Job 31:13 Meaning: Justice for the Least of These
“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;
If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,
Meaning in one sentence
Job's integrity oath: he never rejected his servants' complaints because he and they share one Creator. A model of justice rooted in our common humanity.
Context
Job is making his final case. He has lost everything, children, wealth, health, and his friends insist he must have sinned to deserve it. In chapter 31, he answers with a series of oaths: if I have done this evil, then let that punishment fall on me. It is his last word, a desperate appeal to heaven that his life has been upright. This verse comes in a group about how he treated his servants. Verses 13, 15 are one oath: if he ever refused to hear his servants when they brought a complaint, then he would be unable to answer when God confronts him. The reason comes in verse 15: the same God who formed Job in the womb also formed his servant. That shared creation changes everything.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind despised is ma'as, a strong word meaning to reject with contempt, to treat as worthless. Job is not talking about merely ignoring a complaint; he is saying he never looked down on his servants as beneath a fair hearing. The noun mishpat (cause) is a legal term for a case at law, a claim for justice. And the verb contended comes from riv, meaning a formal dispute, the kind that might go before a judge. Job gave his servants the right to bring a case against him, to argue their side as equals before the law. In an ancient world where a master held absolute power, that choice was radical. It means Job saw his servants not as property but as people with standing, people whose voice mattered even when they challenged him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have long read Job 31:13 as a high standard of justice. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, notes that in ancient times servants had no legal rights against their owners, but Job gave them full civil status. Matthew Henry emphasizes the bond of a common Creator as the foundation for fair treatment. The Cambridge Bible reads it as Job repudiating the misuse of his rank. Across traditions, Reformed, Baptist, Anglican, the consistent point is that Job’s integrity included justice for the powerless. No tradition treats this as a minor virtue; all see it as a test of true faith. The shared creation in verse 15 holds the whole thing together, reminding every reader that no human authority stands outside God’s equal gaze.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Job is simply being kind to his servants, like a good master who does not yell at the help. In fact, the text goes deeper. Job gave his servants a legal right to contend with him, to bring a formal complaint and have it heard. This was not charity; it was justice. He did not just avoid being harsh. He granted them standing as equals before God, a radical move in a world where the powerful had no obligation to listen to the weak.
Living This Out
This week, think about the people in your life who do not have the same power you do. Maybe you are a boss, a parent, a teacher, or the one people come to for help. Is there someone whose side of things you have not really heard? A child with a grievance, an employee with a worry, a spouse who feels brushed aside? Job did not wait for them to prove their case. He opened the door for the complaint itself. You can do that too. Not by being nice, but by admitting they have a right to be heard. That changes how you listen.
Main takeaway: Because we share one Creator, no person is beneath our justice; every complaint deserves a hearing.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Job said he listened to his servants when they told him something was wrong. God made both Job and his servants. You can listen when someone smaller than you says they are upset. That is a way of loving them.
For ages 9, 12
In Job’s time, servants had almost no rights. A master could treat them however he wanted. But Job said he never refused to listen when a servant had a complaint against him. Why? Because God made them both. That meant his servant mattered just as much as he did. It is easy to ignore someone who depends on you. Job showed that real faith listens to everyone, no matter who they are.
Questions People Ask
What does 'despised the cause' mean in Job 31:13?
The Hebrew word for 'despise' means to reject with contempt, to treat as worthless. 'Cause' is a legal term for a case or claim for justice. So Job is saying he never dismissed a servant's complaint as beneath his notice. He took their legal claims seriously.
Were Job's servants slaves or hired workers?
The Hebrew words used here (eved, amah) can mean either slave or servant. Many commentators note that slavery existed in Job's time, but the text does not say whether he owned slaves. What matters is that Job gave his servants a right to bring a formal complaint against him, which was not common in the ancient world.
How does verse 15 connect to verse 13?
In verse 15, Job says the same God who formed him in the womb also formed his servant. That shared creation is the basis for his justice. If God made them both, then the servant has equal standing before God. Job cannot treat a fellow creature of God as if they have no rights.
Why does Job include this in his defense?
Job is proving his integrity by listing areas where he could have sinned but did not. By swearing he never mistreated his servants, he shows that his righteousness extended to those with no power. It is a powerful witness that his faith affected how he treated even the most vulnerable people in his household.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study