Job 31 · Verse 1

Job 31:1

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Job 31:1, King James Version

Job 31:1 in other translations

BSB“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
WEB“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
ASVI made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?
YLTA covenant I made for mine eyes, And what--do I attend to a virgin?
DARBYI made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?
BBEI made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?
WebsterI Made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

What does Job 31:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 31:1-4
Job 31:1-40. 1. Job proceeds to prove that he deserved a better lot. As in the twenty-ninth chapter, he showed his uprightness as an emir, or magistrate in public life, so in this chapter he vindicates his character in private life. 1-4. He asserts his guarding against being allured to sin by his senses. think--rather, "cast a (lustful) look." He not merely did not so, but put it out of the question by covenanting with his eyes against leading him into temptation (Pr 6:25; Mt 5:28).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Job makes a solemn protestation of his chastity and integrity, Job 31:1-12; of his humanity, Job 31:13-16; of his charity and mercy, Job 31:17-23; of his abhorrence of covetousness and idolatry, Job 31:24-32; and of his readiness to acknowledge his errors, Job 31:33, Job 31:34; and wishes for a full investigation of his case, being confident that this would issue in the full manifestation of his innocence, Job 31:36-40. Verse 1 I made a covenant with mine eyes - ברית כרתי לעיני berith carati leeynai: "I have cut" or divided "the covenant sacrifice with my eyes." My conscience and my eyes are the contracting parties; God is the Judge; and I am therefore bound not to look upon any thing with a delighted or covetous eye, by which my conscience may be defiled, or my God dishonored. Why then should I think upon a maid? - ומה אתבונן על בתולה umah ethbonen al bethulah. And why should I set myself to contemplate, or think upon, Bethulah? That Bethulah may here signify an idol, is very likely. Sanchoniatho observes, that Ouranos first introduced Baithulia when he erected animated stones, or rather, as Bochart observes, Anointed stones, which became representatives of some deity. I suppose that Job purges himself here from this species of idolatry. Probably the Baithulia were at first emblems only of the tabernacle; בית אלוה beith Eloah, "the house of God;" or of that pillar set up by Jacob, Gen 28:18, which he called בית אלהים beith Elohim, or Bethalim; for idolatry always supposes a pure and holy worship, of which it is the counterfeit. For more on the subject of the Baithulia, see the notes on Gen 28:19.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 31:1-8
Job did not speak the things here recorded by way of boasting, but in answer to the charge of hypocrisy. He understood the spiritual nature of God's commandments, as reaching to the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is best to let our actions speak for us; but in some cases we owe it to ourselves and to the cause of God, solemnly to protest our innocence of the crimes of which we are falsely accused. The lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world, are two fatal rocks on which multitudes split; against these Job protests he was always careful to stand upon his guard. And God takes more exact notice of us than we do of ourselves; let us therefore walk circumspectly. He carefully avoided all sinful means of getting wealth. He dreaded all forbidden profit as much as all forbidden pleasure. What we have in the world may be used with comfort, or lost with comfort, if honestly gotten. Without strict honestly and faithfulness in all our dealings, we can have no good evidence of true godliness. Yet how many professors are unable to abide this touchstone!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 31:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בְּ֭רִיתBe.rita covenantH1285
כָּרַ֣תִּיka.Ra.tiI madeH3772
לְעֵינָ֑יle.'ei.Naito eyes myH5869
וּמָ֥הu.Mahand what?H4100
אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן'et.bo.Nenwill I look carefullyH995
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בְּתוּלָֽה\׃be.tu.Laha virginH1330

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 31:1

  • James 1:14-15

    But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

  • Matthew 5:28-29

    But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

  • Psalms 119:37

    Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

  • 1 John 2:16

    For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

  • Proverbs 6:25

    Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

  • 2 Samuel 11:2-4

    And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

  • Proverbs 4:25

    Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

  • Genesis 6:2

    That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

  • Proverbs 23:31-33

    Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Job makes a solemn protestation of his integrity in several duties.

a covenant.
Ge 6:2; 2Sa 11:2-4; Ps 119:37; Pr 4:25; 23:31-33; Mt 5:28,29
1Jo 2:16
think.
Pr 6:25; Jas 1:14,15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 31:1

    I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

  • Job 31:2

    For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

Read all of Job 31

Job 31:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		HICE pacto con mis ojos: ¿cómo pues había yo de pensar en virgen?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		J’ai fait alliance avec mes yeux: et comment aurais-je arrêté mes regards sur une vierge?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich habe mit meinen Augen einen Bund gemacht, und wie hätte ich auf eine Jungfrau geblickt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Pepigi fœdus cum oculis meis, ut ne cogitarem quidem de virgine.