Job 31:1"I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
The setting
Ancient Uz, ~2000 BC. Job declares his moral standards—a wealthy man with access to anything, choosing deliberate boundaries...
The emotion here: resolute determination forged through past victories over temptation
The original word
bərît (ברית) — covenant, binding agreement, same word used for God's covenants
Why it matters
Making covenants with body parts was common in ancient times—people would swear by their hands, eyes, or mouth
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 31:1
This covenant was made BEFORE his suffering—Job's integrity was established in good times
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about never looking at women at all. The Hebrew word 'lustfully' (bîn) means to stare with intent to possess—Job isn't avoiding all women, just predatory looking.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 31:1
Bible Genome reading
Job 31:1 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 31:1 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Job. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include moral purity, covenant. Notable phrases: made a covenant; with my eyes.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Job 31:1 mean to you, today?
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