What is the meaning of Job 31:5? If I have walked in falsehood Job begins with a sober self-examination. He pictures his whole way of life—his “walk”—and asks whether it has ever been characterized by deliberate falseness. • Walking suggests an ongoing pattern, not a momentary stumble. Psalm 26:3-4 echoes this resolve: “I do not sit with deceitful men.” • Truthfulness is foundational; Proverbs 4:24 urges, “Put away deceitful speech.” The New Testament calls for the same consistency: Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully.” • Job’s words remind us that fellowship with God requires integrity of heart (Psalm 51:6). Any habitual falsehood breaks that communion. or my foot has rushed to deceit Job now narrows from his overall walk to the speed of his steps. He is asking, Have I ever been quick—eager, even—to take the crooked shortcut? • God warns against hasty sin: Proverbs 6:18 lists “feet that run swiftly to evil” among the things He hates. • Isaiah 59:7 paints the same picture: “Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood,” contrasting sharply with the righteous path Job claims. • By highlighting haste, Job shows how sin often begins: a sudden impulse, a rush that bypasses sober thought. Psalm 1:1 counsels the opposite pace—“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” • The believer is called to vigilance; 1 Thessalonians 5:22 urges, “Abstain from every form of evil,” and Proverbs 4:26 advises, “Make a level path for your feet.” Slow, deliberate obedience guards against deceitful shortcuts. summary Job 31:5 sets a high standard of integrity: lifelong truthfulness without even the briefest sprint toward deceit. He invites God’s scrutiny of both the steady course of his life and the quick decisions of the moment. For us, the verse calls for continual honesty and deliberate, cautious steps, trusting that the God who loves truth will uphold all who walk in it. |
    |