Job 31:9

9 "If I have desired another woman or have waited at my neighbor's door for his wife,

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 have turned away from doing what is right, or my heart has been led by my eyes to do wrong, or my hands have been made unclean,
8 then let other people eat what I have planted, and let my crops be plowed up.
9 "If I have desired another woman or have waited at my neighbor's door for his wife,
10 then let my wife grind another man's grain, and let other men have sexual relations with her.
11 That would be shameful, a sin to be punished.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.