If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
If I have raised my hand to harm an orphan, even when I knew I had supporters at the city gate who would back me up:
Job is declaring that he never used his power or influence to hurt defenseless orphans, even when he knew he could get away with it.
📚 Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, the city gate was the center of community life, where legal matters, commerce, and judgments by elders took place, making it a symbol of social power and justice. Job, in this verse from his lengthy defense of his integrity, is swearing an oath that he never used his influence to harm vulnerable people like orphans, reflecting the broader biblical and cultural emphasis on protecting the fatherless as commanded in Old Testament laws. This highlights the societal risks faced by widows and orphans in patriarchal societies, where they lacked male advocates for protection.
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