Job 31:13"If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;
The setting
Ancient Uz, ~2000 BC. Job, once wealthy with many servants, defends his treatment of those under his authority...
The emotion here: proud of treating subordinates with dignity while defending reputation
The original word
shiphchâh (שִׁפְחָה) — female servant, often someone in vulnerable economic position
Why it matters
In ancient times, servants could bring legal complaints against masters, but masters rarely listened to them
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 31:13
Job isn't talking about slavery — he's talking about employment disputes. Even his servants could 'contend' with him legally
Common misconceptionPeople assume this is about slavery, but Job is describing employment relationships where workers had legal rights to bring complaints. He's proud that he listened to them — which was radical for his time.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 31:13
Bible Genome reading
Job 31:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 31:13 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 40% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include justice, equality. Notable phrases: despised the cause of my servant; when they contended with me.
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 31:13 mean to you, today?
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