Job 31:39

Job 31:39 Meaning and Explanation

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

King James Version (KJV)

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Job swears he never took the produce of his land without payment or destroyed the lives of those who worked it.

What Does Job 31:39 Mean?

This verse completes the oath of verse 38. Job denies having 'eaten the fruits' of his land 'without money' — taking its yield without just payment — or having 'caused the owners thereof to lose their life' through exploitation or oppression of his workers.

Job's integrity extends to fair dealing in business and care for those who labored for him. He neither stole the land's increase nor ground down the people who tilled it. This is justice at the most practical level: honest wages, honest gain, and reverence for the lives bound up in one's prosperity. The God of Scripture hears the cry of the laborer and defends the wronged.

Frequently Asked Questions About Job 31:39

What does Job 31:39 mean?

Job swears he never took the produce of his land without payment or destroyed the lives of those who worked it.

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