Job 31:5

5 I swear I have never acted wickedly and never tried to deceive others.

Job 31:5 Meaning and Commentary

Job 31:5

If I have walked with vanity
Or with vain men, as Bar Tzemach interprets it, keeping company and having fellowship with them in their vain and sinful practices; or in the vanity of his mind, indulging himself in impurity of heart and life; or rather using deceitful methods to cheat and defraud others; for this seems to be another vice Job clears himself of, acting unjustly in his dealings with men, or dealing falsely with them:

or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
to cheat men in buying and selling, being ready and swift to do it, and in haste to become rich, which puts men oftentimes on evil ways and methods to attain it; see ( Proverbs 28:20 ) .

Job 31:5 In-Context

3 He sends disaster and ruin to those who do wrong.
4 God knows everything I do; he sees every step I take.
5 I swear I have never acted wickedly and never tried to deceive others.
6 Let God weigh me on honest scales, and he will see how innocent I am.
7 If I have turned from the right path or let myself be attracted to evil, if my hands are stained with sin,
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.