Job 31:36

_SURELY I WOULD TAKE IT UPON MY SHOULDER, AND BIND IT AS A CROWN TO ME._ So far from hiding the adversary's "answer" or 'charge' through fear, 'I would take it on my shoulders' as a public honour (Isaiah 9:6). A CROWN - not a mark of shame, but of distinction (Isaiah 62:3)....

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, Proverbs 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. Job 40:4;...

Verse Job 31:36. _SURELY I WOULD TAKE IT UPON MY SHOULDER_] I would be contented to stand before the bar as a criminal, bearing upon my shoulder the _board_ to which the _accusation_ is affixed. In a book of _Chinese punishments_ now before me, containing _drawings_ representing various criminals brought _to_ trial, _in_ trial, and _after_ trial, charged with different offences; in almost all of them a _board_ appears, on which the _accusation_ or _crime_ of which they are accused, or for which they suffer, is fairly written. Where the punishment is capital, this board appears fastened to the _instrument_, or stuck near the _place_ of _punishment_. In one case a large, heavy plank, through which there is a hole to pass the head, - or rather a _hole_ fitting the _neck_, like that in the _pillory_, - with the cr...

SURELY, I WOULD TAKE IT UPON MY SHOULDER - That is, the book or bill which the Almighty would write in the case. Job says that he has such confidence that what God would record in his case would be in his favor, such confidence that he had no charge of hypocrisy against him, and that he who knew him altogether would not bring such an accusation against him, that he would bear it off triumphantly on his shoulders. It would be all that he could desire. This does not refer to what a judge would decide if the cause were submitted to him, but to a case where an opponent or adversary in court should bring all that he could say against him. He says that he would bear even such a bill on his shoulders in triumph, and that it would be a full vindication of his innocence. It would afford him the best vindication of his character, and would be that which he had long desired. AND BIND IT AS A CROWN...

EXPOSITION The conclusion of Job's long speech (ch. 26-31.) is now reached. He winds it up by a solemn vindication of himself from all the charges of wicked conduct which have been alleged or insinuated against him. perhaps it may be said that he goes further, maintaining generally his moral rectitude in respect of all the principal duties which a man owes either to God (verses 4-6, 24-28, 35-37) or to his fellows (verses 1-3, 7-23, 29-34, 38-40). He protests that he is innocent of impure thoughts (verses 1-4); of false seeming (verses 5-8); of adultery (verses 9-12); of injustice towards dependants (verses 13-15); of hardness towards the poor and needy (verses 16-23); of covetousness (verses 24, 25); of idolatry (verses 26-28); of malevolence (verses 29, 30); of want of hospitality (verses 31, 32); of hiding his transgressions (verses 33, 34); and of injustice as a landlord (verses 38-4...

SURELY I WOULD TAKE IT UPON MY SHOULDER,.... The bill of indictment, the charge in writing; this he would take up and carry on his shoulder as a very light thing, having nothing weighty in it, no charge of sin and guilt to bear him down; nothing but what he could easily stand up under, only some trifling matter, which could not be interpreted sin; for anything of that kind would have been a burden too heavy for him to have borne: or else his sense is, that should he be convicted of any sin, he would openly confess the charge, acknowledge the sin in the most public manner, that being visible which is borne upon the shoulder; and would also patiently bear the afflictions and chastisements that were laid upon him for it: though rather the meaning is, that he should take up and carry such a bill, not as a burden, but as an honour, as one bears a sword of state, or carries a sceptre as an ens...

CHAPTER 31 _ 1. My chastity and righteousness (Job 31:1)_ 2. My philanthropy (Job 31:13) 3. My integrity and hospitality (Job 31:24) 4. Let God and man disprove me (Job 31:35) Job 31:1. His final word is the final word in his self-righteous vindication. He gives Eliphaz the lie. He gives a review of his life to prove that he is clean in the sight of God and of man. Even if after this outburst his friends would have an inclination to answer him they could not have done so. He silenced them for good. But what are his declarations after all

JOB 31. THE OATH OF CLEARING. Job's final protestation of his innocence, and appeal to God to judge him. This chapter, says Duhm, is the high-water mark of the OT ethic, higher than the Decalogue or even than the prophets, since they deal with social not private morality. Duhm notes especially the humanity towards the slave based on the fact of a common creation, also that we are not to hate our enemies. (Job does not go so far as to say, Love your enemies; that is Christ's.) JOB 31:1. Job clears himself of secret sensual desires. He remembered that the all-seeing God punishes the evildoer. Job speaks from the standpoint he had occupied before his trials made him doubt the Divine justice. JOB 31:5. He clears himself of falsehood and covetousness....

OH THAT ONE WOULD HEAR ME, &C.— The clause, _behold, my desire is,_ &c. might be better rendered, _Lo, here my sign or pledge, let the Almighty question me:_ for the Hebrew word signifies, equally, _let him answer me,_ or _let him make me to answer._ Job here, as in other places, shews a great earnestness to come upon his trial: they were his friends, and not God, who were his accusers: for God, he was well persuaded, would soon clear him if he were but once admitted to come in judgment before him. The meaning of the verse, therefore, seems plainly to be this: "O that I had but a hearing granted me! "See there my _mark_ or _gage;"_ תוי _tavi:_ (something as a pledge or earnest that he would stand the trial) "Let the Almighty interrogate me; and let any of you, my accusers, write a bill of indictment against me." It follows, Job 31:36. Surely I would ta

e. He lived openly and would not hesitate to have the Almighty publish his record. (Job 31:29-40) TEXT 31:29-40 29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him 30 (Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse); 31 If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat? 32 (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller); 33 If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom. 34 Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door 35 Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me)...