Job 31:37
in Job 31I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.
KJV
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
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This verse in Job 31
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A good conscience imparts a princely dignity before man and free assurance in approaching God. This can be realized, not in Job's way (Job 42:5, 6); but only through Jesus Christ (Heb 10:22).
This site's exposition
Oh, that I had one to hear me
on Job 31:35-37
“Oh, that I had one to hear me” renews the plea for an arbiter in chapter 9 and a witness in heaven in chapter 16. He would “give account of all my steps” and “approach Him like a prince”, which Delitzsch reads as confident rather than defiant.
This site's exposition
approach Him like a prince
Barnes hears the language of a trial, with all his steps as the whole course of his life. Clarke lists every office Job had held, civil, military and domestic, open to search. The bracket then closes the aside begun at Job 31:35.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
He promises that he will not contradict this book containing the divine witness. "For every one of my steps," with the progress of my works, "I will announce it," that is, I will acknowledge the truth of God's testimony and I will not refuse to …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
But an upright heart does particularly desire to be determined in every thing by the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to the truth. It was holy David's prayer, Search me, O God! and know my heart; and it was blessed Paul's comfort, He that judgeth me is the Lord.
He will give them a narrative of his conversation, what would make against him as well as what would make for him, and let them make what use they pleased of it; and so confident he is of his integrity that as a prince to be crowned, rather than a prisoner to be tried, he would go near to him, both to his accuser to hear his charge and to his judge to hear his doom.
I would declare to him the number of my steps,....
In all this we may see, 1. The sense of the patriarchal age concerning good and evil and what was so long ago condemned as sinful, that is, both hateful and hurtful. A noble pattern of piety and virtue proposed to us for our imitation, which, if our consciences can witness for us that we conform to it, will be our rejoicing, as it was Job's in the day of evil.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I would declare unto him the number of my steps - I would show this adversary the different stations I had been in, and the offices which I had filled in life, that he might trace me through the whole of my civil, military, and domestic life, in order to get evidence against me. As a prince would I go near - Though carrying my own accusation, I would go into the presence of my judge as the נגיד nagid, chief, or sovereign commander and judge, of the people and country, and would not shrink from having my conduct investigated by even the meanest of my subjects. In these three verses we may observe the following particulars: - 1. Job wishes to be brought to trial, that he might have the opportunity of vindicating himself: O that I might have a hearing! 2. That his adversary, Eliphaz and his companions, whom he considers as one party, and joined together in one, would reduce their vague charges to writing, that they might come before the court in a legal form: O that my adversary would write down the charge! 3. That the Almighty, שדי Shaddai, the all-sufficient God, and not man, should be the judge, who would not permit his adversaries to attempt, by false evidence, to establish what was false, nor suffer himself to cloak with a hypocritical covering what was iniquitous in his conduct: O that the Almighty might answer for me - take notice of or be judge in the cause! 4. To him he purposes cheerfully to confess all his ways, who could at once judge if he prevaricated, or concealed the truth. 5. This would give him the strongest encouragement: he would go boldly before him, with the highest persuasion of an honorable acquittal.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I would declare unto him the number of my steps - That is, I would disclose to him the whole course of my life. This is language also appropriate to a judicial trial, and the meaning is, that Job was so confident of his integrity that he would approach God and make his whole course of life known to him. As a prince would I go near unto him - With the firm and upright step with which a prince commonly walks.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִסְפַּ֣ר | mispar | [the] number of | H4557 → | 134 times |
| צְ֭עָדַי | tzeadai | steps my | H6806 → | 14 times |
| אַגִּידֶ֑נּוּ | ʾaggidenu | I will tell to him | H5046 → | 370 times |
| כְּמוֹ־ | kemov- | like | H3644 → | 143 times |
| נָ֝גִ֗יד | nagid | a chief | H5057 → | |
| אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ׃ | ʾakaravenu | I will approach him | H7126 → |
מִסְפַּ֣ר[the] number of
misparH4557 →134 times
צְ֭עָדַיsteps my
tzeadaiH6806 →14 times
אַגִּידֶ֑נּוּI will tell to him
ʾaggidenuH5046 →370 times
כְּמוֹ־like
kemov-H3644 →143 times
נָ֝גִ֗ידa chief
nagidH5057 →
אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ׃I will approach him
ʾakaravenuH7126 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 13:15Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
it leads to
- Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- Job 23:10
Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
- Job 19:25–28
But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth.
- Romans 8:38–39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
- 1 John 3:20
Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
- Psalms 23:4
Through
Ephesians 3:12In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
- Romans 5:2
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
- Hebrews 4:14–16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Ephesians 2:18
Where this verse is studied
About Job
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.