John Gill 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] an heinous crime
Adultery; it is contrary to the light of nature, and is condemned by it as a great sin, (Genesis 20:9) (26:10) ; as well as contrary to the express will and law of God, (Exodus 20:14) ; and, though all sin is a transgression of the law of God, and deserving of death; yet there are some sins greater and more heinous than others, being attended with aggravating circumstances; and such is this sin, it is a breach of the marriage contract and covenant between man and wife; it is doing injury to a man's property, and to that which is the nearest and dearest to him, and is what introduces confusion into families, kingdoms, and states; and therefore it follows:

yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges ;
who might take cognizance of it, examine into it, and pass sentence for it, and execute it; and, if they neglect do their duty, God, the Judge of all the earth, will punish for it in the world to come, unless repented of: "for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge", (Hebrews 13:4) ; the punishment of adultery was death by the law of God, and that by stoning, as appears from (Leviticus 20:10) (Deuteronomy 22:21) (John 8:4John 8:5) ; and it is remarkable, that the Heathens, who were ignorant of this law, enjoined the same punishment for it; so Homer introduces Hector reproving Paris for this sin, and suggests to him, that if he had his deserved punishment, he would have been clothed with a "stone coat", as he beautifully expresses it.^F5

Which Suidas^F6 explains, by being overwhelmed with stones, or stoned; as Eustathius.^F7

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Iliad. 3. v. 57.
• F6: In voce (lainon) .
• F7: In Homer. ibid.