Job 31:3
Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
Original Language Analysis
הֲלֹא
H3808
הֲלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 6
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern oath formulas often began with conditional statements ('If I have done X...') followed by self-imprecations ('then may Y happen to me'). Job employs this legal form throughout chapter 31, essentially placing himself under oath before God. The concept of measure-for-measure justice (lex talionis) was foundational to biblical law, making Job's appeal to retributive justice culturally resonant.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Job's acknowledgment of God's justice against 'workers of iniquity' strengthen rather than weaken his case?
- What does the word 'strange' (extraordinary) reveal about the severity of punishment Job believes true iniquity deserves?
- How does this verse prepare for Job's detailed oath of innocence in the verses that follow?
Analysis & Commentary
Is not destruction to the wicked? (הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל, halo-ed le'awwal)—Ed (destruction, calamity, disaster) is the expected fate of the awwal (wicked, unrighteous, perverse). Job appeals to the doctrine of retribution that his friends have wielded against him—but he turns it into self-examination rather than self-defense.
A strange punishment to the workers of iniquity (וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן, veneker lefo'alei aven)—Neker means something foreign, strange, or extraordinary—an exceptional calamity befitting exceptional evil. Po'alei aven (workers of iniquity) describes those whose active labor produces wickedness (Psalm 5:5, 14:4). Job introduces his oath of innocence (chapter 31) by acknowledging that IF he were such a worker, God's strange judgment would be justified. This conditional framework turns the friends' accusations into testable hypotheses.