Job 31 · a question people ask
Job says he has done none of these things. Was he right about himself?
These are Job's words about himself: each if names a wrong, and some call a loss down on him (31:8, 31:22, 31:40). Here are the book's other words, as they stand. Before any speech the book says Job "was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil" (1:1), and the LORD says the like of him to Satan (1:8, 2:3). Eliphaz had said, "Isn’t your wickedness great?" (22:5), and named deeds: "You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken" (22:9). Here Job says, "If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail" (31:16) … "then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone" (31:22). Those are Job's words about himself, as 22:5-9 are Eliphaz's about him (Job 22's honest question sets them side by side too). Straight after this chapter the book says, "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes" (32:1). When the LORD answers Job, he asks, "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" (38:2), and "Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?" (40:8). Job says, "therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand" (42:3). And the LORD says to Eliphaz that he and his two friends "have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has" (42:7). Job 27's honest question sets these last verses beside Job's oath; here they stand beside the chapter where he names his deeds one by one. The book doesn't say which of Job's words each of these verses has in view, or whether any of them speaks to this chapter. These notes set them side by side and don't decide.
The verses
“then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.”
““If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,”
“then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.”
“let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.”