Job 31:5 Meaning and Explanation
“If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job begins a series of solemn oaths, calling down judgment on himself if he has lived falsely or rushed toward deceit.
What Does Job 31:5 Mean?
Here Job opens the formal heart of his defense, a long chain of 'if' statements. Each one names a sin and invites a curse upon himself should he be guilty of it. He starts with falsehood and deceit — walking with 'vanity,' that is, with what is empty and untrue.
This is the oath of a man willing to stake everything on his innocence. To say 'if I have done this, let judgment fall' is to place oneself in God's hands without reservation. Such transparency rebukes every hidden double life and calls the reader to a faith that has nothing to conceal, walking in truth before the God who cannot be deceived.
Job 31:5 in the Original Language
shav (שָׁוְא), 'vanity' -- emptiness, worthlessness, or falsehood; that which has no substance or truth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 31:5
What does Job 31:5 mean?
Job begins a series of solemn oaths, calling down judgment on himself if he has lived falsely or rushed toward deceit.