Job 31:10 underscores the drastic penalty Job willingly invokes against himself if he had committed adultery, revealing his deep commitment to righteous living and his unwavering belief in his own innocence.
In the Book of Job—widely thought to be set during the era of the patriarchs, perhaps around 2000 BC—Job is portrayed as a blameless and upright man, caught in a cosmic trial where Satan seeks to undermine his faith. From Chapter 3 through Chapter 31, Job engages in extended dialogue with three friends who attempt to explain his suffering, though they ultimately fall short in their understanding. Job steadfastly defends his integrity, insisting that he has not sinned against God.
Among Job’s declarations, he invokes a grave consequence for marital unfaithfulness by stating, “May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her” (v.10). By this, Job symbolically places himself under a severe curse, implying that if he had been unfaithful, another man would effectively take his place in the most intimate aspects of his marriage. It highlights the seriousness with which Job treats covenant faithfulness, reflecting how any betrayal would invite the most humiliating outcome imaginable.
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Job 31:10 meaning
In the Book of Job—widely thought to be set during the era of the patriarchs, perhaps around 2000 BC—Job is portrayed as a blameless and upright man, caught in a cosmic trial where Satan seeks to undermine his faith. From Chapter 3 through Chapter 31, Job engages in extended dialogue with three friends who attempt to explain his suffering, though they ultimately fall short in their understanding. Job steadfastly defends his integrity, insisting that he has not sinned against God.
Among Job’s declarations, he invokes a grave consequence for marital unfaithfulness by stating, “May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her” (v.10). By this, Job symbolically places himself under a severe curse, implying that if he had been unfaithful, another man would effectively take his place in the most intimate aspects of his marriage. It highlights the seriousness with which Job treats covenant faithfulness, reflecting how any betrayal would invite the most humiliating outcome imaginable.