Job 31:22

"if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;"

Key Reflection

In Job 31:22, the prophet acknowledges a serious wrongdoing by lifting his hand—metaphorically threatening violence—against the orphan. This action was deemed particularly heinous in ancient Near Eastern culture due to the vulnerable status of orphans and the societal norms that protected them. The phrase "because I saw my help in the gate" suggests that Job felt secure or confident enough to act, perhaps even behind a position of authority like one at a city gate, where decisions were made. This verse underscores the gravity of mistreating the weak and vulnerable within society.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Then let mine arm -The strong language which Job uses here, shows his consciousness of innocence, and his detestation of the offences to which he here refers,Job 31:16-22. The word rendered “arm” here (כתףkâthêph) means properly the shoulder.Isaiah 46:7;Isaiah 49:22;Numbers 7:9; compare the notes atIsaiah 11:14. There is no instance, it is believed, unless this is one, in which it means arm, and the meaning here is, that he wished, if he had been guilty, his shoulder might separate from the blade. So Herder, Rosenmuller, Umbreit, and Noyes render it; and so the Vulgate and the Septuagint. From my shoulder-blade -The scapula - the flat bone to which the upper arm is attached.

Related Verses

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