Job 29-31 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Job 29:1-31:40: 29:1–31:40 Job contrasts his former happiness, honor, and wealth (ch 29 ) with his loss of social dignity and divine friendship (ch 30 ). He concludes his speech with wide-ranging oaths of innocence (ch 31 ).

Summary for Job 29:1-31:40: 29:1–31:40 ^a Job contrasts his former happiness, honor, and wealth (ch 29 ^b) with his loss of social dignity and divine friendship (ch 30 ^c). He concludes his speech with wide-ranging oaths of innocence (ch 31 ^d).
29:2 ^e Although elsewhere Job uses the Hebrew shamar to describe what he perceived as God’s oppressive surveillance (10:14 ^f; 13:27 ^g; 14:16 ^h), here it refers to God’s kindly care (“watch(es) over,” Ps 121:3-8 ⁱ).
29:7 ^j The city gate was a town’s administrative center (see Ruth 4:1-2 ^k, 11 ^l).
29:14 ^m Job described his righteousness in royal terms. A robe is a common biblical image for righteousness (Ps 132:9 ⁿ; Isa 59:17 ^o; 61:10 ^p; Rom 13:14 ^q; Rev 19:8 ^r).
29:16 ^s Job actively searched out and assisted strangers who needed help.
29:18 ^t after a long, good life (literally after I have counted my days like sand): Job thought the length of his years would signify God’s blessing, like the great number of Abraham’s offspring (Gen 15:5 ^u; 32:12 ^v) or the abundance of Joseph’s supplies in Egypt (Gen 41:49 ^w).
29:25 ^x In the past, Job had comforted those who mourned (4:3-4 ^y). This verse is a prophetic mandate closely associated with the work of the Messiah (Isa 40:1 ^z; 61:1-3 ^aa; Luke 4:18-19 ^ab; cp. 2 Cor 1:3-4 ^ac).

‏ Job 30

Summary for Job 30:2-3: 30:2-3 ^ad In the past, the most honorable members of society spoke well of Job (29:11 ^ae); now, the least honorable mocked him (30:1 ^af) and spit in his face (30:10 ^ag). Cp. Pss 35:15 ^ah; 69:12 ^ai; Mark 14:65 ^aj; 15:17-20 ^ak.
Summary for Job 30:5-6: 30:5-6 ^al live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks: The wretched life of Job’s mockers resembled Israel’s situation under Midianite oppression (Judg 6:2 ^am), David’s life as he fled from Saul (1 Sam 22:1-2 ^an), and Elijah’s life as he awaited the Lord’s instruction (1 Kgs 17:3-8 ^ao).
30:9 ^ap They taunt me! See also 17:6 ^aq; cp. Ps 69:12 ^ar; Lam 3:14 ^as, 63 ^at.
30:10 ^au won’t come near me: See also 19:13-15 ^av; cp. Ps 88:8 ^aw; Prov 19:7 ^ax; Matt 26:56 ^ay.

• To spit in someone’s face was to display revulsion or contempt (Deut 25:9 ^az; Isa 50:6 ^ba; Matt 26:67 ^bb; 27:30 ^bc; Mark 14:65 ^bd).
Summary for Job 30:12-14: 30:12-14 ^be The series of images presented here is drawn from a military advance against a fortified city. Job had already used this image for God’s attack on him (19:10-12 ^bf).

• The word translated traps might refer to siege ramps raised against a city’s walls.
30:15 ^bg terror: See also 6:4 ^bh; 7:14 ^bi; cp. Ps 88:15 ^bj.
30:18 ^bk God grabs ... the collar of my coat: The Hebrew in this verse is difficult to translate; it could mean that Job feels like he is in a chokehold and is about to be thrown into the mud (cp. 30:19 ^bl).
30:19 ^bm dust and ashes: Earlier, Job was sitting “among the ashes” in anguish (2:8 ^bn); later, he would “sit in dust and ashes to show ... repentance” (42:6 ^bo).
Summary for Job 30:20-21: 30:20-21 ^bp you don’t answer: This was Job’s frequent complaint (9:16 ^bq; 19:7 ^br; 23:2-9 ^bs; 31:35 ^bt), which God soon answered (38:1 ^bu).
30:22 ^bv Job felt tossed into the whirlwind and blown about like worthless straw or chaff (9:17 ^bw; 21:18 ^bx; 27:21 ^by; Ps 1:4 ^bz; Isa 17:13 ^ca).
30:28 ^cb Before his testing began, Job had been respected in the public square (29:7-10 ^cc, 21-25 ^cd); he helped others who were in need (29:11-17 ^ce).
30:29 ^cf I am considered: Job might have been expressing what he thought of himself, how others viewed him, or both.

• By claiming that he was a brother to jackals and a companion to owls, Job might have been describing himself as in the throes of lament (Mic 1:8 ^cg). Jackals were associated with desolation or ruin (see Ps 63:10 ^ch; Isa 13:22 ^ci; 34:13 ^cj; 35:7 ^ck; Jer 9:11 ^cl; 10:22 ^cm; 49:33 ^cn; 51:37 ^co; Lam 5:18 ^cp; Ezek 13:4 ^cq; Mal 1:3 ^cr).
30:30 ^cs The skin of a person who lived in comfortable circumstances was protected from the sun and wind; dark skin indicated physical and social decline (Lam 4:8 ^ct; 5:10 ^cu).

‏ Job 31

Summary for Job 31:1-40: 31:1-40 ^cv Job called down curses on himself if he were guilty of the accusations made against him. Except for his mention of idolatry (31:26-27 ^cw), Job addressed his fidelity to God in terms of the second half of the Ten Commandments, summarized by the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18 ^cx; Rom 13:9 ^cy). 31:1 ^cz Job’s covenant with his eyes included a self-cursing oath (cp. Matt 5:28-29 ^da). Perhaps lust of the eyes was at the head of Job’s list because the eye is the first instrument of sin (Gen 3:6 ^db).

• To look with lust at a young woman violates the spirit of the seventh (Deut 5:18 ^dc, see Matt 5:27-28 ^dd), and potentially the tenth (Deut 5:21 ^de), commandment.
Summary for Job 31:5-8: 31:5-8 ^df If Job had lied to anyone as part of a business deal, it would violate the eighth commandment (Deut 5:19 ^dg); if it occurred in court, it would violate the ninth (Deut 5:20 ^dh). This sin would merit fiery judgment (Rev 21:8 ^di).

• If Job lusted for what his eyes had seen, he would violate the tenth commandment (Deut 5:21 ^dj).

• then let someone else eat: This was a self-curse.
Summary for Job 31:9-10: 31:9-10 ^dk Whether she seduced him or he waited for her (24:15-16 ^dl), if Job lusted for his neighbor’s wife he would break the seventh (Deut 5:18 ^dm, Matt 5:27-28 ^dn) and tenth (Deut 5:21 ^do) commandments.

• serve: Literally grind for. This might refer to servitude (Exod 11:5 ^dp) or to sexual intercourse.
31:11 ^dq The Hebrew term zimmah (shameful sin) is associated with sexual crimes such as incest (“wicked act,” Lev 18:17 ^dr), gang-rape (“terrible ... crime,” Judg 20:6 ^ds), and prostitution (Ezek 23:49 ^dt).
31:12 ^du The association of fire with hell or the grave is rare in the Old Testament (cp. Deut 32:22 ^dv).
Summary for Job 31:13-15: 31:13-15 ^dw unfair to ... servants: This might refer to violations of the fourth commandment (Deut 5:12-15 ^dx).

• God created both me and my servants: Job extended the implications of being created in God’s image to the poor (Prov 14:31 ^dy; 22:2 ^dz) and even to slaves.
31:21 ^ea knowing the judges would take my side: Job was respected and regarded as a member of the elite class (29:7-10 ^eb).
Summary for Job 31:22-23: 31:22-23 ^ec If an arm was used in sinful action (31:21 ^ed), having it torn from its socket would be a fitting punishment and better than facing God’s judgment (cp. Matt 5:28-30 ^ee).
31:24 ^ef Have I put my trust in ... my gold: Job left the consequence of this oath unstated because the if-then pattern was now established (31:5-23 ^eg). He rejected Eliphaz’s implied judgment (22:24-25 ^eh; see Pss 52:7 ^ei; 62:10 ^ej; 1 Tim 6:10 ^ek, 17 ^el).
31:25 ^em gloated about my wealth: See Deut 8:17-18 ^en; cp. Isa 10:12-14 ^eo; Dan 4:28-30 ^ep; Hos 12:8 ^eq.
Summary for Job 31:26-28: 31:26-28 ^er Like adultery (cp. 31:1 ^es, 9-12 ^et), worshiping the sun and moon was a capital crime. Both were sins of the eye that enticed the heart, and both types of sin were tried before judges. 31:26 ^eu Have I looked at the sun ... or the moon: This oath denies violation (cp. Jer 8:2 ^ev; 44:17 ^ew; Ezek 8:16 ^ex; Acts 7:43 ^ey) of the first commandment (Deut 5:7 ^ez; see Deut 4:19 ^fa; 17:2-7 ^fb).
31:27 ^fc secretly enticed in my heart: See 31:9 ^fd.

• throw kisses at them in worship: Cp. 1 Kgs 19:18 ^fe; Hos 13:2 ^ff.
31:28 ^fg In Israel, the judges (see 31:11 ^fh) were to punish idol worship by execution (Deut 17:2-7 ^fi).

• Denying the God of heaven violated the first commandment (Deut 5:7 ^fj).
Summary for Job 31:29-30: 31:29-30 ^fk rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies: See Prov 24:17-18 ^fl; cp. 2 Sam 16:5-8 ^fm.

• Cursing anyone violated the spirit of the sixth commandment (Deut 5:17 ^fn; see Matt 5:21-22 ^fo).

• It was against God’s will to ask for revenge (Matt 5:43-44 ^fp; Rom 12:14 ^fq; Jas 3:6-10 ^fr; 1 Pet 3:9 ^fs).
Summary for Job 31:31-32: 31:31-32 ^ft never turned away a stranger: The Old Testament values hospitality (Gen 18:1-13 ^fu; 19:2-3 ^fv; Judg 19:20-21 ^fw), and the New Testament commands it (Matt 25:35 ^fx; Rom 12:13 ^fy; 1 Tim 3:2 ^fz; Heb 13:2 ^ga; 1 Pet 4:9 ^gb).
31:35 ^gc sign my name: Job wanted to make the proceedings official (19:23-24 ^gd).
31:36 ^ge face the accusation proudly (literally carry it on my shoulder; cp. Exod 28:12 ^gf; Isa 22:22 ^gg): He would take full responsibility for his actions.
31:37 ^gh A prince who had been wrongly accused had the right to come before his king to make an appeal.
31:38 ^gi The land was the chief witness to crimes committed upon it (20:27 ^gj; see Gen 4:10 ^gk; cp. Jas 5:4 ^gl).
31:40 ^gm let thistles grow: Job’s curse on himself echoed God’s primal curse on Adam (Gen 3:17-18 ^gn; cp. Isa 7:25 ^go; Zeph 2:9 ^gp).