Job 31:12

Job 31:12 Meaning and Explanation

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

King James Version (KJV)

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Job compares adultery to a fire that burns down to ruin and would destroy all he has gained.

What Does Job 31:12 Mean?

Still explaining the gravity of unfaithfulness, Job likens it to a consuming fire — one that does not stop until it has burned through to 'destruction' and torn out all his 'increase,' the fruit of his life and labor.

The image is vivid and sobering: secret sin is not contained but devours. What looks like a hidden indulgence becomes a blaze that ruins a household and undoes a life's work. The reader is warned that sin never keeps its promises of safety; mercy and self-control, not compromise, are what guard the home and the harvest alike.

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What does Job 31:12 mean?

Job compares adultery to a fire that burns down to ruin and would destroy all he has gained.

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