Job 9 31

Job 9:31 kjv

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

Job 9:31 nkjv

Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

Job 9:31 niv

you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.

Job 9:31 esv

yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.

Job 9:31 nlt

you would plunge me into a muddy ditch,
and my own filthy clothing would hate me.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 31 Meaning

Job 9:31 conveys Job's deep despair and conviction that no matter how hard he tries to purify himself, God will nonetheless ensure his disgrace and defilement. He perceives God as an overwhelming force that would actively submerge him in ruin, rendering him utterly repulsive, even to his own garments, symbolizing an extreme state of shame and worthlessness from which he cannot escape or self-justify.

Job 9 31 Context

Job 9:31 occurs in Job's second discourse (Job 9:1-10:22), where he responds to Bildad. Bildad had suggested that God does not pervert justice and implies Job must be guilty. Job acknowledges God's absolute power and sovereignty (9:2-10) – indeed, His power is so immense that no one can contend with Him or justify themselves before Him. Even if Job were to perfectly cleanse himself (Job 9:30), he still believes God would somehow find him guilty or cause him to appear defiled, leading to utter ruin and contempt (9:31). Job is articulating his experience of God's power as overwhelming and unchallengeable, leaving him feeling helpless, unfairly condemned, and utterly repugnant, regardless of any attempts at self-vindication. He perceives himself not merely as afflicted, but as actively made loathsome by divine action, emphasizing his desperate state of a blameless man who feels God has become his adversary.

Job 9 31 Word analysis

• For (כִּי - kî): Often introduces an explanation or emphasis. Here, it underlines the reason why Job believes washing himself would be futile: because of what God would do next. It sets up the inevitability of the dire outcome.
• you (אַתָּה - ’attāh): Refers directly to God. Job is addressing God, indicating his direct accusation and despair towards the Almighty's perceived actions against him. It highlights Job's personal encounter with God's overwhelming power.
• would plunge (תִּטְבְּלֵנִי - titbĕlēnî): From the root טָבַע (ṭāḇaʿ), meaning "to sink," "to plunge," "to immerse." It suggests an active, deliberate act of submergence, implying that God is the agent causing Job's downfall into degradation, not merely permitting it. It evokes a feeling of being hopelessly mired or drowned.
• me (נִי - nî / suffixed pronoun): Refers to Job, emphasizing his personal suffering and the direct nature of God's action against him. It's not a general statement but deeply personal.
• into the pit (בַּשַּׁחַת - baššaḥaṯ): šaḥaṯ (שַׁחַת) typically means "pit," "destruction," "corruption," or "the grave." In this context, it symbolizes a state of utter degradation, moral defilement, or a place of no return. It's a place of ruin, implying both physical and spiritual decay. It highlights the completeness of Job's anticipated ruin.
• and (וְ - wĕ): A simple conjunction connecting two parts of the consequence.
• my own clothes (בְגָדַי - bāḡeḏay): beḡeḏ (בֶּגֶד) means "garment" or "clothing." Clothes in biblical culture were significant, representing identity, status, or even inner state. Job implies such extreme defilement that even his external covering, his most intimate possessions, would recoil from him. It's a powerful metaphor for utter rejection and self-loathing projected onto his immediate surroundings.
• would abhor (תְּעַבְתֵּנִי - tĕʿaḇtēnî): From the root תָּעַב (tāʿaḇ), meaning "to abhor," "to detest," "to make abominable." This is a strong word indicating disgust and repulsion. It means to view with moral repugnance or disgust. It implies a total revulsion, so deep that even inanimate objects associated with him would find him abominable.

Words-group analysis

• "you would plunge me into the pit": This phrase highlights Job's perception of God's active role in his suffering and humiliation. It implies an overwhelming force, a divine judgment or action that thrusts him into a state of deep defilement or ruin, from which he cannot extract himself. It is a graphic image of utter defeat and degradation, directly at God's hand.
• "and my own clothes would abhor me": This is hyperbole illustrating the extreme level of perceived defilement and loathsomeness. It means Job would become so disgusting and corrupt that even his most personal possessions, which normally touch his body, would find him an abomination. This suggests a total breakdown of his being, from the divine level of judgment down to the very fabric touching his skin. It symbolizes an irreversible state of shame and worthlessness, stripping him of any remaining dignity or identity.

Job 9 31 Bonus section

The concept of "clothing" in the Bible frequently serves as a symbol of identity, status, or spiritual condition. In Job 9:31, Job's clothing represents not just his outer appearance, but metaphorically his very being or essence. For his own clothes to "abhor" him elevates his state of defilement from merely external to deeply inherent and spiritually repulsive. This is a dramatic poetic device that accentuates the depth of his suffering and perceived impurity, far beyond mere physical discomfort or ritual uncleanness. It's a total, comprehensive, and inescapable revulsion, implying that God's judgment would penetrate to his very core, leaving him with no shred of personal dignity or moral standing, even in his own eyes. This also stands in stark contrast to later biblical themes where righteous people are clothed in garments of salvation or fine linen (e.g., Isa 61:10; Rev 19:8), symbolizing their God-given purity and justification. Job's complaint, therefore, highlights the desperate spiritual state of someone who feels entirely stripped of such covering by divine action, with no hope of achieving it through human endeavor.

Job 9 31 Commentary

Job 9:31 vividly portrays Job's profound despair and the perceived futility of his attempts at self-justification before God. Even if Job were to engage in extensive rituals of purification, he is convinced that God's inscrutable power would still find a way to brand him as defiled. The imagery of being "plunged into the pit" evokes a state of absolute degradation, moral pollution, or being thrown into a state akin to the grave. This "pit" represents a condition from which there is no escape or cleansing by human effort. The chilling detail that "my own clothes would abhor me" extends this perceived defilement to a level of utter loathsomeness, implying that his spiritual uncleanness would be so pervasive that even his outward appearance, or his very essence, would repel anything intimately connected to him. This verse underscores Job's central struggle: how a seemingly righteous person could suffer such catastrophic affliction, leading him to conclude that God acts with a power so absolute it renders human purity or efforts irrelevant, making even blamelessness appear like defilement in God's overwhelming presence. It highlights the vast, unbridgeable gap between divine righteousness and human capacity, pushing Job to the brink of despair concerning justice.