God’s Word Translation
Job 31:16
16“If I have refused the requests of the poor or made a widow’s eyes stop ⌞looking for help⌟,
Job 31:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
- New International Version (NIV)“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Context of Job 31:16
14then what could I do if God rises up? If he examines me, how could I answer him? 15Didn’t he who made me in my mother’s belly make them? Didn’t the same God form us in the womb? “If I have refused the requests of the poor or made a widow’s eyes stop ⌞looking for help⌟, 17or have eaten my food alone without letting the orphan eat any of it…. 18(From my youth the orphan grew up with me as though I were his father, and from my birth I treated the widow kindly.)
Read all of Job 31Job 31:16 word by word
אִם־אֶ֭מְנַע מֵחֵ֣פֶץ דַּלִּ֑ים וְעֵינֵ֖י אַלְמָנָ֣ה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 31:16
- Job 22:7You don’t even give a tired person a drink of water, and you take food away from hungry people.
- Deuteronomy 15:7This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Psalms 112:9He gives freely to poor people. His righteousness continues forever. His head is raised in honor.
- Luke 16:21Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Lazarus was covered with sores, and dogs would lick them.
- Acts 11:29All the disciples in Antioch decided to contribute whatever they could afford to help the believers living in Judea.
- Galatians 2:10The only thing they asked us to do was to remember the poor, the very thing which I was eager to do.
- Deuteronomy 28:32You will watch with your own eyes as your sons and daughters are given to another nation. You will strain your eyes looking for them all day long, but there will be nothing you can do.
- Psalms 69:3I am exhausted from crying for help. My throat is hoarse. My eyes are strained ⌞from⌟ looking for my God.
- Psalms 119:82My eyes have become strained from looking for your promise. I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
- Isaiah 38:14I chirped like swallows and cranes. I cooed like doves. My eyes were tired from looking up to heaven. I’ve suffered miserably, O Lord! Please help me!
- Lamentations 4:17“We are still straining our eyes, trying in vain to find help. We waited and waited for a nation that didn’t save us.
Commentaries on Job 31:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16If I have withheld the poor from their desire - Job now turns to another class of virtues, regarded also as of great importance in the patriarchal ages, kindness to the poor and the afflicted; to the fatherless and the widow. He appeals to his former life on this subject; affirms that he had a good conscience in the recollection of his dealings with them, and impliedly declares that it could not have been for any deficiency in the exercise of these…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 Job's conscience gave testimony concerning his just and charitable behaviour toward the poor. He is most large upon this head, because in this matter he was particularly accused. He was tender of all, and hurtful to none. Notice the principles by which Job was restrained from being uncharitable and unmerciful. He stood in awe of the Lord, as certainly against him, if he should wrong the poor. Regard to worldly interests may restrain a man…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-40Job called down wrong against himself (curses) if he was guilty of the accusations against him. Apart from mentioning idolatry (worship of false gods), Job spoke about how loyal he was to God by focusing on the second half of the Ten Commandments (31:26–27). The summary of these is: “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2313-23. Job affirms his freedom from unfairness towards his servants, from harshness and oppression towards the needy. despise the cause--refused to do them justice.Read the comment
Topics related to Job 31:16
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries