“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job isn't just denying outward actions; he's saying he never "walked with" falsehood as a companion, nor "hastened after" deceit when opportunities arose. This highlights that his integrity wasn't just about avoiding bad deeds, but about actively distancing himself from their very allure and influence.
“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is launching into a solemn oath, swearing his innocence before God concerning his dealings with others. Having already addressed his vision and actions, he now asserts he hasn't lived a life of deceitful practices or eagerly chased after dishonest gain. He's essentially saying, "If my whole life has been a lie, or if I've ever rushed to cheat someone, then let God deal with me."
Job uses powerful imagery to declare his innocence. What does it mean to 'walk with' something, and why is this picture so significant?
Job 31:5 presents two key actions he denies: "walked with falsehood" and "foot has hastened to deceit." The phrase "walked with falsehood" paints a picture of intimate companionship. It's not just an occasional encounter, but a deliberate choice to associate with, to live alongside, and to be known by dishonesty. Think of it like choosing your friends – if you 'walk with' falsehood, it becomes a defining characteristic of your life's journey.
This isn't just about telling lies; it encompasses hypocrisy, deceit, and living a life that isn't genuine. The scholarly context highlights that "vanity" (or falsehood) here can be understood as a way of life, a pattern of behavior. Job is saying he hasn't made dishonesty his partner or his constant companion.
Job didn't just avoid falsehood; he actively resisted the temptation to 'hasten' towards deceit. What does this urgent movement reveal about his character?
The second part of the verse, 'my foot has hastened to deceit,' speaks to the impetus behind Job's actions. It's not just about avoiding wrong, but about actively fleeing from it. The word 'hastened' implies a quick, eager, perhaps even greedy, movement towards something. Job is confessing that he never seized opportunities for dishonest gain or rushed into deceptive practices.
This imagery is crucial. It means that when faced with a chance to cheat, lie, or mislead for personal advantage, Job didn't hesitate – he actively didn't go. His feet moved away from deceit, not towards it. This suggests a deep-seated aversion to dishonesty, a moral compass that instinctively recoiled from anything crooked, especially when profit was involved. It's the opposite of being seduced by temptation; it's an active, swift rejection.
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Understand the original words
shav · Hebrew Noun
Refers to untruthfulness, vanity, or idols; it denotes a lack of integrity and a departure from reality and God's truth.
mirmah · Hebrew Noun
The act of misleading, trickery, or moral guile; it implies a deliberate attempt to deceive others and mask one's true intentions, which is contrary to the honesty God requires.
mo’ozne-tzedeq · Hebrew Noun phrase
A metaphorical device representing divine judgment and righteous evaluation. It signifies that God is not partial and will judge a person's life and character based on the standard of His holiness.
tummāh · Hebrew Noun
Wholeness, completeness, or moral innocence; the state of being blameless or ethically sound in conduct before God and others. It refers to a life consistent with God's law.
This proverb speaks of people who scheme and lie in wait to shed blood, mirroring Job's concern about his foot hastening to deceit and the potential harm it can cause.
Psalm 26:2David's plea for God to test his heart and try him echoes Job's desire for God to know his integrity, as he declares he has not walked with deceitful people.
Jeremiah 18:15This verse uses the same Hebrew word for 'vanity' or 'falsehood' that Job uses, lamenting how the people of Israel have forsaken God for worthless idols, connecting Job's denial to a broader theme of faithfulness versus deception.
1 John 1:6This passage warns against claiming to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness or living a lie, highlighting the essential connection between our outward actions and inner truth that Job is so carefully defending.
Matthew 7:22-23Jesus warns those who perform miracles in his name but practice lawlessness, showing that a claim of righteousness without genuine, truthful living will ultimately be exposed, much like Job's fear of his actions being wrongly judged.
bensonJob 31:5: "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;"
Job 31:5-6 . If I have walked with vanity — Conversed in the world, or dealt with men, with lying, falsehood, or hypocrisy, as the word vanity is often used; or if my foot hath hasted to deceit — If, when I had an opportunity of enriching myself by wronging others, I have readily and greedily complied with it. Let me be weighed, &c. — I desire nothing more than to have my heart and life weighed in just balances, and…
wesleyJob 31:5: "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;"
31:5 Walked - Dealt with men. Vanity - With lying, or falsehood. Deceit - If when I had an opportunity of enriching myself, by wronging others, I have readily and greedily complied with It.
Job isn't just denying outward actions; he's saying he never "walked with" falsehood as a companion, nor "hastened after" deceit when opportunities arose. This highlights that his integrity wasn't just about avoiding bad deeds, but about actively distancing himself from their very allure and influence.
Job is launching into a solemn oath, swearing his innocence before God concerning his dealings with others. Having already addressed his vision and actions, he now asserts he hasn't lived a life of deceitful practices or eagerly chased after dishonest gain. He's essentially saying, "If my whole life has been a lie, or if I've ever rushed to cheat someone, then let God deal with me."
Job is launching into a solemn oath, swearing his innocence before God concerning his dealings with others. Having already addressed his vision and actions, he now asserts he hasn't lived a life of deceitful practices or eagerly chased after dishonest gain. He's essentially saying, "If my whole life has been a lie, or if I've ever rushed to cheat someone, then let God deal with me."
"“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)" — Job isn't just denying outward actions; he's saying he never "walked with" falsehood as a companion, nor "hastened after" deceit when opportunities arose. This highlights that his integrity wasn't ju…
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Last reviewed October 2026