Job 31:27 kjv
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
Job 31:27 nkjv
So that my heart has been secretly enticed, And my mouth has kissed my hand;
Job 31:27 niv
so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
Job 31:27 esv
and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand,
Job 31:27 nlt
and been secretly enticed in my heart
to throw kisses at them in worship?
Job 31 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:19 | "...lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens and see the sun...and be drawn away to worship them..." | Warning against worshipping celestial bodies. |
| Deut 17:3 | "...goes and serves other gods and worships them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven..." | Explicit condemnation of astral worship as an offense against God. |
| Jer 8:2 | "...to the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served..." | Describes the people's idolatry, specifically astral worship. |
| Eze 8:16 | "...about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun." | Illustrates sun worship being performed in Jerusalem. |
| 2 Kgs 23:5 | King Josiah removed idolatrous priests who burned incense to the sun and moon. | Reformation against cultic worship of heavenly bodies. |
| Ps 19:1 | "The heavens declare the glory of God..." | Contrast: Celestial bodies point to God's glory, not as objects of worship. |
| Rom 1:25 | "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." | Explains humanity's universal propensity to worship creation over the Creator. |
| Col 2:18 | "...insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels..." | Warning against worship of created beings. |
| Ps 44:20-21 | "If we had forgotten the name of our God...would not God find this out, since he knows the secrets of the heart?" | God knows secret intentions, mirroring Job's defense. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | "The heart is deceitful above all things...I the Lord search the heart and test the mind..." | Emphasizes the heart's true nature and God's insight into it. |
| Prov 4:23 | "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." | Highlight's the heart's importance as the source of life's direction. |
| Matt 15:18-19 | "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart...evil thoughts, murder, adultery..." | Reinforces that inner thoughts and desires lead to outward actions. |
| Jas 1:14-15 | "...each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin..." | Describes the process of internal enticement leading to sin. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "...for the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." | Underscores God's focus on the internal heart, not just external actions. |
| Ps 73:13 | "All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence." | Echoes Job's emphasis on a clean heart and righteous actions. |
| Ps 2:12 | "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry..." | While different context, illustrates "kissing" as an act of homage/allegiance. |
| 1 Kgs 19:18 | God reserved 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal, "and every mouth that has not kissed him." | Explicitly mentions "kissing" as an act of pagan worship, showing its significance. |
| Hab 2:19 | "Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, ‘Awake’; to a silent stone, ‘Arise’!" | Condemnation of speaking to inanimate idols as objects of worship. |
| Isa 2:8 | "Their land is full of idols...they bow down to the work of their hands..." | Broader indictment of idolatry and worship of human creations. |
| Rev 22:8-9 | "...I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel...but he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant...Worship God!”" | The prohibition of worshipping any created being, only God. |
| Job 31:28 | "that would have been an iniquity to be punished by a judge, for I would have been false to God above." | Job himself clarifies the seriousness of idolatry, linking it directly to betraying God. |
Job 31 verses
Job 31 27 Meaning
Job 31:27 is a powerful statement from Job, asserting his absolute innocence regarding idolatry, particularly the widespread ancient practice of celestial worship. He declares that his innermost being (his heart) was never secretly drawn to such practices, nor did he ever outwardly engage in ritualistic acts of homage, like "kissing his hand" to the sun or moon. It is a testament to his exclusive devotion to the One True God, demonstrating a profound internal and external commitment against apostasy.
Job 31 27 Context
Job 31 forms the culmination of Job’s passionate defense of his innocence against the accusations of his three friends. This chapter is Job’s great "oath of purgation" or "negative confession," where he systematically lists various categories of sins and solemnly swears before God that he is not guilty of any of them. He even invites God to punish him if he is lying. This specific verse (31:27) directly follows Job’s statement in 31:26 where he acknowledges the "light" (sun) and the "bright moon" in their glory, immediately counteracting any possible interpretation that he might worship them. Job’s defense covers areas such as sexual purity, social justice, honesty, treatment of servants, and in this verse, perhaps the most fundamental sin against God: idolatry. The cultural context of the ancient Near East saw widespread worship of astral deities, fertility gods, and other natural phenomena. Job, even in this pre-Mosaic period, exhibits a profound understanding of monotheism and the sinfulness of worshiping the creation rather than the Creator, showcasing an early and strong polemic against the prevalent pagan beliefs of his time.
Job 31 27 Word analysis
- if (אִם - im): This word introduces a conditional clause, implying "if it be the case that..." It sets up Job's hypothetical concession that if he had done this, then consequences would follow, emphasizing his assertion of innocence.
- my heart (לִבִּי - libbî): The Hebrew word lev (heart) signifies the totality of the inner person—intellect, will, emotions, and conscience. It is the seat of moral intention, deepest thoughts, and motivations. Job asserts his internal purity, that his true intentions and desires were never corrupted.
- has been secretly enticed (נִפְתָּה - niptâ): From the verb patah, meaning to open, persuade, entice, or deceive. The form used here implies a passive enticement, an inner yielding or being led astray. The "secretly" aspect is inherent in the nature of the heart's desires, which can be hidden from others but not from God. It highlights the subtle pull of temptation, not just overt actions. Job denies even this inner pull towards idolatry.
- or (אוּ - ’ō): Connects the internal enticement (heart) with the external action (mouth/hand), covering both aspects of potential idolatry.
- my mouth (פִּי - pî): The physical organ, here referring to its role in uttering words or performing symbolic gestures.
- has kissed (נָשְׁקָה - nāšəqâ): From the verb nashaq, meaning to kiss. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, kissing was a common gesture of adoration, homage, or submission, often directed towards deities or rulers. It was a sign of worship or reverence.
- my hand (יָדִי - yādî): This refers to an idiomatic act of veneration. The phrase "my mouth has kissed my hand" describes a common idolatrous practice where one would kiss one's own hand as a sign of respect or homage directed towards a deity, often the sun or moon, as described in verse 26. This was a direct physical manifestation of worship or pledging allegiance.
Words-group analysis:
- "if my heart has been secretly enticed": This phrase speaks to the profound truth that sin originates not merely in external acts, but in the inner workings of the human heart—in hidden desires, covetousness, and the passive yielding to deceptive allurements. Job’s declaration goes beyond mere outward conformity, asserting an inner spiritual purity and singular devotion. This reveals a deep moral awareness even without specific written Mosaic law, anticipating later Biblical teachings on the heart's importance.
- "or my mouth has kissed my hand": This phrase signifies the outward, performative act of idolatry, a ritual gesture of worship towards a false god. Specifically referencing kissing one's hand to send a "salute" or offering to a celestial body, it portrays the conscious act of transferring one’s allegiance away from the true God. By denying both the secret internal enticement and the overt external homage, Job presents a complete defense against any charge of apostasy, showcasing a wholeness of faith and devotion.
Job 31 27 Bonus section
- The practice of "kissing the hand" towards an object of worship is called adoration (from Latin ad orare, "to pray to," via ad os, "to the mouth," signifying a kiss directed to a god or image).
- Job's inclusion of a strong denial of astral worship is significant because it was a pervasive and often very appealing form of idolatry in the ancient Near East, due to the visible power and regularity of celestial movements. His rejection highlights the uniqueness and singularity of the worship due to the Invisible God.
- Job 31 as a whole functions as an example of a righteous man’s commitment to live by God’s ethical standards even without the detailed covenant law later given to Israel. It shows that core moral principles were inherently understood or divinely revealed to humanity from early times.
- The progression from secret heart enticement to overt physical action demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of how sin takes root and manifests. Job defends himself at every stage of the potential fall into idolatry.
Job 31 27 Commentary
Job 31:27 stands as a powerful testament to Job's profound spiritual integrity. In the face of overwhelming suffering and false accusations, he offers this negative confession as proof of his blamelessness before God. He acknowledges the existence and splendor of the celestial bodies (the sun and moon, mentioned in the preceding verse) but immediately counters any suggestion that his awe of them transitioned into worship. His statement directly addresses both the internal predisposition towards sin (the heart being "enticed") and the external act of homage (the hand being "kissed"). This reveals Job's understanding that true faith demands not only an absence of overt idolatry but also a heart fully devoted to God, free from any secret inclination toward other gods. This declaration, made in a time perhaps predating the explicit laws against idolatry, highlights the timeless nature of monotheistic worship and the foundational sin of replacing the Creator with creation, which Job unequivocally rejects. His loyalty remains uncompromised, demonstrating a standard of purity of heart that extends beyond outward observance.