that he would wear the written charge proudly on his shoulder like a crown, and he would approach God confidently, ready to account for every step (31:36-37). After one last oath about his land, the chapter says that Job’s words are finished (31:40). God does answer, speaking from the whirlwind, but His first words ask who is obscuring His counsel by speaking without knowledge (38:1-2). Job later admits he spoke of things beyond his understanding (42:3). Even so, the LORD says Job spoke about Him accurately, unlike his friends (42:7). Both are true.
- Job 31:35-37 (BSB)“(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—”Job signs his defense and calls on the Almighty to answer him.
- Job 31:40 (BSB)“then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.”Job’s final oath ends, and his words are declared concluded.
- Job 38:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?”The LORD answers Job from the whirlwind, and His first words challenge Job.
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”Job later admits he had spoken of things too wonderful for him to know.
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”Yet the LORD says Job, unlike the friends, spoke accurately about Him.
Theological
What does Job demand in 31:35-37 as he signs his defense?
Answer: That God would answer and his accuser put the charges in writing
Job concludes his oath by affixing his signature and summoning the Almighty to answer, asking that his accuser produce a written indictment (31:35). So confident is he that he would display the charge on his shoulder like a crown and approach God like a prince, giving account of every step (31:36-37). A final oath, calling ruin on his own fields if he has wronged his land, closes the speech, and the text marks the end of Job’s words (31:40). The demand for a hearing is granted, but not on Job’s terms: the LORD answers from the whirlwind and opens by challenging the one who obscures His counsel without knowledge (38:1-2). Job confesses he spoke of things beyond him (42:3), yet the LORD vindicates him over against the friends as having spoken accurately (42:7). Both verdicts stand.
- Job 31:35-37 (BSB)“(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—”Job signs his defense and calls on the Almighty to answer him.
- Job 31:40 (BSB)“then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.”Job’s final oath ends, and his words are declared concluded.
- Job 38:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?”The LORD answers Job from the whirlwind, and His first words challenge Job.
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”Job later admits he had spoken of things too wonderful for him to know.
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”Yet the LORD says Job, unlike the friends, spoke accurately about Him.
General
True or False: In 31:5-6, Job invites God to weigh him on accurate scales, confident that God will then recognize his integrity.
Answer: True
This is true. Job says that if he has lived falsely or hurried after deceit, God should weigh him on fair scales, and then God will see that he is a man of integrity (31:5-6). He adds that if his steps had left the right path or his heart had chased after what his eyes wanted, others should eat the crops he planted (31:7-8). Integrity means being whole and honest, the same inside as outside. Job’s confidence is not empty boasting. The very first verse of the book calls him blameless and upright (1:1), and the LORD Himself says Job still holds on to his integrity (2:3). Proverbs says the LORD is the one who weighs a person’s motives (Proverbs 16:2), and Job is willing to be weighed. Blameless does not mean sinless; Job elsewhere asks God to pardon his transgression (7:21). But he refuses to admit to the secret wrongdoing his friends have charged him with.
- Job 31:5-6 (BSB)“If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit, let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.”Job invites God to test him on fair scales, sure the result will show his integrity.
- Job 1:1 (BSB)“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.”The book’s opening verdict calls Job blameless and upright, matching his claims here.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD Himself says Job still holds on to his integrity.
- Proverbs 16:2 (BSB)“All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.”It is the LORD who weighs a person’s motives, as Job asks Him to do.
Theological
True or False: In 31:5-6, Job asks God to weigh him on honest balances, confident that God will then acknowledge his integrity.
Answer: True
This is true. Disowning falsehood and deceit, Job asks to be weighed on just balances so that God may know his integrity (31:5-6). Should his steps have strayed or his heart gone after his eyes, he invites the loss of his harvest to others (31:7-8). His self-assessment agrees with the narrator’s opening verdict on his blameless, upright character (1:1) and with the LORD’s own testimony that he held fast his integrity (2:3). Proverbs ascribes to the LORD the weighing of motives (Proverbs 16:2), and Job submits to that scrutiny willingly. His blamelessness is integrity of life, not sinless perfection, since he elsewhere asks God to pardon his transgression (7:21); what he denies is the hidden guilt the friends’ theology required.
- Job 31:5-6 (BSB)“If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit, let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.”Job invites God to test him on fair scales, sure the result will show his integrity.
- Job 1:1 (BSB)“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.”The book’s opening verdict calls Job blameless and upright, matching his claims here.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD Himself says Job still holds on to his integrity.
- Proverbs 16:2 (BSB)“All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.”It is the LORD who weighs a person’s motives, as Job asks Him to do.