Explanation: Job 31 contains the last part of Job's final answer to his friends. In this chapter Job begins with a proclamation of his innocence, proceeds with examples of the kinds of sins which would merit the disasters he had suffered, and concludes with a plea to stand before God with his accusers and be judged. In chapters 38-42, after the speech of Elihu (32-37), Job gets his wish. The painting above shows a man of "gravity, dignity, and integrity" (to quote from the painting's title link ). As Job asserts of himself, and as the whole rest of the book of Job shows, Job exhibited these qualities, even though his outward appearance seemed to show otherwise, particularly in respect to the first two qualities.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Job 25. Job 26. Job 27. Job 28. Job 29. Job 30. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: General. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

     Job's first comment is about the integrity of his heart: "I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" He was asserting that his inward behavior was as pure as his outward behavior. Adam Clark interprets the word "maid" or "virgin" (Heb., bethulah) as "idol," but this does not seem to fit the general course of Job's argument; and it is a rare interpretation of the word. Nevertheless, in either interpretation, the underlying point is the same: Job had a pure heart (1). Job then complains that he has not received his proper reward from God for his purity of heart (2). The destruction and the strange punishment which he received should be for the wicked and the workers of iniquity (3). His fate is out of accord with God's knowledge of him, because God sees his ways in such minute detail that he even counts Job's steps (4).
     Having asserted his inward integrity, Job then turns to a more detailed assertion of his innocence. In the remainder of the chapter he uses a series of "if ... then" propositions to describe the sins which merit the things which he suffered and to call down judgment upon himself if he did them. These are bold challenges and serve to fix in the mind of the hearer and the reader a sense of the deep sense of integrity which Job felt about his inner and outer conduct. In the first of these statements he alludes to verse four where he asserts that God sees his ways and counts his steps; and, accordingly, he said that if he walked in vanity or in deceit that God should weigh him in a balance and know his integrity. Continuing this image, he says that if his step turned out to the way, or if he walked in the lust of his eyes, or if his hands were unclean, "Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out" (5-8).
     Then, referring to his statement in the first verse, he says that if his heart had been deceived by a woman, or if he had committed adultery, then let his wife grind (i.e., grind grain) for another; and let her be given to others, because this is a heinous crime worthy of punishment by the judges; and it is a destructive force which would destroy everything which he had (9-12).
     If he despised the cause of his servants when they contended with him, he would have been helpless and unable to answer when God rose up against him, because God made all of them -- Job and his servants -- and they were therefore equal (13-15).
     If, says Job, he withheld help from the poor, the widow, the hungry, the fatherless, the naked, or the fatherless, then, let his arm (which he should have used to help them) fall off at the shoulder blade and be broken from the bone. He would deserve destruction and unendurable terror from God (16-23).
     If Job made gold and wealth his hope and his confidence, or if he worshiped the sun or the moon, or if his heart was enticed to perform acts of idolatrous devotion such as kissing his hand to pass the kiss on to the idol or to receive surrogate affection from the idol which he touched, then this would be worthy to be punished by the judge, because he would have denied God (24-28).
     If he rejoiced when his enemy was destroyed or overcome with evil, or if he wished a curse upon him, or if he withheld food from those who lived in his home, or if he let travelers lodge in the street without opening his doors to them, or if he covered his sin as Adam did, or if he let the fear of a multitude stop him from doing the right thing, then (by implication) he should punished for these things. Job does not explicitly state this conclusion; rather, for the sake of emphasis, he breaks off his train of thought and asks that God, the Almighty, would hear him and answer him. He wished that his adversaries had written their accusations in a book which he could take to God and show him. He wished that he could declare the number of his steps (alluding to verse 4 which says that God counts all of his steps). He would, in other words, state the obvious to God and recount in detail his righteous thoughts and deeds. His confidence is such that he felt he could approach God as a prince. And Job closes with a final "if ... then" proposition: if he has misused his land in a greedy or fraudulent manner so that owners (who presumably owed him something for its use) did not get their fair share or even lost their life (perhaps through malnourishment or starvation), then "Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley" (29-40).

     ²⁹ If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: ³⁰ Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. ³¹ If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. ³² The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller. ³³ If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 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? 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. ³⁶ Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. ³⁷ I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. ³⁸ If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; ³⁹ If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: ⁴⁰ Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

---

Home | DAWN Archive

Tomorrow's Picture: TBA

     ADDITIONAL AD LIB MATERIAL: Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image and explanation daily.

Please Email Comments and Questions To

AD LIB ARTS EMAIL
copyright 2014, Scott Souza