If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
The verse falls within the debate between Job and his three friends about his afflictions. It stands in the close of that discussion, where they condemned him because of his seeming self-righteousness and he had no use for their words because he felt they were condemning him unjustly.
It belongs to Job's account of how he looked upon his wealth as one of the richest men of his day. He did not trust in his riches, take pride in them, or rejoice because his wealth was great, but trusted in the living God and remembered that God gave him power to get wealth. He held his wealth only as a means of blessing the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow.
As part of his defense of his integrity, Job claims that he did not despise the cause or claim of his male or female servant when they disputed or contended with him. He did not treat them unfairly, and he did not deny them a fair hearing when they brought a complaint against him. He treated their cause seriously because he and they were made by God, by the same God, and he knew he would have to answer to God for how he treated them.
His willingness to answer for such conduct before God is presented as evidence of his moral integrity. A person must not dismiss a servant's case when the servant disputes with him, but must treat the rights and concerns of servants with justice. Integrity includes treating servants justly and not despising their cause when they contend with their master, and paying debts to other people alone does not prove a person honest.
The verse falls within the debate between Job and his three friends about his afflictions. It stands in the close of that discussion, where they condemned him because of his seeming self-righteousness and he had no use for their words because he felt they were condemning him unjustly.
It belongs to Job's account of how he looked upon his wealth as one of the richest men of his day. He did not trust in his riches, take pride in them, or rejoice because his wealth was great, but trusted in the living God and remembered that God gave him power to get wealth. He held his wealth only as a means of blessing the poor, the needy, the fatherless, and the widow.
As part of his defense of his integrity, Job claims that he did not despise the cause or claim of his male or female servant when they disputed or contended with him. He did not treat them unfairly, and he did not deny them a fair hearing when they brought a complaint against him. He treated their cause seriously because he and they were made by God, by the same God, and he knew he would have to answer to God for how he treated them.
His willingness to answer for such conduct before God is presented as evidence of his moral integrity. A person must not dismiss a servant's case when the servant disputes with him, but must treat the rights and concerns of servants with justice. Integrity includes treating servants justly and not despising their cause when they contend with their master, and paying debts to other people alone does not prove a person honest.