Job 31:9

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

Job 31:9 in Other Translations

9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

9 “If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife,

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

9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;

9 "If I have been seduced by a woman or I have secretly waited near my neighbor's door,

9 If my heart has been seduced by [my neighbor's] wife or I have lurked at his door,

9 "Suppose my heart has been tempted by a woman. Or suppose I've prowled around my neighbor's door.

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 my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

8 then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her.

11 For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged.

Cross References

• 1. S Deuteronomy 11:16; S Job 24:15; James 1:14
• 2. Proverbs 5:3; Proverbs 7:5