Job 31:6 kjv
Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
Job 31:6 nkjv
Let me be weighed on honest scales, That God may know my integrity.
Job 31:6 niv
let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless?
Job 31:6 esv
(Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)
Job 31:6 nlt
Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
for he knows my integrity.
Job 31 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 25:15 | You shall have a full and just weight, a full and just measure... | God requires righteous standards for commerce. |
| Prov 11:1 | A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. | God detests injustice, delights in fairness. |
| Prov 16:11 | A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work. | Divine authority over standards of justice. |
| Ps 7:8 | The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. | Plea for divine judgment based on integrity. |
| Ps 26:1 | Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. | Confident appeal for vindication. |
| Ps 7:9 | Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and establish the righteous, for you, O righteous God, test the minds and hearts. | God searches the heart to determine justice. |
| 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. | God's discernment of true inner state. |
| 1 Chr 29:17 | I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. | God values and tests for uprightness. |
| Jer 17:10 | "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." | God's omniscience in judging deeds and heart. |
| Prov 21:2 | Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. | Human self-deception versus divine scrutiny. |
| Is 30:18 | Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. | God's essence includes justice. |
| Ps 139:1-4 | O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar... You are acquainted with all my ways. | God's complete knowledge of human life. |
| Ro 2:16 | ...on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. | God's future judgment will be comprehensive. |
| Heb 4:12-13 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword... discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight... | God's word and presence expose all hidden truth. |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. | Future final judgment based on deeds. |
| Job 23:10 | But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. | Confidence in God's refining test. |
| Gen 18:25 | Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked... Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? | God's character as the just Judge of all. |
| Job 27:6 | I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days. | Job's resolute claim of sustained righteousness. |
| Phil 2:15 | ...that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. | A call to blameless living in contrast. |
| 2 Cor 10:18 | For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. | Ultimate validation comes from God, not self. |
| 1 Pet 1:7 | ...so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. | Faith is tested to prove its genuineness. |
Job 31 verses
Job 31 6 Meaning
Job 31:6 expresses Job's unwavering conviction of his own moral uprightness and his plea for God, the ultimate and perfectly just judge, to assess his life according to an absolute standard of righteousness. It signifies Job's profound confidence that a divine, equitable judgment would vindicate his claim of integrity amidst his intense suffering and the accusations of his friends. He appeals directly to God to demonstrate his blamelessness and consistency in living according to divine principles.
Job 31 6 Context
Job chapter 31 represents Job's climactic and final oath of purgation or defense before God, essentially a "negative confession" where he enumerates various grave sins and declares himself innocent of each, calling down a curse upon himself if he were found guilty. This comprehensive self-vindication comes after his three friends have failed to convince him of his sin. In this chapter, Job systematically reviews his life, defending his conduct against accusations of moral failing in areas such as lust (vv. 1-4), injustice (vv. 5-12), oppression (vv. 13-23), idolatry (vv. 24-28), uncharitableness (vv. 29-32), secret sin (vv. 33-34), and covetousness (vv. 38-40). Verse 6 specifically articulates his desire for a divine, unassailable judgment, acting as a profound statement of his conviction in his own righteousness, asserting that he would pass even God’s rigorous examination. Historically, the practice of swearing oaths and self-cursing to assert innocence was common in ancient Near Eastern legal contexts. Job's appeal transcends human legal systems, placing himself under God's perfect judgment.
Job 31 6 Word analysis
- let him weigh (יִשְׁקְלֵנִי - yišqəlēnî): From the root
שָׁקַל(shaqal), meaning "to weigh, to balance, to estimate." The suffixנִי(-nî) means "me." This implies an act of careful, precise measurement and evaluation. The subject "him" implicitly refers to God, indicating Job's desire for God to perform the assessment. This verb highlights the expectation of a thorough examination, not a superficial glance. It is an appeal for divine audit. - me: Refers to Job himself. He willingly offers his entire life and character to be subject to God's scrutiny. This personal involvement underscores the depth of his conviction and desperation for vindication.
- in honest scales (בְּמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק - bə-mōʾznê-ṣeḏeq):
מֹאזְנֵי(mōʾznê): Fromמֹאזְנַיִם(moznayim), meaning "scales, balance." Symbolizes precise judgment, equilibrium, and fairness. In the ancient Near East, accurate weights and measures were crucial for fair transactions.צֶדֶק(ṣeḏeq): Meaning "righteousness, justice, equity, rightness." It refers to God's perfect, unchanging standard of moral purity and justice. Combining "scales" with "righteousness" indicates that Job is not asking for just any judgment, but one that is perfectly true, impartial, and aligned with divine character. This explicitly contrasts with human, fallible judgment. It rejects any form of corrupted or unfair assessment.
- and let God (וְיֵדַע אֵל - wə-yēḏaʿ ʾēl):
וְיֵדַע(wə-yēḏaʿ): "And let him know" or "that He may know." From the verbיָדַע(yada), "to know, to perceive, to discern fully." It's more than superficial knowledge; it implies intimate and comprehensive understanding.אֵל(ʾēl): A general Hebrew word for "God" or "deity." Here it clearly refers to the one true God, as He is the subject of Job's profound appeal.This phrase reveals Job's ultimate aim: not merely to prove his innocence to men, but to have God Himself recognize and affirm his blamelessness. It reflects Job’s trust in God's perfect omniscience.
- my integrity (תֻמָּתִי - tūmmatî): From the noun
תֻמָּה(tummah) orתֹם(tom), meaning "completeness, perfection, integrity, blamelessness, uprightness." The suffix-iindicates "my." This word does not imply sinless perfection, but rather wholeness, sincerity, moral consistency, and freedom from duplicity or corruption. It speaks to the alignment of Job's outward conduct with his inward character and intentions before God, especially concerning his steadfastness in faith despite his suffering. This is the quality Job desires God to recognize through a precise weighing.
Job 31 6 Bonus section
The audacity of Job's appeal in this verse is remarkable. While the Bible generally teaches human sinfulness and unworthiness before God (e.g., Ps 143:2, Rom 3:23), Job’s claim here is not one of absolute sinless perfection, but of an upright moral life in line with covenant expectations as understood in his time, especially against the backdrop of his friends' accusations that his suffering must stem from specific, unconfessed sin. He appeals to a righteousness relative to the accusations and a integrity proven in practice, allowing God alone to judge his true heart and intentions (Ps 7:9, Prov 21:2). This highlights Job's unique situation as one being tested and seeking clarity on his suffering, rather than a universal claim of moral faultlessness. His willingness to submit to divine scrutiny suggests profound faith in God's perfect justice, even when God's ways seem unfathomable.
Job 31 6 Commentary
Job 31:6 is the focal point of Job's grand self-vindication, an audacious plea directly to God. It encapsulates his profound desire for divine scrutiny and his deep-seated conviction that he has lived a life of genuine uprightness, deserving of vindication. The metaphor of "honest scales" is potent, drawing from ancient legal and commercial practices where precise weights and balances were critical for fairness, echoing the Old Testament's emphasis on righteous standards (Lev 19:36, Prov 11:1). By invoking this image, Job implores God to apply His perfect, righteous judgment, which transcends human opinion and flawed assessments. Job is not seeking superficial praise, but for God's infinite wisdom and perfect discernment to confirm his tummah – his wholehearted commitment to righteousness, even in the absence of a visible reward or explanation for his suffering. His challenge is predicated on his understanding of God's perfect justice. It signifies that he fears no ultimate discovery of hidden sin from God's eye.