Job 31:1-40 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 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. I. Against the lusts of the flesh. He not only kept himself clear from adultery, from defiling his neighbour's wives (Job 31:9), but from all lewdness with any women whatsoever. He kept no concubine, no mistress, but was inviolably faithful to the marriage bed, though his wife was none of the wisest, best, or kindest.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:9-15

Two more instances we have here of Job's integrity:? I. That he had a very great abhorrence of the sin of adultery. As he did not wrong his own marriage bed by keeping a concubine (he did not so much as think upon a maid, Job 31:1), so he was careful not to offer any injury to his neighbour's marriage bed. Let us see here, 1. How clear he was from this sin, Job 31:9. (1.) He did not so much as covet his neighbour's wife; for even his heart was not deceived by a woman. The beauty of another... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:16-23

Eliphaz had particularly charged Job with unmercifulness to the poor (Job 22:6-9): 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, I. The testimony which Job's... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 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:? I. He protests that he never set his heart upon the wealth of this world, nor took the things of it for his portions and happiness. He had gold; he had fine gold. His wealth was great, and he had gotten much. Our wealth is either advantageous or pernicious to us according as we stand affected to it. If we make it our rest and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 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, I. Of dissimulation and hypocrisy. The general crime of which his friends accused him was that, under the cloak of a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:1

I made a covenant with mine eyes ,.... Not to look upon a woman, and wantonly gaze at her beauty, lest his heart should be drawn thereby to lust after her; for the eyes are inlets to many sins, and particularly to uncleanness, of which there have been instances, both in bad men and good men, Genesis 34:2 ; so the poet F20 Musaeus de Heron. & Leand. v. 92, &c.; represents the eye as the way through which the beauty of a woman passes swifter than an arrow into the hearts of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:2

For what portion of God is there from above ?.... What good portion, as the Targum paraphrases it, can impure persons expect from God? such who indulge themselves, and live in the sin of uncleanness, cannot hope to have any part in God, or a portion of good things from him; he is above, and in the highest heavens, and every good thing comes from thence, and from him there; and particularly the spiritual blessings, wherewith he blesses his people, are in heavenly places in Christ, and from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:3

Is not destruction to the wicked ?.... It is even to such wicked men, who live in the sin of fornication, and make it their business to ensnare and corrupt virgins; and which is another reason why Job was careful to avoid that sin; wickedness of every sort is the cause of destruction, destruction and misery are in the ways of wicked men, and their wicked ways lead unto it, and issue in it, even destruction of soul and body in hell, which is swift and sudden, and will be everlasting: this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:4

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? That is, God, who is above, and the Almighty that dwells on high; he looks down from heaven, and beholds all the ways and works, the steps and motions, of the children of men; there is no darkness where the workers of iniquity can hide themselves; the fornicator and adulterer choose the night season for the commission of their sin, fancying no eye sees them; but they cannot escape the eye of God, who is omniscient; he observes the ways they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:5

If I have walked with vanity ,.... Or with vain men, as Bar Tzemach interprets it, keeping company and having fellowship with them in their vain and sinful practices; or in the vanity of his mind, indulging himself in impurity of heart and life; or rather using deceitful methods to cheat and defraud others; for this seems to be another vice Job clears himself of, acting unjustly in his dealings with men, or dealing falsely with them: or if my foot hath hasted to deceit ; to cheat men in... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:9-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:16-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:24-32

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 31:33-40

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 31:5

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