Job 31 40

Job 31:40 kjv

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40 nkjv

Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, And weeds instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40 niv

then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40 esv

let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40 nlt

then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat,
and weeds instead of barley."
Job's words are ended.

Job 31 verses

Job 31 40 Meaning

Job 31:40 is the concluding declaration of Job’s lengthy oath of integrity and self-defense before God and his friends. It is a self-curse, stating that if he is guilty of any of the sins he has denied throughout the chapter, then the land he cultivates should yield only useless and harmful plants – thistles instead of wheat, and noxious weeds instead of barley. This powerful imprecation underscores the depth of Job's conviction in his innocence and his willingness to face severe divine judgment if he has been untruthful. It signifies a profound appeal to God's justice, inviting tangible proof of his guilt through agricultural blight if he has sinned.

Job 31 40 Context

Job 31:40 stands as the climax of Job's lengthy and passionate declaration of innocence, which spans the entire Chapter 31. Throughout this chapter, Job systematically presents a detailed defense against every conceivable sin, both inward thoughts and outward actions. He asserts his moral purity regarding lust (v. 1-12), justice towards his servants and the vulnerable (v. 13-23), trust in wealth (v. 24-28), hatred of his enemies (v. 29-30), hospitality (v. 31-32), concealing sin (v. 33-34), and honesty in his land dealings (v. 38-39). The entire chapter functions as a solemn oath, a form of ancient Near Eastern legal process where one swore their integrity before God, often concluding with a self-imprecation if found false. Job is challenging God Himself to find fault in him. Historically, agricultural curses were a well-understood consequence of divine judgment for covenant disobedience (as seen in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28), reflecting the deep reliance of ancient societies on the productivity of their land. By invoking such a curse on his own livelihood, Job is making the ultimate pledge of his blamelessness.

Job 31 40 Word analysis

• let thistles grow: (קוֹץ - qots) Hebrew term for thorn, thistle, or briar. In biblical contexts, qots often signifies the curse upon the ground after the Fall (Gen 3:18). It represents sterility, hardship, and the unproductive outcomes of a life marred by sin or disobedience. Its presence indicates a land that does not yield beneficial produce.
• instead of wheat: (חִטָּה - chittah) Hebrew term for wheat. Wheat was a primary grain crop and staple food in ancient Israel, symbolizing blessing, provision, and prosperity (Deut 8:8, Ps 81:16). Its absence, replaced by useless plants, represents utter economic ruin and a divine judgment on livelihood.
• and noxious weeds: (בָּאֲשָׁה - ba'ashah) Hebrew, derived from the root "to stink" or "to become worthless." It denotes foul-smelling, poisonous, or utterly corrupt plants, implying something more harmful and repugnant than mere weeds. This intensifies the severity of the proposed curse, moving beyond unproductive growth to actively harmful or putrid yield. It speaks to extreme corruption and divine disgust.
• instead of barley: (שְׂעֹרָה - se'orah) Hebrew for barley. Barley was another essential grain, often cultivated alongside wheat and forming a significant part of the ancient diet (Judg 7:13, 2 Kgs 4:42). Though sometimes less valuable than wheat, it was crucial for sustenance. Its replacement by noxious weeds reinforces the comprehensive nature of the self-invoked agricultural disaster, showing a complete failure of the land to provide any valuable food source.

Words-group analysis:

• "let thistles grow instead of wheat": This phrase starkly contrasts desirable and undesirable agricultural outcomes. It invokes the foundational curse from Genesis 3, connecting Job's potential sin (if he were guilty) directly to a divinely ordained state of unproductive and harsh existence. It speaks to a fundamental reversal of blessing.
• "and noxious weeds instead of barley": This parallelism deepens the agricultural imprecation. The "noxious weeds" (בָּאֲשָׁה) go beyond mere thistles; they signify decay and foulness, elevating the consequence from barrenness to active toxicity. This doubling emphasizes the totality of the promised ruin, covering all primary grain sources. Together, these phrases depict a complete reversal of divine favor manifest in nature, turning sources of life and provision into instruments of hardship and worthlessness.

Job 31 40 Bonus section

The imagery of thorns and thistles has a strong eschatological and metaphorical significance beyond its literal meaning in Job. It represents the unfruitfulness that results from humanity's fallen state (Gen 3:18) and, in later biblical writings, symbolizes spiritual barrenness or the effects of worldliness hindering the growth of God's Word (Matt 13:7). The concept of a field producing thorns rather than fruit can also be applied to spiritual unproductive lives, those who claim faith but show no evidence of transformed character or genuine righteousness. It contrasts sharply with the "fruit of the Spirit" mentioned in Gal 5:22-23. Thus, Job’s physical curse carries an implicit theological weight, aligning outward manifestation with inner condition, making the failure of the land a direct indicator of the spiritual standing of its owner in a deeply covenantal worldview.

Job 31 40 Commentary

Job 31:40 is the pinnacle of Job’s exhaustive self-vindication, marking the dramatic conclusion of his argument. It encapsulates his profound confidence in his own righteousness before God, so much so that he willingly invites the most devastating consequence known to an agricultural society: complete ruin of his livelihood. By proposing that his land yield thorns and noxious weeds instead of life-giving grains, Job appeals directly to divine judgment, demonstrating that he holds nothing back in staking his integrity. This is not merely a metaphor; it is a literal, tangible curse on his prosperity, implying that if he is found to have dealt falsely in his land or personal conduct (as he discusses in the preceding verses), God should render his very means of existence utterly fruitless and corrupted. It underscores Job’s desire for transparent justice and his deep belief that his suffering is not a direct result of hidden, unconfessed sin. It also serves as a polemic against the simplistic understanding of retribution proposed by his friends, where prosperity always indicated righteousness and suffering always indicated sin. Job turns that very framework against himself, challenging the heavens to prove him otherwise through the visible fruit of the land.