Job 31:34

31:33-40 Job clears himself from the charge of hypocrisy. We are loth to confess our faults, willing to excuse them, and to lay the blame upon others. But he that thus covers his sins, shall not prosper, Pr 28:13. He speaks of his courage in what is good, as an evidence of his sincerity in it. When men get estates unjustly, they are justly deprived of comfort from them; it was sown wheat, but shall come up thistles. What men do not come honestly by, will never do them any good. The words of Job are ended. They end with a bold assertion, that, with respect to accusation against his moral and religious character as the cause for his sufferings, he could appeal to God. But, however confident Job was, we shall see he was mistaken, chap. 40:4,5; 1Jo 1:8. Let us all judge ourselves; wherein we are guilty, let us seek forgiveness in that blood which cleanseth from all sin; and may the Lord have mercy upon us, and write his laws in our hearts!

Did I fear a great multitude?.... No, they did not deter him from confessing his sin in the most public manner, when sensible or convicted of it, and when such a public acknowledgment was necessary: or did the contempt of families terrify me? no, the contempt he might suppose he should be had in by some families that knew him, and he was well acquainted with, did not terrify him from making a free and ingenuous confession of his sins: that I kept silence; or "did I keep silence", and went not out of the door?

Job 31:34 . Did I fear a great multitude? — No: all that knew Job, knew him to be a man of resolution, that boldly appeared, spoke, and acted, in defence of religion and justice. He durst not keep silence, or stay within, when called to speak or act for God. He was not deterred by the number, or quality, or insults of the injurious, from reproving them, and doing justice to the injured.

34 . a great multitude ] i. e. the general mass, or the assembly, of the people. contempt of families ] i. e. the great clans or tribes. The verse gives the reason why Job, if he had been conscious of sins, would have refrained from going forth at the door, fear of the contempt of men would have deterred him. The passage ch. Job 29:7 seq . shews that he was deterred by no such fear, he constantly frequented the assembly and “sat as king” in the midst of the people. What Job affirms in these verses is not of course that, when he was guilty of any transgressions, he did not conceal but openly acknowledged them. On the contrary he affirms that he had no sins which he needed to conceal. He lived in the broad day and without fear confronted all (ch. Job 29:7 seq .) because he had nothing to hide. Job repudiates all hypocritical conduct or secret transgression. This was the charge his friends made against him. And this consciousness of purity of heart, struggling with false accusations of hypocrisy, forces from him a new appeal to God to make known to him the sins laid to his charge, Job 31:35-37 . The verses are closely connected with Job 31:33-34 . 35. Oh that I had one who would hear me!— Behold my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!— And that I had the charge which mine adversary had written! 36. Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder, I would bind it as a crown unto me; 37. I would declare unto him the number of my steps, As a prince would I go near unto him.

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families {y} terrify me, that I kept {z} silence, and went not out of the door? (y) That is, I reverenced the most weak and contemned and was afraid to offend them. (z) I suffered them to speak evil of me, and went not out of my house to avenge it.

Verse 34. - Did I fear a great multitude! rather, because I feared the great multitude or the great assembly ; i.e . the gathering of the people in the gate on occasions of public business. It' Job had been conscious of any great and heinous sins ' he would not have led the open and public life which, previously to his calamities, he had always led ( Job 29:7-10, 21-25 ); he would have been afraid to make his appearance at public meetings, lest his sins should have become known, and should draw upon him scorn and contempt, instead of the respect and acclamations to which he was accustomed. Or did the contempt of families terrify me? rather, and the contempt of families terrified me. The contempt of the assembled tribes and families, which might have been poured out upon him at such meetings, would have been quite sufficient to prevent his attending them. If by any accident he had found himself at one, and had seen that he was looked upon with disfavour, he must have kept silence in order to avoid observation. Prudence would have counselled that more complete abstention which is implied in the phrase, and went not out of the door; i.e. "stayed at home in mine own house." Job 31:34

34. Rather, the apodosis to Job 31:33, "Then let me be fear-stricken before a great multitude, let the contempt, &c., let me keep silence (the greatest disgrace to a patriot, heretofore so prominent in assemblies), and not go out," &c. A just retribution that he who hides his sin from God, should have it exposed before man (2Sa 12:12). But Job had not been so exposed, but on the contrary was esteemed in the assemblies of the "tribes"—("families"); a proof, he implies, that God does not hold him guilty of hiding sin (Job 24:16, contrast with Job 29:21-25).

This verse either, 1. Contains new matter, and another argument or evidence of his integrity, taken from his courage and faithfulness in the discharge of his duty as a magistrate. The interrogation implies a denial; and so the sense is either, 1. This, I did not for fear of a great multitude, or for any contempt , or reproach , or other inconvenience which might befall me from great and numerous families , or combinations of people, who were engaged for him who had an unrighteous cause, forbear to speak for the poor oppressed and injured person whom they all opposed, or deny to go out of the door of my house to plead his cause, as a timorous and man-pleasing judge would have done. Or, 2. This, Though I could have terrified or violently oppressed a great multitude, because of my great power and interest, yet did the most contemptible persons or families terrify me , i.e. I was afraid to do them any injury, not for fear of them, as appears from the former clause, but for fear of God; therefore I kept silence, and went not out of the door, i.e. I durst neither move tongue, nor hand, nor foot against them. Or, 2. It contains an amplification or confirmation of what he said, Job 31:33 ; either thus, Did I cover or conceal my transgressions, because I was afraid of the rage of the multitude, or of the contempt of families , which would be brought upon me by the confession of my wickedness?

Did I therefore keep silence , i.e. forbore to confess my sin, and not go out of my door; but keep at home as one in that case ashamed or afraid to be seen abroad? No, the fear of shame or contempt from men did not hinder me from giving glory to God by confessing my faults. Or rather thus, Did I therefore cover all my oppressions, and frauds, and other wickednesses (wherewith you tax me) with the mask of virtue and piety, and use all possible caution and cunning in my evil courses, because I feared the great multitude , (who were my friends and admirers, but in case of the discovery of my wickedness would have hated and persecuted me,) or because the contempt of so many families (whose favour and good opinion I needed or desired) terrified me ? Then (as the particle vau is oft used, i. e. if that were really my case) I should be silent , (I should silently and patiently bear all the strokes of God, and all the reproaches of my friends,) and not go out of the door of my house , as one ashamed to show his face before men. But my condition being through God’s mercy far otherwise, and my conscience bearing me witness of my integrity in these and many other things, I dare now lift up my head, and open my mouth to plead my cause, and I desire nothing more than a fair hearing; Oh that one would hear me ! as it follows in the next verse.

Did I fear a great multitude - Our translators have rendered this as if Job meant to say that he had not been deterred from doing what he supposed was right by the fear of others; as if he had been independent, and had done what he knew to be right, undeterred by the fear of popular fury, or the loss of the favor of the great. This version is adopted also by the Vulgate, by Herder, and substantially by Coverdale and Luther. Another interpretation has, however, been proposed, and is adopted by Schultens, Noyes, Good, Umbreit, Dathe, and Scott, which is, that this is to be regarded as an imprecations, or that this is the punishment which he invoked and expected if he had been guilty of the crime which is specified in the previous verses. The meaning then would be "Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Let me keep silence, and let me never appear abroad!" The Hebrew will admit of either construction, and either of them will accord well with the connection. The latter, however, regarding it as an imprecation, seems to me to be preferable, for two reasons: (1) It will accord more forcibly with what he had said in the previous verse.

The sense then would be, as expressed by Patrick, "If I have studied to appear better than I am, and have not made a free confession, but, like our first parent, have concealed or excused my faults, and, out of self-love, have hidden mine iniquity, because I dread what the people will say of me, or am terrified by the contempt into which the knowledge of my guilt will bring me with the neighboring families, then am I content my mouth should be stopped, and that I never stir out of my door any more." (2) This interpretation seems to be required, in order to make a proper close of his remarks. The general course in this chapter has been to specify an offence, and then to utter an imprecation if he had been guilty of it. In the previous verses he had specified crimes of which he had declared himself innocent; but unless this verse be so regarded, there is no invocation of any corresponding punishment if he had been guilty. It seems probable, therefore, that this verse is so to be regarded. According to this, the phrase "Did I fear a great multitude" means, "Then let me be terrified by a multitude - by the opinions of the world, and let this be the punishment of my sin. Since by the fear of others I was led to hide my sin in my bosom, let it be my lot to lose all popular favor, and feel that I am the object of public scorn and contempt!" Or did the contempt of families terrify me - Let the contempt of families crush me; let me be despised and abhorred by them.