Job 31:7if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
The setting
Job continues his oath of innocence, addressing sexual purity and greed - the progression from wandering eyes to wandering heart to defiled hands...
The emotion here: raw honesty about human weakness while asserting personal integrity
The original word
do'ah (דֹּאָה) — defilement that sticks, like pitch or tar that can't be washed off easily
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature often connected moral failure with physical contamination - sin was seen as something that literally 'stuck' to you
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 31:7
This describes the progression of temptation: feet that wander, eyes that desire, heart that follows, hands that act
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just about sexual sin, but 'heart walking after eyes' covers all forms of coveting - money, status, possessions. Job is addressing the root of all temptation.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 31:7
Bible Genome reading
Job 31:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 31:7 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 conduct, temptation. Notable phrases: step has turned; heart walked after 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 31:7 mean to you, today?
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