Job 31:33

33 I have not hidden my sin as others do, secretly keeping my guilt to myself.

Job 31:33 Meaning and Commentary

Job 31:33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam
Job could not be understood, by this account he had given of the holiness of his life, that he thought himself quite free from sin; he had owned himself to be a sinner in several places before, and disclaimed perfection; and here he acknowledges he was guilty of transgressing the law of God, and that in many instances; for he speaks of his "transgressions" in the plural number; but then he did not seek to cover them from the of God or men, but frankly and ingenuously confessed them to both; he did not cover them, palliate, excuse, and extenuate them, as Adam did his, by laying the blame to his wife; and as she by charging it on the serpent; and those excuses they made are the inventions they found out, ( Ecclesiastes 7:29 ) ; or the meaning is, Job did not do "as men" F11 in common do; who, when they have sinned, either through fear or shame, endeavour to conceal it, and keep it out of the sight of others, unless they are very hardened and audacious sinners, such as the men of Sodom were, see ( Hosea 6:7 ) ;

by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom;
meaning perhaps some particular iniquity which his nature was most inclined to; this he did not attempt to hide in secret, as what is put into the bosom is; or that he did not spare it and cherish it, and, from an affection to it, keep it as persons and things beloved are, laid in the bosom; and so Mr. Broughton reads the words, "hiding my sin of a self-love"; either having a self-love to it, or hiding it of self-love, that is, from a principle of self-love, to preserve his honour, credit, and reputation among men.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (Mdak) "ut homo", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Beza, Bolducius, Mercerus, Drusius, Schmidt; "more hominum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Aben Ezra.

Job 31:33 In-Context

31 The men of my house have always said, 'Everyone has eaten all he wants of Job's food.'
32 No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street, because I always let travelers stay in my home.
33 I have not hidden my sin as others do, secretly keeping my guilt to myself.
34 I was not so afraid of the crowd that I kept quiet and stayed inside because I feared being hated by other families.
35 ("How I wish a court would hear my case! Here I sign my name to show I have told the truth. Now let the Almighty answer me; let the one who accuses me write it down.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.