Job 31:9

9 "If I've let myself be seduced by a woman and conspired to go to bed with her,

Job 31:9 Meaning and Commentary

Job 31:9

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman
By another man's wife, by wantonly looking at her beauty, and so lusting after her; and so, not through any blame or fault of hers, or by any artful methods made use of by her, to allure and ensnare; such as were practised by the harlot, ( Proverbs 7:1-27 ) ; but by neither was the heart of Job deceived, and drawn into the sin of uncleanness; for he had made a covenant with his eyes, as not to look at a virgin, so much less at another man's wife, to prevent his lusting after her; and whatever temptations and solicitations he might have been attended with, through the grace of God, as Joseph was, he was enabled to withstand them; though as wise a man, and the wisest of men, had his heart deceived and drawn aside thereby, ( Ecclesiastes 7:26 ) ;

or [if] I have laid wait at my neighbour's door:
to meet with his wife there, and carry on an intrigue with her; or to take the opportunity of going in when opened, in order to solicit her to his embraces, knowing her husband to be away from home; see ( Proverbs 5:8 ) ( Proverbs 7:8 Proverbs 7:19 ) .

Job 31:9 In-Context

7 If I've strayed off the straight and narrow, wanted things I had no right to, messed around with sin,
8 Go ahead, then - give my portion to someone who deserves it.
9 "If I've let myself be seduced by a woman and conspired to go to bed with her,
10 Fine, my wife has every right to go ahead and sleep with anyone she wants to.
11 For disgusting behavior like that, I'd deserve the worst punishment you could hand out.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.