Job 31 2

Job 31:2 kjv

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

Job 31:2 nkjv

For what is the allotment of God from above, And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

Job 31:2 niv

For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high?

Job 31:2 esv

What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

Job 31:2 nlt

For what has God above chosen for us?
What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?

Job 31 verses

Job 31 2 Meaning

Job 31:2 is a rhetorical question posed by Job as he defends his integrity and right standing before God. It essentially asks what negative 'portion' or 'inheritance' of divine judgment a person could expect from a just and powerful God 'above' and 'on high' if they had committed the specific transgressions Job is about to swear he has not. It implies that if Job were guilty of such sins, then indeed a dreadful fate from God would be his due; since he insists he is innocent, the suffering he experiences is thus paradoxical and unjust. This verse sets the stage for his subsequent comprehensive oath of purgation.

Job 31 2 Context

Job 31 represents the pinnacle of Job's final and most extensive self-defense before God and his friends. Having refuted his friends' arguments and the accusations of specific sin, Job now proceeds with a detailed oath of purgation, a "negative confession," enumerating various common sins he asserts he has not committed. This chapter acts as a formal legal-like declaration of his innocence, concluding with Job's renewed plea for God to directly confront him. Verse 2 specifically acts as the rhetorical premise for this entire confession. It questions what punitive 'portion' or 'inheritance' God would assign him if he were indeed guilty of the extensive list of moral failings he is about to present. This sets the stage for his self-imposed "oath-curse" in verse 3 and the subsequent disclaimers of specific sins, implying that if he were found guilty of any of these, he would accept a just divine retribution. Historically, such oaths were legally binding declarations of innocence, often accompanied by imprecations if found false, showing Job's extreme confidence in his blamelessness regarding specific acts.

Job 31 2 Word analysis

• For (כִּ֤י - kî): This conjunction often introduces a reason or an emphatic assertion. Here, it precedes a rhetorical question, setting forth the basis or justification for Job's impending oath of innocence. It signifies, "Surely," or "Indeed."
• what portion (מַה־ חֵ֖לֶק - mah ḥēlek):
  • Mah (מַה): "what," an interrogative pronoun.
  • ḥēlek (חֵלֶק): Refers to a "portion," "share," "part," or "allotment." It frequently denotes land assigned in inheritance (e.g., Num 18:20, Josh 19:9) but also a person's fate, destiny, or reward (e.g., Ecc 9:6, Ps 50:18). In the context of divine justice, it implies a divinely appointed recompense or outcome. Job is asking what kind of recompense or lot he should expect.
• should I have (לֵֽאלֹוהַּ מִמַּ֙עַל֙ - lēloha mimmaʿal - directly related to "from God above"): While "should I have" is part of the overall question's implication, the Hebrew more directly links the portion "from God above."
• from God (לֵֽאלֹוהַּ - lēʾĕlōah):
  • ʾĚlōah (אֱלוֹהַּ): A singular form of ʾělōhîm, commonly used in Job (e.g., 9:13; 12:4, 6; 16:21). It emphasizes God as the single, unique divine power. Here, it points to the divine source of all destiny and judgment.
• above (מִמַּ֙עַל֙ - mimmaʿal): "From above," signifying a heavenly or elevated source. This stresses God's transcendent, sovereign position and implies that His judgment descends from His lofty dwelling.
• And what inheritance (וּמַה נַחֲלָ֥ה - ûmâ naḥalâ):
  • ûmâ (וּמַה): "and what," continuing the rhetorical question.
  • Naḥalâ (נַחֲלָה): A stronger term than ḥēlek for "inheritance." It denotes something received as an established possession, often specifically an ancestral land allotment. In a spiritual sense, it is a guaranteed destiny or reward passed down (e.g., Ps 127:3). It closely parallels "portion" in this synonymous parallelism, emphasizing a certain and divinely assigned outcome.
• from the Almighty (מִשַּׁדַּ֥י - miššadday):
  • Shaddai (שַׁדַּי): One of the oldest names for God, frequently translated "Almighty." This name highlights God's power, omnipotence, and His self-sufficiency to both provide and to judge (e.g., Gen 17:1; Ex 6:3). Its use underscores God's authority in meting out fate.
• on high? (מִמְּרוֹמִֽים - mimrômîm): "From the heights" or "from on high." This phrase serves as a poetic synonym for "above," further emphasizing God's elevated, majestic, and transcendent position from which He observes and administers justice.

Words-group analysis:

• "For what portion should I have from God above?": This segment introduces the rhetorical question concerning divine recompense. It poses Job's challenge based on what he believes he is due from the singular, transcendent God, considering his life's conduct.
• "And what inheritance from the Almighty on high?": This second segment mirrors the first, intensifying the query through synonymous parallelism. By using "inheritance" (a firm, destined allotment) and "the Almighty on high" (emphasizing God's supreme power and exalted position), Job underscores the absolute certainty and weight of whatever fate God would mete out. Together, the phrases assert that the source of ultimate destiny, whether for good or ill, lies entirely with the powerful and transcendent God. Job implies that a just God, from His elevated throne of judgment, should not afflict one who has diligently guarded against sin, which leads to his self-exonerating confession.

Job 31 2 Bonus section

The phrasing in Job 31:2 (and the entire chapter 31) can be seen as Job appealing to an "Ordeal of the Oath." In ancient Near Eastern law, one way to establish innocence when there were no witnesses was for the accused to take an oath denying specific charges and invoking a curse upon themselves if they were lying. Job's lengthy disavowal of sins in this chapter is his profound, public, and personal form of this legal oath before God Himself, making verse 2 the pivotal rhetorical framing of this solemn self-defense. He is challenging God, as it were, to acknowledge his innocence, or, if found wanting, to confirm the very portion of suffering he fears would rightfully be his. The mention of "portion" (ḥēlek) and "inheritance" (naḥalâ) carries an additional weight from the Old Testament concept of the land as an inheritance from God; it suggests not just abstract judgment but a loss of prosperity, peace, and perhaps even life—the very things Job had lost.

Job 31 2 Commentary

Job 31:2 is a rhetorical question that powerfully sets the stage for Job's "oath of innocence." He isn't truly asking what God's portion is but rather asserting what it should be in the traditional understanding of divine justice: recompense fitting the deed. By phrasing it this way, Job indirectly challenges the prevailing theology his friends advocate, which posits that suffering is always a direct result of sin. He's saying, "If I were guilty of the specific sins I am about to list, then a terrible portion and inheritance from God would be entirely justified and expected. But I am not guilty of these things. Therefore, my suffering is unjust within this framework." It speaks to the ultimate authority and discerning nature of God—who observes from "above" and "on high"—as the dispenser of all destinies. The use of "God" (ʾělōah) and "Almighty" (Shaddai) highlights the absolute power and sovereignty of the Judge. This verse demonstrates Job's deep conviction in his own integrity and his implicit trust that the all-seeing God would know his blamelessness concerning these common transgressions, thereby rendering his current calamity inscrutable according to their shared theology of retribution.