Job 15:31 (KJV)

What does Job 15:31 mean?

Job 15:31 warns that a person who is misled should not put their confidence in empty or worthless things, because emptiness will be all they gain in return. The verse highlights the futility of trusting in things that have no real substance or value.

In this verse, Eliphaz is speaking to Job during their debate about suffering and righteousness. Eliphaz argues that those who are deceived (meaning, led astray from truth) and trust in "vanity"—which here means things that are empty or meaningless—will ultimately receive only emptiness as their reward. The verse is part of Eliphaz’s larger speech, where he insists that turning away from truth leads to disappointment and loss.

The Hebrew behind Job 15:31

• "deceived" (תָּעָה, ta‘ah): This word often means to wander or go astray, especially in a moral or spiritual sense. Eliphaz is not just talking about a simple mistake, but about someone who has been led far from what is true or right.
• "trust" (אָמַן, ’aman): This word means to place confidence or rely on something. The verse warns against putting this kind of trust in things that are empty or false.
• "vanity" (שָׁוְא, shav’): Used twice in this verse, this word means emptiness, falsehood, or something that has no real value. The repetition underlines just how empty these things are—what you trust in is what you get back.
• "recompence" (תְּמוּרָה, temurah): This word means an exchange or what one receives in return. The verse says that if you trust in emptiness, emptiness is exactly what you will get back.

Why Job 15:31 matters

• Job 15:31 clarifies that Eliphaz sees a direct link between what someone trusts in and what they ultimately receive, stressing the idea that false hopes lead to disappointment.
• The verse helps explain Eliphaz’s worldview: he believes suffering comes from moral failure or misplaced trust, not from innocent suffering or mystery.
• Understanding the original words for "vanity" and "recompence" shows that Eliphaz is making a strong point about the emptiness of false beliefs, not just warning against general foolishness.