הֲלֹא־אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
Contextual Introduction
Job 31:3 forms part of Job’s final defense—a solemn oath of innocence. In this chapter, Job articulates a series of conditional statements that, if proven false, would justify divine punishment. Verse 3 reflects Job’s moral theology: that calamity and estrangement are the proper lot of the wicked. He poses this not as a mere observation but as a rhetorical question with an expected affirmative answer. Grammatically, this verse demonstrates how Biblical Hebrew uses interrogative particles, parallelism, and poetic terseness to convey theological certainty.
Grammatical Focus: Rhetorical Question, Construct Phrases, and Lexical Emphasis
1. הֲלֹא־אֵ֥יד – Rhetorical Question with Negative Particle
– הֲלֹא introduces a rhetorical question expecting a “yes” answer. It combines the interrogative particle הֲ with the negative לֹא, a common Biblical Hebrew device to express strongly affirmed truths.
– אֵ֥יד (“disaster,” “calamity”) is the subject of the clause, meaning judgment or destruction.
2. לְעַוָּ֑ל – Dative of Destiny
– The preposition לְ here indicates destination or assigned outcome. עַוָּ֑ל (“evil one,” “wicked person”) is the dative recipient of the calamity.
– The phrase אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל thus means “Is not disaster destined for the wicked?”
3. וְנֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן – Coordinated Parallelism
– וְנֵ֗כֶר (“and alienation,” “strangeness,” or “calamity”) parallels אֵיד and can mean divine rejection or horror (cf. Isa 28:21).
– לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן is a construct phrase: “workers of iniquity.” The dative לְ again marks those to whom the נֵ֗כֶר is apportioned.
– This poetic parallelism intensifies the assertion: not only disaster, but alienation is the inheritance of the wicked.
Theological and Literary Implications
Job appeals to traditional retributive theology—those who act wickedly should expect ruin. The interrogative form strengthens the irony: Job affirms this truth even while experiencing undeserved suffering, challenging the simplistic application of retribution.
The doublet אֵיד / נֵ֗כֶר and עַוָּ֑ל / פֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן forms an elegant chiasmus in content:
– Disaster – Wicked
– Alienation – Workers of evil
This structure is not merely aesthetic; it reflects a worldview in which cosmic justice has order. Job upholds the principle even as he contests its application to his case.
Versions and Linguistic Parallels
The Septuagint translates: οὐχὶ ἀπώλεια τῷ ἀδίκῳ, καὶ ἀλλοτρίωσις τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἀνομίαν; —retaining the interrogative force (οὐχὶ) and lexically matching אֵיד with ἀπώλεια (“destruction”).
The Vulgate: nonne calamitas est impio, et alienatio his qui operantur iniquitatem? —also preserves the rhetorical question and poetic balance.
These renderings demonstrate the enduring clarity and force of the Hebrew’s rhetorical structure.
When Questions Affirm: Grammar as Theological Certainty
Job 31:3 transforms a rhetorical question into a doctrinal anchor. Through the interrogative הֲלֹא, construct pairings, and poetic parallelism, the verse affirms divine justice even as Job questions its operation. The grammar itself testifies to Job’s belief in a moral universe—where disaster belongs to the wicked, even when the righteous suffer unjustly.
