The big picture
Job 31 opens in verse 1 with “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”, reaches its middle movement near verse 20 with “If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;”, and closes in verse 40 with “Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are…” Repeated or prominent terms include destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Job · King James Version · 40Job 31:1-8
1–8: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Job 31:1–8 opens with “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” and reaches “Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 31 develops its own movement around destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, with particular weight carried by eyes, walked, Almighty.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 4 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Job 31:1-8
King James Version1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Job 31:9-16
9–16: If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at…
Job 31:9–16 opens with “If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;” and reaches “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 31 develops its own movement around destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, with particular weight carried by womb, answer, cause.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;” The line’s distinctive content terms include deceived, door, heart. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
Job 31:9-16
King James Version9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;
10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
Job 31:17-24
17–24: Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten…
Job 31:17–24 opens with “Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;” and reaches “If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 31 develops its own movement around destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, with particular weight carried by eaten, fatherless, gold.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;” The line’s distinctive content terms include eaten, fatherless, morsel. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.
“If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;” The line’s distinctive content terms include clothing, covering, perish. Its relationship to verses 18 and 20 shows what work it does in this passage.
Job 31:17-24
King James Version17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
18(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
Job 31:25-32
25–32: If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had…
Job 31:25–32 opens with “If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;” and reaches “The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 31 develops its own movement around destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, with particular weight carried by hand, mouth, rejoiced.
Context that brings the passage to life
“If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;” The line’s distinctive content terms include gotten, hand, rejoiced. Its relationship to verses 26 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:” The line’s distinctive content terms include enticed, hand, heart. Its relationship to verses 26 and 28 shows what work it does in this passage.
Job 31:25-32
King James Version25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
Job 31:33-40
33–40: If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my…
Job 31:33–40 opens with “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:” and reaches “Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 31 develops its own movement around destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, with particular weight carried by instead, Adam, adversary.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:” Naming Adam keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Job 31:33-40
King James Version33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Job 31:1 begins with “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”
Where the chapter turns
Job 31:22 forms a natural hinge: “Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.”
The final note
Job 31:40 leaves the reader with “Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words destruction, iniquity, eaten, eyes, hand, heart help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why do Rachel and Leah agree to leave?
They see themselves as alienated from their father's household and support the journey God has commanded.
What does the boundary accomplish?
It limits hostile crossing and places their future conduct under divine witness.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
- doth
- does
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.