Job 31:21

21 if I raised up mine hand upon a fatherless child, yea, when I saw me the higher (one) in the gate; (if I raised my hand against a fatherless child, when I knew that the higher men would overlook it;)

Job 31:21 Meaning and Commentary

Job 31:21

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless
Either in a menacing way, threatening what he would do to them; which, from a man of wealth and authority, a civil magistrate, a judge, is very terrible to the poor and fatherless; or in order to strike him, which would be to smite with the fist of wickedness; or give a signal to others, by lifting up the hand to smite, as Ananias gave orders to smite the Apostle Paul; or thereby to give his vote against the fatherless wrongly, suffrages being sometimes made by lifting up the hands; or hereby Job signifies, that he was so far from doing the fatherless any real injury, that he had not so much as lifted up his hand, and even a finger against him:

when I saw my help in the gate;
in the court of judicature held in the gate of the city, as was usual; though he knew he had the bench of judges for him, or they would give sentence in his behalf, and against the fatherless, if he did but hold up his hand, or lift up a finger to them, so ready would they be take his part and be on his side; yet he never made use of his power and interest to their detriment, or took such an advantage against them.

Job 31:21 In-Context

19 if I despised a man passing forth by me, for he had not a cloth (because he had no cloak), and a poor man without (any) covering;

20 if his sides blessed not me, and were not made hot of the fleece of my sheep; (if his body had no reason to bless me, because he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;)

21 if I raised up mine hand upon a fatherless child, yea, when I saw me the higher (one) in the gate; (if I raised my hand against a fatherless child, when I knew that the higher men would overlook it;)

22 my shoulder fall from his joint, and mine arm with his bones be all-broken. (then let my shoulder come out of its joint, and the bones of my arm be all-broken.)

23 For ever[more] I dreaded God, as waves waxing great upon me; and I might not bear his burden. (But I have always feared God, like waves growing great upon me; and so I could never do any of these things.)