Job 31:20

31:16-23 Job's conscience gave testimony concerning his just and charitable behaviour toward the poor. He is most large upon this head, because in this matter he was particularly accused. He was tender of all, and hurtful to none. Notice the principles by which Job was restrained from being uncharitable and unmerciful. He stood in awe of the Lord, as certainly against him, if he should wrong the poor. Regard to worldly interests may restrain a man from actual crimes; but the grace of God alone can make him hate, dread, and shun sinful thoughts and desires.

If his loins have not blessed me,.... Which were girded and covered with garments he gave him; which, as often as he put on and girded his loins with, put him in mind of his generous benefactor, and this put him upon sending up an ejaculatory wish to heaven, that all happiness and blessedness might attend him, who had so comfortably clothed him; see Job 29:13 ; and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; not with a fleece of wool as taken off the back of the sheep, or with a sheep's skin, having the wool on it, but with it, as made up into cloth; with a woollen garment, which was a kind of clothing that very early obtained, and is what is warm and comfortable, see Deuteronomy 22:11. Job clothed the naked, not with gay apparel, which was not necessary, but with decent and useful raiment, and not with the fleece of other men's sheep, but with the fleece of his own sheep, or with cloth made of the wool of his own flock, giving what was his own and not others; which always should be observed in acts of charity; see 2 Samuel 12:4. Thus Christ, the antitype of Job, feeds the poor and the fatherless whom he finds, though he does not leave them so; it is at his own table, and with his own bread, with provisions of his own making; and clothes them with the robe of his righteousness, and garments of salvation, which is a clothing and a covering to them, and secures them from perishing, and causes joy and gladness in them, Isaiah 61:10.

Verse 20. - If his loins have not blessed me (see above, Job 29:11, 13 ), and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep . Clothed, i.e. , with a garment spun from wool yielded by my own sheep. A great sheikh like Job would keep in store many such garments, ready to be given to such as were naked or poorly clad, when they came under his observation ( Isaiah 58:7 ). Job 31:20

Blessed me, i.e. given him occasion to bless and praise me, and to pray to God to bless me for covering them; the loins being put synecdochically for the whole body: see the like expression Deu 24:13 , and compare Genesis 4:10 Luke 16:9 . With the fleece of my sheep; with clothing made of my wool.

19 If I saw one perishing without clothing, And that the needy had no covering; 20 If his loins blessed me not, And he did not warm himself from the hide of my lambs; 21 If I have lifted up my hand over the orphan, Because I saw my help in the gate: 22 Let my shoulder fall out of its shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from its bone; 23 For terror would come upon me, the destruction of God, And before His majesty I should not be able to stand. On אובד comp. on Job 4:11; Job 29:13; he who is come down from his right place and is perishing (root בד, to separate, still perfectly visible through the Arab. bâda, ba‛ida, to perish), or also he who is already perished, periens and perditus. The clause, Job 31:19, forms the second obj. to אם אראה, which otherwise signifies si video, but here, in accordance with the connection, signifies si videbam. The blessing of the thankful (Job 29:13) is transferred from the person to the limbs in Job 31:20, which need and are benefited by the warmth imparted. אם־לא here is not an expression of an affirmative asseveration, but a negative turn to the continuation of the hypothetical antecedents. The shaking, הניף, of the hand, Job 31:21, is intended, like Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 19:16 (comp. the Pilel, Isaiah 10:32), Zechariah 2:13, as a preparation for a crushing stroke.

Job refrained himself from such designs upon the defenceless orphan, even when he saw his help in the gate, i.e., before the tribunal (Job 29:7), i.e., even when he had a certain prospect or powerful assistance there. If he has acted otherwise, his כּתף, i.e., his upper arm together with the shoulder, must fall out from its שׁכם, i.e., the back which bears it together with the shoulder-blades, and his אזרע, upper and lower arm, which is considered here according to its outward flesh, must be broken out of its קנה, tube, i.e., the reed-like hollow bone which gives support to it, i.e., be broken asunder from its basis (Syr. a radice sua), this sinning arm, which did not compassionate the naked, and mercilessly threatened the defenceless and helpless. The ת raphatum which follows in both cases, and the express testimony of the Masora, show that משּׁכמה and מקּנה have no Mappik. The He quiescens, however, is in both instances softened from the He mappic. of the suff., Ew. 21,f. פּחד in Job 31:23 is taken by most expositors as predicate: for terror is (was) to me evil as God, the righteous judge, decrees it. But אלי is not favourable to this.

fail —in the vain expectation of relief (Job 11:20). 17. Arabian rules of hospitality require the stranger to be helped first, and to the best. 18. Parenthetical: asserting that he did the contrary to the things in Job 31:16, 17. he —the orphan. guided her —namely, the widow, by advice and protection. On this and "a father," see Job 29:16. 19. perish —that is, ready to perish (Job 29:13). 20. loins —The parts of the body benefited by Job are poetically described as thanking him; the loins before naked, when clad by me, wished me every blessing. 21. when —that is, "because." I saw —that I might calculate on the "help" of a powerful party in the court of justice—("gate"), if I should be summoned by the injured fatherless. 22. Apodosis to Job 31:13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21. If I had done those crimes, I should have made a bad use of my influence ("my arm," figuratively, Job 31:21): therefore, if I have done them let my arm (literally) suffer. Job alludes to Eliphaz' charge (Job 22:9). The first "arm" is rather the shoulder. The second "arm" is the forearm. ## from the bone —literally, "a reed"; hence the upper arm, above the elbow. 23. For —that is, the reason why Job guarded against such sins. Fear of God, though he could escape man's judgment (Genesis 39:9). U MBREIT more spiritedly translates, Yea, destruction and terror from God might have befallen me (had I done so): mere fear not being the motive. highness —majestic might. endure —I could have availed nothing against it. 24, 25.

My skin is black upon me; either by his dark-coloured scabs, wherewith his body was in a manner wholly overspread; or by grief, as before. ## My bones are burned with heat; the effect of his fever and sorrow, which dried up all his moisture, and caused great inflammations and burning heats within him. Ver. 31. Either, 1. I have now nothing but bitter lamentations instead of my former expressions of joy. Or, 2. Those very things which formerly were occasions and instruments of my delight, do now renew and aggravate my sorrows. ## He protesteth his continency and chastity; God’s providence, presence, and judgments; his motives, #Job 31:1-4 . His just dealings, #Job 31:5-8 . Free from adultery, which ought to be punished by the magistrate, #Job 31:9-12 . His just carriage to his servants, and the reason, #Job 31:13-15 . His bounty to the poor, for fear of God, and his highness, #Job 31:6-23 . Not covetous, nor idolatrous, which ought to be punished by the magistrate, #Job 31:24-28 . Not revengeful, #Job 31:29,30 . Hospitable to strangers, #Job 31:31,32 . His repentance, #Job 31:33 . He wisheth God would answer, and his words might be recorded, #Job 31:35- 37 . His imprecation against himself, if he spoke not the truth, #Job 31:38-40 . ## Ver. 1.