What is the meaning of Job 31:23? For calamity from God terrifies me • Job confesses, “For calamity from God terrifies me” (Job 31:23a). He knows divine judgment is real, not theoretical—just as the flood came in Genesis 7 or fire fell on Sodom in Genesis 19. • This healthy fear restrains evil. Proverbs 1:7 reminds us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” while Hebrews 10:31 warns, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” • Job’s integrity (described in the rest of chapter 31) flows from this awareness: if he oppresses the poor or gives in to lust, he would invite the same kind of discipline God sent on Pharaoh in Exodus 12 or on David after his census in 2 Samuel 24. • The point isn’t dread without hope; it is reverent awe that keeps a believer walking uprightly, echoing Psalm 119:120, “My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.” and His splendor I cannot overpower • Job adds, “and His splendor I cannot overpower” (Job 31:23b). God’s majesty is unassailable, as Moses learned when told in Exodus 33:20, “No one may see Me and live.” • Isaiah cried, “Woe to me! … my eyes have seen the King” (Isaiah 6:5), and even righteous Daniel fell on his face at the vision of the Lord (Daniel 10:8–9). These scenes reinforce Job’s conviction: human strength collapses before God’s glory. • The phrase underscores that moral accountability is inescapable. Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God,” and Revelation 20:11 pictures earth and sky fleeing from His presence—no one can resist or “overpower” that splendor. • Consequently, Job refuses self-exaltation. He will not rely on wealth (Job 31:24-28) or social standing (31:34-35) because they crumble before the One whose voice “shakes the wilderness” (Psalm 29:8). summary Job 31:23 means that a sober fear of God’s judgment and an acknowledgment of His matchless glory compel a life of integrity. Calamity from God is real, and His splendor is irresistible; therefore, like Job, we pursue righteousness, knowing that the Almighty both judges and upholds those who revere Him. |
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