Let my shoulder fall from its joint, and let my arm with its bones be broken.
כְּ֭תֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה תִפּ֑וֹל וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י מִקָּנָ֥ה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
A just individual does not bring harm to others; it is Job himself who declares the curse: If I touch an orphan, may my body deteriorate. Because Job possessed an abundance of various virtues, he is thus referred to as faultless and upright.
In an effort to demonstrate to his companions that he was undeserving of such affliction, Job illustrates that he was not only decorated with acts of compassion and visible piety but was also a man of inner virtue (31:1-4). He states that deceit was foreign to him (5-8) and that impure desires for another man's wife never tainted his mind (9-12). Job regarded his subordinates as beings created in the same image as himself (13-15). When aiding the poor and needy, he never entertained the notion that he was a man of influence who could harm others (16-23); his reliance was not on wealth (24-25), nor did he engage in hidden sins (26-28). He did not take pleasure in the suffering of his adversaries (29-30) and kept his home welcoming to all who passed by (30-32).
Job saw himself as so faultless that he could confidently stand before God's judgment (31-37), without the fear of incurring the same curse that fell upon Adam due to his transgression (38-40). In Job's deeds and characteristics, we witness not only the righteousness of the Old Testament but also the noble virtues that epitomize the New Testament believer. Importantly, within these speeches, particularly the final one, we find a poignant encapsulation of Job's entire existence, as conveyed by Job himself. We observe him in various roles: as a father, a judge, and a leader; we learn about his interactions with peers, subordinates, and the unfortunate—revealing both his overt actions and his most hidden motivations. This presentation lays bare the entirety of his life: his former happiness, current trials, and future hopes. Job's image is complete, making it fitting for him to conclude his defense against his friends and assert his innocence at this juncture. Notable is the conclusion of Job's address (in the Slavonic and the Default, Job's words, 32:1), which serves as a critical part of the book of Job.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS