the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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King James Version
Job 31:31
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BakerEncyclopedias:
- TheParallel Translations
"My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.'
If the men of my tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?
If the men of my tent haven't said, Who can find one that has not been filled with his meat?
The servants of my house have always said, ‘All have eaten what they want of Job's food.'
if the members of my household have never said, ‘If only there were someone who has not been satisfied from Job's meat!'—
If the men of my tabernacle have not said, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
If the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?'
"I assure you, the men of my tent have said, 'Who can find one [in need] who has not been satisfied with his meat'?
if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?'
if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;
if the men of my house have not said, 'Who is there who has not had his fill?'-
No one ever went hungry at my house,
If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?
"Was there anyone in my tent who didn't say, ‘No one can find a single person whom he has not filled with his meat'?
If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?—
The people in my house know that I have never let anyone go hungry.
If the men of my tent said not: 'Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?'
If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! wee cannot be satisfied.
Have the men of my tent not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat'?
if those of my tent ever said, ‘O that we might be sated with his flesh!'—
Did not the men of my Tabernacle say, Who shall giue vs of his flesh? we can not bee satisfied.
My friends said, Oh this man would give us even of his own flesh! but we are not satisfied,
All those who work for me know that I have always welcomed strangers.
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh - we cannot get filled,
If the men of my tabernacle have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?
if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?'
Dyd not the men of myne owne housholde say, Who shall let vs to haue our belly full of his fleshe?
And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:
Haven’t the members of my household said,“Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table?”
If the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?'
Have the people of my tent not said, ‘O that someone had not been satisfied with his meat'?
if the men of my tent did not say, Who can give one not satisfied from his flesh?
If not -- say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'
Yet they of myne owne housholde saye: who shal let vs, to haue oure bely ful of his flesh?
"Didn't those who worked for me say, ‘He fed us well. There were always second helpings'? And no stranger ever had to spend a night in the street; my doors were always open to travelers. Did I hide my sin the way Adam did, or conceal my guilt behind closed doors Because I was afraid what people would say, fearing the gossip of the neighbors so much That I turned myself into a recluse? You know good and well that I didn't.
"Have the people of my tent not said, 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat'?
If the men of my tent have not said, "Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?'
"Have the men of my tent not said, 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat'?
If the men of my tent have not said,‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat'—
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the men: 1 Samuel 24:4, 1 Samuel 24:10, 1 Samuel 26:8, 2 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 16:10, 2 Samuel 19:21, 2 Samuel 19:22, Jeremiah 40:15, Jeremiah 40:16, Luke 9:54, Luke 9:55, Luke 22:50, Luke 22:51
Oh: Job 19:22, Psalms 27:2, Psalms 35:25, Proverbs 1:11, Proverbs 1:12, Proverbs 1:18, Micah 3:2, Micah 3:3
Reciprocal: Genesis 31:1 - Jacob 1 Samuel 19:15 - Bring him 1 Chronicles 11:19 - shall I Esther 5:9 - he was full Job 13:15 - but I will Job 19:15 - count me Psalms 57:3 - from the reproach of him Matthew 27:22 - What Mark 6:24 - The head Acts 12:11 - all Acts 25:2 - General Revelation 17:16 - eat
Cross-References
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
If the men of my tabernacle,.... Either his friends, that came to visit him, and take a meal with him, and would sometimes tarry awhile with him in his house, being very free and familiar with him; and who were, as it were, at home in his tabernacle; or rather his domestic servants, that were under his roof, and dwelt in his house, see Job 19:15; if these
said not, oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied; of the flesh of Job's enemy; and the sense is that his servants used to say, are cannot bear to see our master so ill used and insulted by his enemy; we wish he would only allow us to avenge him on him, we would eat him up alive; we would devour him, and destroy him at once; nor can we be satisfied unless we have leave to do it: and so this is a further proof of Job's patience with his enemies, that though he had fetters on in his family, his servants solicited him to revenge, yet he abstained from it; which may be exemplified in the cases of David and of Christ,
1 Samuel 26:8, though some think these words express Job's patience towards his servants, who were so angry with him for the strict discipline he observed in his house, that they wished they had his flesh to eat, and could not be satisfied without it; and yet, so far was he from taking pleasure in the calamities of his enemies, and wishing ill to them, that he did not resent the ill natured speeches of his servants, and avenge himself on them for their wicked insults upon him: but it can hardly be thought that Job would keep such wicked servants in his house; but perhaps Job here enters upon a new crime, which he clears himself of, and is opened more fully in Job 31:32, namely, inhospitality to strangers; since the particle "if" commonly begins a new article in this chapter, and being taken in this sense, various interpretations are given; some, as if Job's servants were displeased with him for his hospitality, that his house was always so full of guests, that they were continually employed in dressing food for them, that they had not time, or that there was not enough left for them to eat of his flesh, his food, and be satisfied with it; or else, as pleased with the plentiful table he kept, and therefore desired to continue always in his service, and eat of his food; nor could they be satisfied with the food of others, or live elsewhere; though perhaps it is best of all to render the words, as by some, who will give, or show the man "that is not satisfied of his flesh?" h point out the man in all the neighbourhood that has not been liberally entertained at Job's table to his full satisfaction and content; and his liberality did not extend only to his neighbours, but to strangers also; as follows.
h So Schultens, "quis"; and Ikenius, apud ib.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
If the men of my tabernacle - The men of my tent; or those who dwell with me. The reference is doubtless to those who were in his employ, and who, being constantly with him, had an opportunity to observe his manner of life. On this verse there has been a great variety of exposition, and interpreters are by no means agreed as to its meaning. Herder connects it with the previous verse, and renders it,
âNo! my tongue uttered no evil word,
Nor any imprecation against him,
When the men of my tent said,
âO that we had his flesh, it would satisfy us.ââ
That is, though he were the bitterest enemy of my house, and all were in open violence. Noyes translates it,
âHave not the men of my tent exclaimed,
âWho is there that hath not been satisfied with his meat?ââ
Umbreit supposes that it is designed to celebrate the benevolence of Job, and that the meaning is, that all his companions - the inmates of his house - could bear him witness that not one of the poor was allowed to depart without being satisfied with his hospitality. They were abundantly fed, and their needs supplied. The verse is undoubtedly to be regarded as connected, as Ikenius supposes, with the following, and is designed to illustrate the hospitality of Job. His object is to show that those who dwelt with him, and who had every opportunity of knowing all about him, could never say that the stranger was not hospitably entertained. The phrase, âIf the men of my tabernacle said not,â means, that a case never occurred in which they could not make use of the language which follows, they never could say that the stranger was not hospitably entertained.
Oh that we had - The phrase × ×ª× ×× mıÌy naÌthan, commonly means, âO thatâ - as the Latin Utinam - implying a wish or desire. See Job 19:23; Job 31:35. But here the phrase seems to be used in the sense of âWho will give, or who will show or furnishâ (compareJob 14:4; Job 14:4); and the sense is, âWho will refer to one instance in which the stranger has not been hospitably entertained?â
Of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied - Or, rather, âWho will refer to an instance in which it can be said that we have not been satisfied from his flesh, that is, from his table, or by his hospitality?â The word flesh here cannot mean, as our translation would seem to imply, the flesh of Job himself, as if it were to be torn and lacerated with a spirit of revenge, but that which his table furnished by a generous hospitality. The Septuagint renders this, âIf my maid-servants have often said, O that we had some of his flesh to eat! while I was living luxuriously.â For a great variety of opinions on the passage, see Schultens in loc. The above interpretation of Ikenius is the most simple, natural, and obvious of any which have been proposed, and is adopted by Schultens and Rosenmuller.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 31:31. If the men of my tabernacle said — I believe the Targum gives the best sense here: - "If the men of my tabernacle have not said, Who hath commanded that we should not be satisfied with his flesh?" My domestics have had all kindness shown them; they have lived like my own children, and have been served with the same viands as my family. They have never seen flesh come to my table, when they have been obliged to live on pulse.
Mr. Good's translation is nearly to the same sense: -
"If the men of my tabernacle do not exclaim,
Who hath longed for his meat without fulness?"
"Where is the man that has not been satisfied with his flesh?" i.e., fed to the full with the provisions from his table. See Proverbs 23:20; Isaiah 23:13, and Daniel 10:3.
