Job 31:18
(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֣י
H3588
כִּ֣י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
מִ֭נְּעוּרַי
For from my youth
H5271
מִ֭נְּעוּרַי
For from my youth
Strong's:
H5271
Word #:
2 of 7
(only in plural collective or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)
גְּדֵלַ֣נִי
he was brought up
H1431
גְּדֵלַ֣נִי
he was brought up
Strong's:
H1431
Word #:
3 of 7
to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride)
כְאָ֑ב
with me as with a father
H1
כְאָ֑ב
with me as with a father
Strong's:
H1
Word #:
4 of 7
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן
womb
H990
וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן
womb
Strong's:
H990
Word #:
5 of 7
the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything
Historical Context
Ancient patriarchal society operated through household structures. For Job to treat orphans "as with a father" meant incorporating them into his household, providing not just food but identity, protection, and inheritance rights. This reflects the kinsman-redeemer concept (goel) developed later in Mosaic law. Job's claim of lifelong compassion demonstrates that true righteousness is consistent character, not situational performance.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Job's lifelong pattern of compassion teach about the formation of Christian character versus episodic acts of charity?
- How can families and churches cultivate 'from youth' habits of caring for the vulnerable?
- In what ways does Job's fathering of orphans point to God's adoptive love for spiritual orphans (Romans 8:15, Ephesians 1:5)?
Analysis & Commentary
From my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father (כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב, ki min-ne'urai gedelani ke-av)—ne'urim (נְעוּרִים, youth) indicates Job's lifelong pattern. I have guided her from my mother's womb (וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה, u-mi-beten immi anḥennah) uses naḥah (נָחָה, guide/lead), the same verb for God guiding Israel (Exodus 15:13).
This parenthetical verse explains vv. 16-17—Job's compassion wasn't recent virtue-signaling but character formed from childhood. The hyperbole "from my mother's womb" emphasizes deeply ingrained habit. Job fathered orphans and mothered widows, anticipating God's self-description as "father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5). The verse models formative discipleship—righteousness isn't knowledge but practiced character, developed over a lifetime. Job becomes a type of Christ, who guides believers as a shepherd (John 10:3-4).