Job 31 · Verse 34

Job 31:34

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
Job 31:34, King James Version

Job 31:34 in other translations

BSBbecause I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
WEBbecause I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
ASVBecause I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—
YLTBecause I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.
DARBYBecause I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door,...
BBEFor fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;
WebsterDid I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

What does Job 31:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
34. Rather, the apodosis to Job 31:33, "Then let me be fear-stricken before a great multitude, let the contempt, &c., let me keep silence (the greatest disgrace to a patriot, heretofore so prominent in assemblies), and not go out," &c. A just retribution that he who hides his sin from God, should have it exposed before man (2Sa 12:12). But Job had not been so exposed, but on the contrary was esteemed in the assemblies of the "tribes"--("families"); a proof, he implies, that God does not hold him guilty of hiding sin (Job 24:16, contrast with Job 29:21-25).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 Did I fear a great multitude - Was I ever prevented by the voice of the many from decreeing and executing what was right? When many families or tribes espoused a particular cause, which I found, on examination, to be wrong, did they put me in fear, so as to prevent me from doing justice to the weak and friendless? Or, in any of these cases, was I ever, through fear, self-seeking, or favor, prevented from declaring my mind, or constrained to keep my house, lest I should be obliged to give judgment against my conscience? Mr. Good thinks it an imprecation upon himself, if he had done any of the evils which he mentions in the preceding verse. He translates thus: - "Then let me be confounded before the assembled multitude, And let the reproach of its families quash me! Yea, let me be struck dumb! let me never appear abroad!" I am satisfied that Job 31:38-40, should come in either here, or immediately after Job 31:25; and that Job's words should end with Job 31:37, which, if the others were inserted in their proper places, would be Job 31:40. See the reasons at the end of the chapter, Job 31:40 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 31:33-40

Job clears himself from the charge of hypocrisy. We are loth to confess our faults, willing to excuse them, and to lay the blame upon others. But he that thus covers his sins, shall not prosper, Pr 28:13. He speaks of his courage in what is good, as an evidence of his sincerity in it. When men get estates unjustly, they are justly deprived of comfort from them; it was sown wheat, but shall come up thistles. What men…

Read the full comment on Job 31:33-40 →

Job 31:34 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.

כִּ֤יkiforH3588
אֶֽעֱר֨וֹץ\׀'e.'e.RotzI fearedH6206
הָ֘מ֤וֹןha.Mona multitudeH1995
רַבָּ֗הra.BahgreatH7227
וּבוּז\־u.vuz-and [the] contempt ofH937
מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹתmish.pa.ChotclansH4940
יְחִתֵּ֑נִיye.chi.Te.niit caused to be dismayed meH2865
וָ֝אֶדֹּ֗םva.'e.Domand I was silentH1826
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
אֵ֥צֵא'E.tze'I went outsideH3318
פָֽתַח\׃Fa.tach[the] doorH6607

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

Cross references for Job 31:34

  • Exodus 23:2

    Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

  • Proverbs 29:25

    The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

  • Proverbs 24:11-12

    If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

  • Nehemiah 13:28

    And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

  • Exodus 32:27

    And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

  • Job 34:19

    How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

  • Jeremiah 38:16

    So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

  • Job 22:8

    But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

  • Nehemiah 13:4-8

    And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. …

  • 2 Corinthians 5:16

    Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

  • Nehemiah 5:7

    Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

  • Matthew 27:20-26

    But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Did I.
Ex 23:2; Pr 29:25; Jer 38:4,5,16,19; Mt 27:20-26
the contempt.
22:8; 34:19; Ex 32:27; Nu 25:14,15; Ne 5:7; 13:4-8,28; 2Co 5:16
that I.
Es 4:11,14; Pr 24:11,12; Am 5:11-13; Mic 7:3

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

Context

  • Job 31:33

    If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

  • Job 31:34

    Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

  • Job 31:35

    Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

Read all of Job 31

Job 31:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque quebrantaba á la gran multitud, y el menosprecio de las familias me atemorizó, y callé, y no salí de mi puerta:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Parce que je craignais la grande multitude, et que le mépris des familles me faisait peur, et que je sois resté dans le silence et ne sois pas sorti de ma porte…
German
Elberfelder 1871		weil ich mich fürchtete vor der großen Menge, und die Verachtung der Familien mich erschreckte, so daß ich mich still hielt, nicht zur Türe hinausging
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		si expavi ad multitudinem nimiam, et despectio propinquorum terruit me: et non magis tacui, nec egressus sum ostium.