Job 31 · Verse 24

Job 31:24

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
Job 31:24, King James Version

Job 31:24 in other translations

BSBIf I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
WEB“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
ASVIf I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
YLTIf I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, ‘My trust,'
DARBYIf I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!
BBEIf I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;
WebsterIf I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

What does Job 31:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 31:24-25
24-25. Job asserts his freedom from trust in money (1Ti 6:17). Here he turns to his duty towards God, as before he had spoken of his duty towards himself and his neighbor. Covetousness is covert idolatry, as it transfers the heart from the Creator to the creature (Col 3:5). In Job 31:26, 27 he passes to overt idolatry.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Gold my hope - For the meaning of זהב zahab, polished gold, and כתם kethem, stamped gold, see on Job 28:15-17 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 31:24-32
Job protests, 1. That he never set his heart upon the wealth of this world. How few prosperous professors can appeal to the Lord, that they have not rejoiced because their gains were great! Through the determination to be rich, numbers ruin their souls, or pierce themselves with many sorrows. 2. He never was guilty of idolatry. The source of idolatry is in the heart, and it corrupts men, and provokes God to send judgments upon a nation. 3. He neither desired nor delighted in the hurt of the worst enemy he had. If others bear malice to us, that will not justify us in bearing malice to them. 4. He had never been unkind to strangers. Hospitality is a Christian duty, 1Pe 4:9.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 31:24 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.

אִם\־'im-ifH518
שַׂ֣מְתִּיSam.tiI have madeH7760
זָהָ֣בza.HavgoldH2091
כִּסְלִ֑יkis.Liconfidence myH3689
וְ֝לַכֶּ֗תֶםve.la.Ke.temand to <the> pure goldH3800
אָמַ֥רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiI have saidH559
מִבְטַחִֽי\׃miv.ta.Chisecurity myH4009

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

Cross references for Job 31:24

  • Psalms 52:7

    Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

  • Deuteronomy 8:12-14

    Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

  • Proverbs 11:28

    He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

  • Psalms 49:6-7

    They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

  • 1 Timothy 6:10

    For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

  • Psalms 62:10

    Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

  • Luke 12:15

    And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

  • Proverbs 30:9

    Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

  • Proverbs 10:15

    The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

  • Psalms 49:17

    For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

  • 1 Timothy 6:17

    Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

  • Genesis 31:1

    And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ge 31:1; De 8:12-14; Ps 49:6,7,17; 52:7; 62:10; Pr 10:15; 11:28
Pr 30:9; Mr 10:24; Lu 12:15; Col 3:5; 1Ti 6:10,17

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

Context

  • Job 31:23

    For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

  • Job 31:24

    If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

  • Job 31:25

    If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

Read all of Job 31

Job 31:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Si puse en oro mi esperanza, y dije al oro: Mi confianza eres tú;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si j’ai mis ma confiance dans l’or, si j’ai dit à l’or fin: C’est à toi que je me fie;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn ich das Gold zu meiner Zuversicht gestellt, und zu dem feinen Golde gesagt habe: Mein Vertrauen! -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si putavi aurum robur meum, et obrizo dixi: Fiducia mea;