Bible Commentaries
Job 31

Verses 1-40

This whole chapter is taken up with Job's solemn oath of innocence. It is ills official answer to the line of argument adopted by his three friends. In the process of his declaration he called on God to vindicate him. In the next place he asserted his innocence in his relation to his fellow men. As to his servants, recognizing their equality with him in the sight of God, he had not despised their cause when they had contention with him. Toward the poor he had acted the part not only of justice, but of benevolence. He had not eaten his morsel alone. He was perfectly willing to admit that his uprightness had been born of his fear of God, but it remained a fact.

Finally, he protested his uprightness in his relation with God. There had been no idolatry. His wealth had never been his confidence, neither had he been seduced into the worship of nature, even at its highest-the shining of the sun and the brightness of the moon. Moreover, he had no evil disposition to cause him to rejoice over the sufferings of others, and in this there would seem to be a satirical reference to his friends. Finally, in this connection he denied hypocrisy.

In the midst of this proclamation of integrity he broke off and finally cried, Oh that I had one to hear me!

In parenthesis he declared that he subscribed his signature or mark to his oath, and asked that God should answer him.

The final words, "The words of Job are ended," are generally attributed to the author of the book, or some subsequent editor, or copyist. I cannot see why they do not constitute Job's own last sentence. He had nothing more to say. The mystery was unsolved, and he relapsed into silence, and announced his decision so to do.