Job 31:10
Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
Original Language Analysis
תִּטְחַ֣ן
grind
H2912
תִּטְחַ֣ן
grind
Strong's:
H2912
Word #:
1 of 6
to grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their employment)
אֲחֵרִֽין׃
and let others
H312
אֲחֵרִֽין׃
and let others
Strong's:
H312
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc
וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ
H5921
וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
4 of 6
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Jeremiah 8:10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.Isaiah 47:2Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.2 Samuel 12:11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.Exodus 11:5And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.Deuteronomy 28:30Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
Historical Context
In ancient Israelite society, a wife grinding grain for another man signified total humiliation and loss of status. Grinding was laborious work typically done by servants. For a patriarch's wife to be reduced to a concubine represented complete social degradation. This context makes Job's oath particularly bold—he stakes his entire household honor on his innocence.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Job's willingness to invoke such severe consequences reflect the seriousness with which we should view sexual purity?
- What does this verse teach about the connection between personal sin and its impact on one's household?
- How does the covenant language here point forward to Christ's faithfulness to His bride, the church?
Analysis & Commentary
Then let my wife grind unto another—Job invokes the lex talionis (law of retaliation) upon himself if guilty of adultery. The Hebrew tiṭḥan (תִּטְחַן, grind) refers to grinding grain, a task of slaves and concubines. Let others bow down upon her uses the verb yikra'un (יִכְרָעוּן), meaning to kneel or crouch—a euphemism for sexual violation. Job declares that if he has violated another man's wife, let his own wife become another man's slave-concubine.
This self-imprecation follows ancient Near Eastern treaty-curse patterns: the punishment mirrors the crime. Job's willingness to invoke such a horrific curse demonstrates his absolute confidence in his sexual purity. The severity reflects how seriously covenant faithfulness was viewed—adultery wasn't merely personal sin but cosmic covenant-breaking.