Job 31:29 - Exposition

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me . "If at any time I was malevolent, if I wished evil to others, and rejoiced when evil came upon them, being (as the Greeks expressed it) ἐπιχαιρέκακος — if I so acted even in the case of my enemy—then," etc. The apodosis is wanting, but may be supplied by any suitable imprecation (see Job 31:8 , Job 31:10 , Job 31:22 , Job 31:40 ). Or lifted up myself — i.e. was puffed up and exalted— when evil found him . In the old world men generally regarded themselves as fully entitled to exult at the downfall of an enemy, and to triumph over him with words of contumely and scorn (camp. 5:19-31 ; Psalms 18:37-42 ; Isaiah 10:8-14 , etc.). There appears to be but one other passage in the Old Testament, besides the present, in which the contrary disposition is shown. This is Proverbs 17:5 , where the writer declares that "he who is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished."