Job 31:1

Job 31:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
• New International Version (NIV)“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?

Context of Job 31:1

‘I have made a promise with myself about how I look at young women. I will never think that I want to have sex with them. 2Anyone who does that should expect God to punish them. Almighty God in heaven above punishes people who do wrong things. 3He sends trouble to people who do wicked things. He punishes those people who do evil things.

Job 31:1 word by word

בְּ֭רִית כָּרַ֣תִּי לְעֵינָ֑י וּמָ֥ה אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• why then should I thinkבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• upon a maidבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330

Cross-references for Job 31:1

• Genesis 6:2The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. They chose for themselves any of them that they wanted to become their wives.
• 2 Samuel 11:2One evening, David got up from his bed. He walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman who was washing herself. She was very beautiful.
• Psalms 119:37Turn my eyes away from useless things. Use your word to help me to live.
• Proverbs 4:25Look straight in front of you to see clearly where you are going.
• Proverbs 23:31So do not even look at that beautiful red wine! Do not think about the pleasure it would give to you.
• Matthew 5:28But what I tell you is this: A man may look at a woman who is not his wife. And he may want to have sex with her. In his thoughts, he has had sex with her, so he has done a wrong thing.
• 1 John 2:16What are the wrong things that belong to this world? People want to do bad things to make themselves happy. People want to have things that they see, even bad things. People want to show other people how rich they are. These ideas do not come from God, our Father. They are the thoughts of people who belong to the world.
• Proverbs 6:25Do not keep thinking how beautiful her body is. Do not let her use her eyes like a trap to catch you.
• James 1:14It is our own thoughts that make us do bad things. When we want to do something wrong, our thoughts lead us in a bad way.

Commentaries on Job 31:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I made a covenant with mine eyes - לעיני כרתי ברית berith carati leeynai : "I have cut" or divided "the covenant sacrifice with my eyes." My conscience and my eyes are the contracting parties; God is the Judge; and I am therefore bound not to look upon any thing with a delighted or covetous eye, by which my conscience may be defiled, or my God dishonored. Why then should I think upon a maid? - בתולה על אתבונן ומה umah ethbonen al bethulah . And why should…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1I made a covenant with mine eyes - The first virtue of his private life to which Job refers is chastity. Such was his sense of the importance of this, and of the danger to which man was exposed, that he had solemnly resolved not to think upon a young female. The phrase here, “I made a covenant with mine eyes,” is poetical, meaning that he solemnly resolved. A covenant is of a sacred and binding nature; and the strength of his resolution was as great as if…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Job declares his uprightness. (1-8) His integrity. (9-15) Job merciful. (16-23) Job not guilty of covetousness or idolatry. (24-32) Job not guilty of hypocrisy and violence. (33-40) Verses 1-8 Job did not speak the things here recorded by way of boasting, but in answer to the charge of hypocrisy. He understood the spiritual nature of God's commandments, as reaching to the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is best to let our actions speak for us; but…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Job made a promise with himself about his eyes, including an oath against himself (curse) (see Matthew 5:28–29). Job might have focused on wrong desire because the eyes are often the first to commit sin (Genesis 3:6). Looking with wrong desire at a virgin violates the spirit of the seventh commandment (Deuteronomy 5:18, see Matthew 5:27–28). It could violate the tenth commandment as well (Deuteronomy 5:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-40Job 31:1-40. 1. Job proceeds to prove that he deserved a better lot. As in the twenty-ninth chapter, he showed his uprightness as an emir, or magistrate in public life, so in this chapter he vindicates his character in private life. 1-4. He asserts his guarding against being allured to sin by his senses. think--rather, "cast a (lustful) look." He not merely did not so, but put it out of the question by covenanting with his eyes against leading him into…Read the comment

Topics related to Job 31:1

• Adultery
• Chastity
• Continence
• Fear of God
• Integrity
• Temptation
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• Bosom
• Instead
• Lift
• Root
• Abstinence
• Charm
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• How
• Job, Book of

Commentaries on Job 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings