Matthew Henry Commentary Job 31:33-40

"If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom, Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door- Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); And [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written! Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown: I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him. If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended." — Job 31:33-40 (ASV)

Job clears himself from the charge of hypocrisy. We are reluctant to confess our faults, willing to excuse them, and to lay the blame upon others. But he that thus covers his sins, shall not prosper (Proverbs 28:13). He speaks of his courage in what is good, as an evidence of his sincerity in it.

When men obtain estates unjustly, they are justly deprived of comfort from them; it was sown wheat, but will come up thistles. What men do not obtain honestly will never do them any good. The words of Job are ended.

They end with a bold assertion, that, with respect to accusation against his moral and religious character as the cause for his sufferings, he could appeal to God. But, however confident Job was, we will see he was mistaken (Job 40:4, 5; 1 John 1:8). Let us all judge ourselves; where we are guilty, let us seek forgiveness in that blood which cleanseth from all sin; and may the Lord have mercy upon us, and write His laws in our hearts!