Albert Barnes Commentary Job 31:11

"For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:" — Job 31:11 (ASV)

For this is a heinous crime — This expresses Job’s sense of the enormity of such an offense. He felt that there was no mitigation for it; he would in no way, and on no pretense, attempt to vindicate it.

An iniquity to be punished by the judges — A crime for the judges to adjudicate. The sins Job had specified previously were those of the heart; but here he refers to a crime against society — an offense that deserved the intervention of the magistrate. It may be observed here, that adultery has always been regarded as a sin “to be punished by the judges.” In most countries, it has been punished with death; see the notes at John 8:5.