Job 31:27

27 and {I was secretly enticed}, and {my hand threw them a kiss},

Job 31:27 Meaning and Commentary

Job 31:27

And mine heart hath been secretly enticed
Drawn away by beholding the magnitude of these bodies, the swiftness of their motion, their glorious appearance, and great usefulness to mankind, to entertain a thought of their being deities; and privately to worship them, in secret acts of devotion, as by an honourable esteem of them as such, reverence and affection for them, trust and confidence in them; for, as there is a secret worshipping of the true God, so there is a secret idolatry, idolatry in the heart, and setting up of idols there, as well as worshipping them in dark places, in chambers of imagery, as the Jews did, ( Ezekiel 8:12 ) ;

or my mouth hath kissed my hand;
idols used to be kissed by their votaries, in token of their veneration of them, and as expressive of their worship of them; so Baal and Jeroboam's calves were kissed by the worshippers of them, ( 1 Kings 19:18 ) ( Hosea 13:2 ) . Kissing is used to signify the religious veneration, homage, and worship of a divine Person, the Son of God, ( Psalms 2:12 ) ; and such deities especially that were out of the reach of their worshippers, as the sun, moon, and stars were, they used to put their hands to their mouths, and kiss them, in token of their worship; just as persons now, at a distance from each other, pay their civil respects to one another: instances of religious adoration of idols performed in this manner, (See Gill on Hosea 13:2). Job denies that he had been guilty of such idolatry, either secretly or openly.

Job 31:27 In-Context

25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth [was] great or because my hand found a fortune,
26 if I looked at [the] sun when it shone or [at the] moon moving [in] splendor,
27 and {I was secretly enticed}, and {my hand threw them a kiss},
28 this also [is] an iniquity [to be] judged, for I have deceived God above.
29 "If I have rejoiced at [the] ruin of [the one who] hated me or have exulted when evil overtook him--

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "it was gullible in the secrecy of my heart"
  • [b]. Literally "my hand kissed for my mouth"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.