Job 31:28 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge— The Hebrew of this passage is only two words, פלילי עון avon pelili, which Schultens renders iniquitas arbitratoria; meaning, as he explains it, such an iniquity as any one must judge to be so; and he confirms his interpretation by the use of the word פלילים pelilim, Deuteronomy 32:31. Their rock is not as our rock, even our enemies themselves being Judges 1 :e. in the judgment or opinion even of our very enemies; so that here is nothing intimated of a judicial trial or punishment; but only the notoriety of the sin observed; and thus it is that the Chaldee paraphrase, as well as the Greek and Latin versions, interpret it; a great or heinous iniquity. But, supposing that it were rightly rendered an iniquity to be punished by the judge; as this may be well understood of the Supreme Judge of all, who shall say that it does not belong to him, as the lord and sovereign of the world, to punish those who in effect deny him to be such, and transfer his honour to another? Peters. Houbigant renders it, This also is a wickedness worthy of judgment; and the next clause seems plainly to prove, that it was the divine judgment whereof Job thought it worthy. The phrase may be rendered in the same manner in the 11th verse, This is a heinous crime, yea, an iniquity worthy of judgment.