Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 31:16
If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
16. eyes of the widow to fail ] i. e. with looking in vain for help, Psa 69:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
If I have withheld the poor from their desire – Job now turns to another class of virtues, regarded also as of great importance in the patriarchal ages, kindness to the poor and the afflicted; to the fatherless and the widow. He appeals to his former life on this subject; affirms that he had a good conscience in the recollection of his dealings with them, and impliedly declares that it could not have been for any deficiency in the exercise of these virtues that his calamities had come upon him. The meaning here is, that he had not denied to the poor their wish. If they had come and desired bread of him, he had not withheld it; see Job 22:7.
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail – That is, I have not frustrated her hopes, or disappointed her expectations, when she has looked intently upon me, and desired my aid. The failing of the eyes refers to failing of the object of their expectation; or the expression means that she had not looked to him in vain; see Job 11:20.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Withheld the poor from their desire, i.e. denied them what they desired of me, either in justice or from necessity; for he was not obliged to grant their vain or inordinate desires.
Caused the eyes of the widow to fail, to wit, with tedious expectation of my justice or charity. I durst neither deny nor delay my help when they required and needed it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. failin the vainexpectation of relief (Job 11:20).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire,…. Their reasonable desires, and which it was in his power to grant; as when they desired a piece of bread, being hungry, or clothes to cover them, being naked; but not unreasonable desires, seeking and asking great things for themselves, or unlimited and unbounded ones, such as the two sons of Zebedee desired of Christ, Mr 10:35;
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; through long waiting for, and expecting help and succour from him, and at last disappointed. Job did not use the widow in such a manner as to give her reason to hope for relief or counsel from him she came for, and make her wait long, and then send her away empty, as he was charged, Job 22:9; but he soon dispatched her, by granting her what she sued to him for.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16 If I held back the poor from what they desired,
And caused the eyes of the widow to languish,
17 And ate my morsel alone
Without letting the fatherless eat thereof: –
18 No indeed, from my youth he grew up to me as to a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided her –
The whole strophe is the hypothetical antecedent of the imprecative conclusion, Job 31:22, which closes the following strophe. Since , cohibere aliquid ab aliquo (Job 22:7), is said as much in accordance with the usage of the language as , cohibere aliquem ab aliquo (Num 24:11; Ecc 2:10), in the sense of denegare alicui aliquid , there is no reason for taking together as a genitival clause ( a voto tenuium ), as the accentuation requires it. On , vid., on Job 21:21; it signifies solicitude (what is ardently desired) and business, here the former: what is ever the interest and want of the poor (the reduced or those without means). From such like things he does not keep the poor back, i.e., does not refuse them; and the eyes of the widow he did not cause or allow to languish ( , to bring to an end, i.e., cause to languish, of the eyes, as Lev 26:16; 1Sa 2:33); he let not their longing for assistance be consumed of itself, let not the fountain of their tears become dry without effect. If he had done the opposite, if he had eaten his bread ( = ) alone, and not allowed the orphan to eat of it with him – but no, he had not acted thus; on the contrary ( as Psa 130:4 and frequently), he (the parentless one) grew up to him ( = , Ges. 121, 4, according to Ew. 315, b, “by the interweaving of the dialects of the people into the ancient form of the declining language;” perhaps it is more correct to say it is by virtue of a poetic, forced, and rare brevity of expression) as to a father (= ), and from his mother’s womb he guided her, the helpless and defenceless widow, like a faithful child leading its sick or aged mother. The hyperbolical expression dates this sympathizing and active charity back to the very beginning of Job’s life. He means to say that it is in-born to him, and he has exercised it ever since he was first able to do so. The brevity of the form , brief to incorrectness, might be removed by the pointing (Olsh.): from my youth up he (the fatherless one) honoured me as a father; and (instead of would be explained by the consideration, that a veneration is meant that attributed a dignity which exceed his age to the who was not yet old enough to be a father. But signifies “to cause to grow” in such a connection elsewhere (parall. , to raise), wherefore lxx translates ( ); and has similar examples of the construction of intransitives with the acc. instead of the dat. (especially Zec 7:5) in its favour: they became me great, i.e., became great in respect of me. Other ways of getting over the difficulty are hardly worth mentioning: the Syriac version reads (pain) and ; Raschi makes Job 31:18, the idea of benevolence, the subj., and Job 31:18 (as , attribute) the obj. The suff. of Schlottm. refers to the female orphan; but Job refers again to the orphan in the following strophe, and the reference to the widow, more natural here on account of the gender, has nothing against it. The choice of the verb (comp. Job 38:32) also corresponds to such a reference, since the Hiph. has an intensified Kal -signification here.
(Note: and , to remember; and , to sow, to cover with seed; and , both in the signification silere and fabricari ; and , to mock, Job 21:3; and , dominari , Job 25:2; and , to extend, to bow; ;w and (to obtain by purchase); and , to reap, Job 24:6, are all similar. In Arab. the Kal nahaituhu signifies I put him aside by going on one side ( nahw or nahije ), the Hiph. anhaituhu , I put him aside by bringing him to the side (comp. , Job 12:23).)
From earliest youth, so far back as he can remember, he was wont to behave like a father to the orphan, and like a child to the widow.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Job’s Compassion to the Poor. | B. C. 1520. |
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;) 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. 23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
Eliphaz had particularly charged Job with unmercifulness to the poor (ch. xxii. 6, c.): Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, stripped the naked of their clothing, and sent widows away empty. One would think he could not have been so very positive and express in his charge unless there had been some truth in it, some ground, for it and yet it appears, by Job’s protestation, that it was utterly false and groundless; he was never guilty of any such thing. See here,
I. The testimony which Job’s conscience gave in concerning his constant behaviour towards the poor. He enlarges most upon this head because in this matter he was most particularly accused. He solemnly protests,
1. That he had never been wanting to do good to them, as there was occasion, to the utmost of his ability. He was always compassionate to the poor, and careful of them, especially the widows and fatherless, that were destitute of help. (1.) He was always ready to grant their desires and answer their expectations, v. 16. If a poor person begged a kindness of his, he was ready to gratify him; if he could but perceive by the widow’s mournful craving look that she expected an alms from him, though she had not confidence enough to ask it, he had compassion enough to give it, and never caused the eyes of the widow to fail. (2.) He put a respect upon the poor, and did them honour; for he took the fatherless children to eat with him at his own table: they should fare as he fared, and be familiar with him, and he would show himself pleased with their company as if they had been his own, v. 17. As it is one of the greatest grievances of poverty that it exposes to contempt, so it is none of the least supports to the poor to be respected. (3.) He was very tender of them, and had a fatherly concern for them, v. 18. He was a father to the fatherless, took care of orphans, brought them up with him under his own eye, and gave them, not only maintenance, but education. He was a guide to the widow, who had lost the guide of her youth; he advised her in her affairs, took cognizance of them, and undertook the management of them. Those that need not our alms may yet have occasion for our counsel, and it may be a real kindness to them. This Job says he did from his youth, from his mother’s womb. He had something of tenderness and compassion woven in his nature; he began betimes to do good, ever since he could remember; he had always some poor widow or fatherless child under his care. His parents taught him betimes to pity and relieve the poor, and brought up orphans with him. (4.) He provided food convenient for them; they ate of the same morsels that he did (v. 17), did not eat after him, of the crumbs that fell from his table, but with him, of the best dish upon his table. Those that have abundance must not eat their morsels alone, as if they had none but themselves to take care of, nor indulge their appetite with a dainty bit by themselves, but take others to share with them, as David took Mephibosheth. (5.) He took particular care to clothe those that were without covering, which would be more expensive to him than feeding them, v. 19. Poor people may perish for want of clothing as well as for want of food–for want of clothing to lie in by night or to go abroad in by day. If Job knew of any that were in this distress, he was forward to relieve them, and instead of giving rich and gaudy liveries to his servants, while the poor were turned off with rags that were ready to be thrown to the dunghill, he had good warm strong clothes made on purpose for them of the fleece of his sheep (v. 20), so that their loins, whenever they girt those garments about them, blessed him; they commended his charity, blessed God for him, and prayed God to bless him. Job’s sheep were burned with fire from heaven, but this was his comfort that, when he had them, he came honestly by them, and used them charitably, fed the poor with their flesh and clothed them with their wool.
2. That he had never been accessory to the wronging of any that were poor. It might be said, perhaps, that he was kind here and there to a poor orphan that was a favourite, but to others he was oppressive. No, he was tender to all and injurious to none. He never so much as lifted up his hand against the fatherless (v. 21), never threatened or frightened them, or offered to strike them; never used his power to crush those that stood in his way or squeeze what he could out of them, though he saw his help in the gate, that is, though he had interest enough, both in the people and in the judges, both to enable him to do it and to bear him out when he had done it. Those that have it in their power to do a wrong thing and go through with it, and a prospect of getting by it, and yet do justly, and love mercy, and are firm to both, may afterwards reflect upon their conduct with much comfort, as Job does here.
II. The imprecation with which he confirms this protestation (v. 22): “If I have been oppressive to the poor, let my arm fall from my shoulder-blade and my arm be broken from the bone,” that is, “let the flesh rot off from the bone and one bone be disjointed and broken off from another.” Had he not been perfectly clear in this matter, he durst not thus have challenged the divine vengeance. And he intimates that it is a righteous thing with God to break the arm that is lifted up against the fatherless, as he withered Jeroboam’s arm that was stretched out against a prophet.
III. The principles by which Job was restrained from all uncharitableness and unmercifulness. He durst not abuse the poor; for though, with his help in the gate, he could overpower them, yet he could not make his part good against that God who is the patron of oppressed poverty and will not let oppressors go unpunished (v. 23): “Destruction from God was a terror to me, whenever I was tempted to this sin, and by reason of his highness I could not endure the thought of making him my enemy.” He stood in awe, 1. Of the majesty of God, as a God above him. He thought of his highness, the infinite distance between him and God, which possessed him with such a reverence of him as made him very circumspect in his whole conversation. Those who oppress the poor, and pervert judgment and justice, forget that he who is higher than the highest regards, and there is a higher than they, who is able to deal with them (Eccl. v. 8); but Job considered this. 2. Of the wrath of God, as a God that would certainly be against him if he should wrong the poor. Destruction from God, because it would be a certain and an utter ruin to him if he were guilty of this sin, was a constant terror to him, to restrain him from it. Note, Good men, even the best, have need to restrain themselves from sin with the fear of destruction from God, and all little enough. This should especially restrain us from all acts of injustice and oppression that God himself is the avenger thereof. Even when salvation from God is a comfort to us, yet destruction from God should be a terror to us. Adam, in innocency, was awed with a threatening.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Job 31:16 If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
Ver. 16. If I have withheld the poor from their desire ] The poor man speaketh supplications, he comes to the rich with his God help me, as Lazarus did, Luk 16:20-21 , his very name speaks as much, but the rich answereth him roughly, Pro 18:23 Either the answer cutteth off half the petition, as the echo doth the voice; or else he is commanded ad quercum dicere, to tell his tale to the statues and images, as Diogenes used to do; for of living men he could get no hearing. But Job’s suitors sped better. Pennyless they were, but not friendless; drawn dry (as the Hebrew word importeth) and such as whose wealth was utterly wasted; but Job shored them up and supplied them. And this he did readily, and at the first asking; they no sooner desired relief but they had it. Job was a cheerful giver, he neither denied nor delayed those that came to him for relief or refuge. Multi contra studiose causas inquirunt quibus se a benefaciendo cohibeant (Merlin). Many seek occasion to put off poor people, and to rid their hands of them.
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail
H .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
poor. Hebrew. dal = impoverished or reduced in means. See note on Pro 6:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Job 31:16-23
Job 31:16-23
JOB STRESSES OTHER AREAS OF HIS INNOCENCE
“If I have withheld the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless have not eaten thereof
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as a father,
And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering;
If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he have not been warned with the fleece of my sheep;
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help in the gate:
Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade,
And mine arm be broken from the bone.
For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.”
These verses carry Job’s protest that he has not been careless or negligent in his duty toward the fatherless, the widows, the poor, the needy, the hungry, or the naked. Job was rich, “But there is no sin in being rich. The sin comes when we use our riches selfishly and ignore God. Money is not the root of all evil; that root is the love of money. Job was not guilty of this sin; but how about you”?[ In our world today, there are countless thousands of rich and affluent people who use their wealth solely for selfish and personal reasons without regard to anyone except themselves.
“If I have eaten my morsel alone” (Job 31:17). “Job does not mean that he has maintained a continual open house for his friends, but that he has shared his plenty with the destitute. His haunting words here still live in the consciences of many.”
“Her have I guided from my mother’s womb” (Job 31:18). This is hyperbole in which Job is saying that as far back as he can remember, he has been careful to minister to the needs of widows, orphans, and the poor.
E.M. Zerr:
Job 31:16-17. If I have, etc., implies his denial of the wrongs described.
Job 31:18. The meaning of the verse is that all his life Job had administered to the needs of others instead of imposing upon them.
Job 31:19. This is another assertion that Job had supplied the naked with clothing.
Job 31:20. The loins are a major portion of the body, and to protect them with warm clothing would be a righteous deed.
Verse 21. The gate was the place where decisions were rendered. Job means he did not oppress the unfortunate with a suit just because he was sure of success. This is the significance of the words saw my help.
Job 31:22. This was another of the curses I have been writing about. It was a severe expression but was intended to show how confident Job was that the friends could not convict him of sin.
Job 31:23. One reason Job would not have committed the wrongs described was in the knowledge he had of God’s terror against evil doers. He felt that he never could have withstood the awful wrath of the Lord.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
withheld: Job 22:7-9, Deu 15:7-10, Psa 112:9, Luk 16:21, Act 11:29, Gal 2:10
the eyes: Deu 28:32, Psa 69:3, Psa 119:82, Psa 119:123, Isa 38:14, Lam 4:17
Reciprocal: Lev 23:22 – General Deu 14:29 – the stranger Deu 24:13 – deliver Deu 24:19 – may bless Deu 26:13 – Levite Rth 2:14 – At mealtime Neh 8:10 – send Job 11:20 – the eyes Job 22:9 – widows Job 24:3 – drive Job 24:4 – turn Job 24:21 – doeth not Job 30:25 – was Psa 37:21 – righteous Psa 41:1 – Blessed Psa 68:5 – A father Psa 112:5 – showeth Pro 11:25 – liberal soul Pro 22:9 – He that hath a bountiful eye Pro 22:22 – oppress Pro 31:20 – she reacheth Isa 32:8 – the liberal Eze 18:7 – hath given Mat 5:7 – are Mat 5:42 – General Mat 6:2 – when Mat 14:16 – they Mat 23:14 – for ye Mat 25:17 – he also Mat 25:35 – I was an Luk 6:38 – and it Luk 14:13 – call Act 6:1 – their Rom 12:8 – giveth 1Ti 5:3 – widows Jam 2:15 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A DARING APPEAL
If then!
Job 31:16; Job 31:22
I. Job protests the even-handedness of his dealings with his servants, alleging the principle which underlies the whole Christian teaching on the point, that we all have been made by the same Creator, as we have been redeemed by the same precious blood. He also insists on his benevolence to the widow and fatherless. He is careful to show that he had not failed in doing all the good that was within his reach. Alas! how few of us can say as much. How many occasions are drifted to our feet every day, which we heedlessly let pass!
II. Job had not boasted in his wealth, or worshipped the sun and moon, or rejoiced in the calamity of others, or failed in hospitality, or concealed known evil: in none of these things was he conscious of wrong. Instead of examining ourselves in a general way, it is wholesome to divide our life into compartments, and cross-question ourselves on each.
III. With this appeal he goes into the presence of God, and asks for a reply.In the strong Gospel light we are too convicted of sin to dare to do this, and must rely upon the merits of Christ. In these alone can we approach the uncreated light.
Illustration
If I have eaten my morsel alone
The patriarch spoke in scorn;
What would he think of the Church, were he shown
Heathendom, huge, forlorn,
Godless, Christless, with soul unfed,
While the Churchs ailment is fullness of bread,
Eating her morsel alone?
I am debtor alike to the Jew and the Greek,
The mighty Apostle cried;
Traversing continents, souls to seek,
For the love of the Crucified.
Centuries, centuries since have sped,
Millions are famishing, we have bread,
But we eat our morsel alone.
Ever of them who have largest dower
Shall Heaven require the more;
Ours is affluence, knowledge, power,
Ocean from shore to shore;
And East and West in our ears have said,
Give us, give us your living Bread;
Yet we eat our morsel alone.
Freely as ye have received, so give,
He bade Who hath given us all;
How shall the soul in us longer live,
Deaf to their starving call,
For whom the Blood of the Lord was shed,
And His Body broken to give them Bread,
If we eat our morsel alone?
Archbishop Alexander.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Job 31:16-17. If I have withheld the poor, &c. If I have denied them what they desired of me, either in justice or from necessity; for he was under no obligation to grant their vain or inordinate desires. Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail With tedious expectation of my justice or charity. I durst neither deny nor delay my help, when they needed or required it. Or have eaten my morsel alone Without communicating part of my provisions or property to the poor, as it follows; and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof This one kind of necessitous persons is put for all the rest. Job is most large upon these heads of doing justice to the widows and fatherless, and relieving the poor, because Eliphaz had most particularly accused him in these respects.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:16 If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow {m} to fail;
(m) By long waiting for her request.