Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 31:13
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
13. Job refers to what he might have done in his high position; he might have “despised” or slighted the cause of his servants when they had ground of complaint against him. He treated them not as possessions but as persons, who had rights as well as himself, 14, 15. This treatment of them was forced on him by the feeling that all men, his servant and himself alike, are children of the same one God, who will avenge wrong done to any, whether slave or free; Eph 6:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
13 23. Job repudiates all misuse of the power which his rank gave him, denying (1) that he treated contemptuously his servants when they had a cause against him, Job 31:13-15; (2) that he was indifferent to the wants of the unprotected, or refused to bestow on them of his own bread and raiment, Job 31:16-20; (3) that he violently wronged any, even though he could have secured a judgment favourable to him before the tribunal, Job 31:21; after which follows the imprecation, Job 31:22-23.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
If I did despise the cause of my man-servant – Job turns to another subject, on which he claimed that his life had been upright. It was in reference to the treatment of his servants. The meaning here is, I never refused to do strict justice to my servants when they brought their cause before me, or when they complained that my dealings with them had been severe.
When they contended with me – That is, when they brought their cause before me, and complained that I had not provided for them comfortably, or that their task had been too hard. If in any respect they supposed they had cause of complaint, I listened to them attentively, and endeavored to do right. He did not take advantage of his sower to oppress them, nor did he suppose that they had no rights of any kind. It is evident, from this, that Job had those who sustained to him the relation of servants; but whether they were slaves, or hired servants, is not known. The language here will agree with either supposition, though it cannot be doubted that slavery was known as early as the time of Job. There is no certain evidence that he held any slaves, in the proper sense of the term, nor that he regarded slavery as right; compare the notes at Job 1:3. He here refers to the numerous persons that had been in his employ in the days of his prosperity, and says that he had never taken advantage of his power or rank to do them wrong.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. The cause of my man-servant] In ancient times slaves had no action at law against their owners; they might dispose of them as they did of their cattle, or any other property. The slave might complain; and the owner might hear him if he pleased, but he was not compelled to do so. Job states that he had admitted them to all civil rights; and, far from preventing their case from being heard, he was ready to permit them to complain even against himself, if they had a cause of complaint, and to give them all the benefit of the law.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If I did despise the cause of my man-servant; if I used my power over him to overthrow him or his just rights. And seeing it is known that I was so just and kind to them, over whom I had such unlimited power, it is not probable that I should be guilty of such cruelty to others, as you impute to me.
When they contended with me; either for imposing heavier burdens than they could bear; or for not providing for them those supports which their nature and necessity required, or for any other plausible cause. I heard them patiently and indifferently, and did them right even against myself, if by any misinformation or passion I had done them any injury.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-23. Job affirms his freedomfrom unfairness towards his servants, from harshness and oppressiontowards the needy.
despise the causerefusedto do them justice.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If I did despise the cause of my manservant, or of my maidservant,…. Whether it was a cause that related to any controversy or quarrel among themselves when it was brought before him, he did not reject it, because of the meanness of the contending parties, and the state of servitude they were in; but he received it and searched into it, heard patiently what each had to say, examined them thoroughly, entered into the merits of the cause, and either reconciled them, or passed a righteous sentence, punished the delinquent, and protected the innocent; or, if it was a cause relating to himself, any complaint of their work, or wages, or food, or clothing, as it seems to be from what follows:
when they contended with me; had anything to complain of, or to object to him on the above account, or any other, where there was any show or colour of foundation for it; otherwise it cannot be thought he would indulge a saucy, impudent, and contradicting behaviour in them towards him: masters in those times and countries had an unlimited, and exercised a despotic power over their servants, and used them with great rigour, and refused to do them justice upon complaints; but Job behaved as if he had had the rules of the apostle before him to act by in his conduct towards his servants, Eph 6:9; and even condescended to submit the cause between him and his servants to other judges or arbitrators, or rather took cognizance of it himself, heard patiently and carefully what they had to allege, and did them justice.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13 If I despised the cause of my servant and my maid,
When they contended with me:
14 What should I do, if God should rise up,
And if He should make search, what should I answer Him?
15 Hath not He who formed me in the womb formed him also,
And hath not One fashioned us in the belly?
It might happen, as Job 31:13 assumes, that his servant or his maid ( , Arab. amatun , denotes a maid who is not necessarily a slave, abde , as Job 19:15, whereas does not occur in the book) contended with him, and in fact so that they on their part began the dispute (for, as the Talmud correctly points out, it is not , but ), but he did not then treat them as a despot; they were not accounted as res but personae by him, he allowed them to maintain their personal right in opposition to him. Christopher Scultetus observes here: Gentiles quidem non concedebant jus servo contra dominum, cui etiam vitae necisque potestas in ipsum erat; sed Iob amore justitiae libere se demisit, ut vel per alios judices aut arbitros litem talem curaret decidi vel sibi ipsi sit moderatus, ut juste pronuntiaret . If he were one who despised ( not ) his servants’ cause: what should he do if God arose and entered into judgment; and if He should appoint an examination (thus Hahn correctly, for the conclusion shows that is here a synon. of Psa 17:3, and Psa 44:22, Arab. fqd , V, VIII, accurate inspicere ), what should he answer?
Job 31:15 The same manner of birth, by the same divine creative power and the same human agency, makes both master and servant substantially brethren with equal claims: Has not He who brought me forth in my mother’s womb (also) brought forth him (this my servant or my maid), and has not One fashioned us in our mother’s belly? , unus , viz., God, is the subj., as Mal 2:10, ( ) (for the thought comp. Eph 6:9), as it is also translated by the Targ., Jer., Saad., and Gecat.; whereas the lxx ( ), Syr., Symm. (as it appears from his translation ), construe as the adj. to , which is also the idea of the accentuation ( Rebia mugrasch, Mercha, Silluk). On the other hand, it has been observed (also Norzi) that it ought to be according to this meaning; but it was not absolutely necessary, vid., Ges. 111, 2, b. also would not be unsuitable in this combination; it would, as e.g., in , not affirm identity of number, but of character. But is far more significant, and as the final word of the strophe more expressive, when referred to God. The form is to be judged of just like , Isa 54:6; either they are forms of an exceptionally transitive (as , Psa 85:5, and in ) use of the Kal of these verbs (vid., e.g., Parchon and Kimchi), or they are syncopated forms of the Pilel for , , syncopated on account of the same letters coming together, especially in (Ew. 81, a, and most others); but this coincidence is sought elsewhere (e.g., Psa 50:23; Pro 1:28), and not avoided in this manner (e.g., Psa 119:73). Beside this syncope might also be expected, while according to express testimony the first Nun is raphatum: we therefore prefer to derive these forms from Kal, without regarding them, with Olsh., as errors in writing. The suff. is rightly taken by lxx, Targ., Abulwalid, and almost all expositors,
(Note: Also in the Jerusalem Talmud, where R. Johanan, eating nothing which he did not also share with his slave, refers to these words of Job. Comp. also the story from the Midrash in Guiseppe Levi’s Parabeln Legenden und Ged. aus Thalmud und Midrasch, S. 141 (Germ. transl. 1863): The wife of R. Jose began a dispute with her maid. Her husband came up and asked the cause, and when he saw that his wife was in the wrong, told her so in the presence of the maid. The wife said in a rage: Thou sayest I am wrong in the presence of my maid? The Rabbi answered: I do as Job did.)
not as singular ( ennu = ehu ), but as plural ( ennu = enu ); The Babylonian school pointed , like where it signifies a nobis , ( Psalter ii. 459, and further information in Pinsker’s works, Zur Geschichte des Karaismus, and Ueber das sogen. assyrische Punktationssystem). Therefore: One, i.e., one and the same God, has fashioned us in the womb without our co-operation, in an equally animal way, which smites down all pride, in like absolute conditionedness.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(13) If I did despise.In Job. 22:8, Eliphaz had insinuated that Job had favoured the rich and powerful, but had oppressed and ground down the weak. He now meets this accusation, and affirms that he had regarded his own servants even as brethren, because partakers of a common humanity.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. The cause of my manservant The importance of the subject is indicated by the form of oath, if, now for the fourth time introduced. His servants were regarded not as chattels, but as human beings. True nobility of character is as truly displayed in the proper treatment of dependents as in any of the so-called higher relationships of life.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 31:13-14. If I did despise, &c. See on chap. Job 19:25. The 14th verse should be rendered in the future, agreeably to the Hebrew; what shall I do, when God shall arise; and when he shall visit, what shall I answer him? Job here plainly speaks of something which he was infallibly to expect, had he behaved unjustly to his slave: but could we suppose him to mean it of any temporal judgment or visitation of God, what is it that he had to expect? He seems to think his condition so miserable already, that it was scarcely possible for him to fall lower; and therefore he often and earnestly wishes for death, as the happiest thing that could befal him. We need not question, therefore, but he had an eye to the future judgment; and it is remarkable, that he expresses himself in the same phrase here as he does in chap. Job 19:25. When God shall arise. See Peters, and the note on that place.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
Ver. 13. If I did despise the cause of my many, errant, &c. ] Servants of old (among the heathen especially) were mere slaves to their masters according to the flesh, who had power to use them at their pleasure, as they did their cattle. A servant (saith Aristotle) is the master’s instrument, and wholly his . He might do what he would to them, saith Seneca, even to the taking away of their lives, without danger of law. But Job held with the same Seneca, that posse et nolle nobile est; and that in some cases, Nimis angusta innocentia est, ad legem bonum esse; that utmost right is utmost wrong; and that there will come a reckoning afterwards, the forethought whereof awed him, and swayed him to do his servants right, when he might have oppressed them and tyrannized over them; as now the Turks do over their galley slaves. Of Archbishop Cranmer it is recorded, that he never raged so far with any of his household servants as once to call the meanest of them varlet or knave in anger. Tremellius, who was for a time entertained in his house, saith of it, that it was schola vel palaestra pietatis et literarum, A school or nursery of piety and learning. And therefore what wonder that there was so good accord between him and his family, when there was so careful a performance of domestic duties, and he was not a better man than a master? Think the same of Job, discontents might occur in his house, and complaints might be made, which he heard with patience, and then set all to rights again, taking course that he might be both loved and feared by all about him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the cause: Exo 21:20, Exo 21:21, Exo 21:26, Exo 21:27, Lev 25:43, Lev 25:46, Deu 15:12-15, Jer 34:14-17, Eph 6:9, Col 4:1
when: In ancient times slaves had no action at law against their owners; but Job admitted them to all civil rights, and permitted them to complain even against himself.
Reciprocal: Exo 18:16 – a matter Exo 18:21 – men Exo 23:6 – General Deu 1:17 – ye shall hear Deu 24:14 – General 1Sa 30:13 – my master 2Ki 5:14 – went he down Job 20:19 – Because Job 36:5 – despiseth Pro 14:21 – that despiseth Pro 14:31 – that oppresseth Pro 29:7 – considereth Isa 33:15 – despiseth Jer 7:6 – oppress Eze 18:7 – hath not Mat 8:6 – my Rom 12:16 – condescend to men of low estate 1Th 4:6 – the Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 31:13-15. If I did despise the cause of my man-servant If I used my power over him to overthrow him and his just rights; when they contended with me Either for requiring more work from them than they could perform, or for not providing for them those supports which their nature and necessity required, or for any other plausible cause. I heard them patiently, considered the matters complained of impartially, and did them right even against myself, if through any misinformation, or fancied provocation, I had done them an injury. What then shall I do when God riseth up? Namely, to plead the cause of the oppressed against the oppressor, and to execute judgment. I used my servant like one who knew that I myself also was a servant, and had a master in heaven, to whom I was to give an account of my conduct toward my servant and all men. And when he visiteth That is, when he shall call me to his tribunal, and strictly examine all my actions, and particularly the cause between me and my servant; what shall I answer him? What apology shall I make for myself? Did not he that made me, &c. I considered that, though he was my servant, he was my fellow-creature, made by the same God, and therefore one of Gods subjects, whom I could not injure without injustice to the supreme Lord. And did not one fashion us, &c. With a body and soul of the same nature and quality, a rational and immortal creature, and made after Gods image no less than myself, to whom therefore I owed some respect for Gods sake.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they {i} contended with me;
(i) When they thought themselves evil intreated by me.