Job 9:31 Meaning and Explanation
“Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job feels that even after washing, God would plunge him back into the mire until his own clothes loathe him.
What Does Job 9:31 Mean?
The cleansing of the previous verse meets a crushing reversal. Job feels that no matter how he washes, God would plunge him into the ditch, leaving him so foul that his own clothes would recoil from him. His best efforts at purity end in deeper defilement.
Job is voicing the despair of every attempt at self-cleansing apart from grace. We cannot wash ourselves clean enough to stand before God; left to ourselves, we sink back into the mire. This is the very impossibility the gospel overcomes, for the One who is pure took our place in the ditch, that we might be lifted out and made truly clean.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 9:31
What does Job 9:31 mean?
Job feels that even after washing, God would plunge him back into the mire until his own clothes loathe him.