1Elihu further answered and said: 2Hear my words, you wise men; give ear to me, you who have knowledge. 3For the ear examines words as the palate tastes food. 4Let us choose justice for ourselves; let us know among ourselves what is good. 5For Job has said, I am righteous, but the Mighty God has taken away my justice; 6should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. 7What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water, 8who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? 9For he has said, It profits a man nothing when he is pleasing to God. 10Therefore listen to me, you men with heart: far be it from the Mighty God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do injustice. 11For He repays man according to his work, and causes him to attain according to his way. 12Surely the Mighty God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice. 13Who has given Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? 14If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, 15all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. 16If you have understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words: 17Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn a righteous mighty one? 18Is it fitting to say to a king, You are worthless; and to nobles, You are wicked? 19He is not partial to rulers, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of His hands. 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; people convulse and pass away; the mighty are taken away without a hand. 21For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. 22There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. 23For He does not lay more upon man, that he should go before the Mighty God in judgment. 24He breaks mighty men in pieces without inquiry, and makes others stand in their place. 25Therefore he knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, and they are crushed. 26He chastises them as wicked men, in a place where others can see, 27because they have turned aside from following Him, and have not considered any of His ways, 28so that they cause the cry of the poor to come to Him; for He hears the cry of the lowly. 29When He gives quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him? It might be against a nation or mankind altogether, 30so that the hypocrite should not reign, lest the people be ensnared. 31For has anyone said to the Mighty God, I have endured; I will offend no more; 32teach me what I do not see; if I have done injustice, I will do no more? 33Shall He recompense on your terms, just because you have rejected it? You must choose, and not I; therefore speak what you know. 34Men with heart say to me, wise men who listen to me: 35Job speaks without knowledge, his words are without insight. 36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, because his answers are like those of wicked men! 37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against the Mighty God.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Job 34:1-37)
answered--proceeded.
2 This chapter is addressed also to the "friends" as the thirty-third chapter to Job alone.
3 palate--(See on
Ιώβ 12:11;
Ιώβ 33:2).
4 judgment--Let us select among the conflicting sentiments advanced, what will stand the test of examination.
5 judgment--my right. Job's own words (
Ιώβ 13:18;
Ιώβ 27:2).
6 Were I to renounce my right (that is, confess myself guilty), I should die. Job virtually had said so (
Ιώβ 27:4-
Ιώβ 27:5;
Ιώβ 6:28). MAURER, not so well, "Notwithstanding my right (innocence) I am treated as a liar," by God, by His afflicting me.
my wound--literally, "mine arrow," namely, by which I am pierced. So "my stroke" ("hand,"
Ιώβ 23:2, Margin). My sickness (
Ιώβ 6:4;
Ιώβ 16:13).
without transgression--without fault of mine to deserve it (
Ιώβ 16:17).
7 (
Ιώβ 15:16). Image from the camel.
scorning--against God (
Ιώβ 15:4).
8 Job virtually goes in company (makes common cause) with the wicked, by taking up their sentiments (
Ιώβ 9:22-
Ιώβ 9:23,
Ιώβ 9:30;
Ιώβ 21:7-
Ιώβ 21:15), or at least by saying, that those who act on such sentiments are unpunished (
Μαλ. 3:14). To deny God's righteous government because we do not see the reasons of His acts, is virtually to take part with the ungodly.
9 with God--in intimacy (
Ψαλ. 50:18, Margin).
10 The true answer to Job, which God follows up (Job 38:1-41). Man is to believe God's ways are right, because they are His, not because we fully see they are so (
Ρωμ. 9:14;
Δευτ. 32:4;
Γέν. 18:25).
11 Partly here; fully, hereafter (
Ιερ. 32:19;
Ρωμ. 2:6;
1Πέτ. 1:17;
Αποκ. 22:12).
12 (
Ιώβ 8:3). In opposition to Job,
Ιώβ 34:5, will not--cannot.
13 If the world were not God's property, as having been made by Him, but committed to His charge by some superior, it might be possible for Him to act unjustly, as He would not thereby be injuring Himself; but as it is, for God to act unjustly would undermine the whole order of the world, and so would injure God's own property (
Ιώβ 36:23).
disposed--hath founded (
Ησ. 44:7), established the circle of the globe.
14 "If He were to set His heart on man," either to injure him, or to take strict account of his sins. The connection supports rather [UMBREIT], "If He had regard to himself (only), and were to gather unto Himself (
Ψαλ. 104:29) man's spirit, &c. (which he sends forth,
Ψαλ. 104:30;
Εκκλ. 12:7), all flesh must perish together," &c. (
Γέν. 3:19). God's loving preservation of His creatures proves He cannot be selfish, and therefore cannot be unjust.
16 In
Ιώβ 34:2, Elihu had spoken to all in general, now he calls Job's special attention.
17 "Can even He who (in thy view) hateth right (justice) govern?" The government of the world would be impossible if injustice were sanctioned. God must be just, because He governs (
2Σαμ. 23:3).
govern--literally, "bind," namely, by authority (so "reign,"
1Σαμ. 9:17, Margin). UMBREIT translates for "govern, repress wrath, namely, against Job for his accusations.
most just--rather, "Him who is at once mighty and just" (in His government of the world).
18 Literally, (Is it fit) to be said to a king? It would be a gross outrage to reproach thus an earthly monarch, much more the King of kings (
Έξ. 22:28). But MAURER with the Septuagint and Vulgate reads, (It is not fit to accuse of injustice Him) who says to a king, Thou art wicked; to princes, Ye are ungodly; that is, who punishes impartially the great, as the small. This accords with
Ιώβ 34:19.
19 (
Πράξ. 10:34;
2Χρ. 19:7;
Παρ. 22:2;
Ιώβ 31:15).
20 they--"the rich" and "princes" who offend God.
the people--namely, of the guilty princes: guilty also themselves.
at midnight--image from a night attack of an enemy on a camp, which becomes an easy prey (
Έξ. 12:29-
Έξ. 12:30).
without hand--without visible agency, by the mere word of God (so
Ιώβ 20:26;
Ζαχ. 4:6;
Δαν. 2:34).
21 God's omniscience and omnipotence enable Him to execute immediate justice. He needs not to be long on the "watch," as Job thought (
Ιώβ 7:12;
2Χρ. 16:9;
Ιερ. 32:19).
22 shadow of death--thick darkness (
Άμ. 9:2-
Άμ. 9:3;
Ψαλ. 139:12).
23 (
1Κορ. 10:13;
Θρ. 3:32;
Ησ. 27:8). Better, as UMBREIT, "He does not (needs not to) regard (as in
Ιώβ 34:14;
Ησ. 41:20) man long (so Hebrew,
Γέν. 46:29) in order that he may go (be brought by God) into judgment." Literally, "lest his (attention) upon men" (
Ιώβ 11:10-
Ιώβ 11:11). So
Ιώβ 34:24, "without number" ought to be translated, "without [needing any] searching out," such as has to be made in human judgments.
24 break in pieces-- (
Ψαλ. 2:9;
Ιώβ 12:18;
Δαν. 2:21).
25 Therefore--because He knows all things (
Ιώβ 34:21). He knows their works, without a formal investigation (
Ιώβ 34:24).
in the night--suddenly, unexpectedly (
Ιώβ 34:20). Fitly in the night, as it was in it that the godless hid themselves (
Ιώβ 34:22). UMBREIT, less simply, for "overturneth," translates, "walketh"; that is, God is ever on the alert, discovering all wickedness.
26 He striketh them--chasteneth.
as--that is, because they are wicked.
sight of others--Sinners hid themselves in darkness; therefore they are punished before all, in open day. Image from the place of public execution (
Ιώβ 40:12;
Έξ. 14:30;
2Σαμ. 12:12).
27 The grounds of their punishment in
Ιώβ 34:26.
Ιώβ 34:28 states in what respect they "considered not God's ways," namely, by oppression, whereby "they caused the cry," &c.
29 (
Παρ. 16:7;
Ησ. 26:3).
make trouble--rather, "condemn" (
Ρωμ. 8:33-
Ρωμ. 8:34). MAURER, from the reference being only to the godless, in the next clause, and
Ιώβ 34:20 translates, "When God keeps quiet" (leaves men to perish)
Ψαλ. 83:1; [UMBREIT] from the Arabic (strikes to the earth), "who shall condemn Him as unjust?"
Ιώβ 34:17.
hideth . . . face-- (
Ιώβ 23:8-
Ιώβ 23:9;
Ψαλ. 13:1).
it be done--Whether it be against a guilty nation (
2Βασ. 18:9-12) or an individual, that God acts so.
30 Ensnared--into sin (
1Βασ. 12:28,
1Βασ. 12:30). Or rather, "enthralled by further oppression,"
Ιώβ 34:26-
Ιώβ 34:28.
31 Job accordingly says so (
Ιώβ 40:3-
Ιώβ 40:5;
Μιχ. 7:9;
Λευ. 26:41). It was to lead him to this that Elihu was sent. Though no hypocrite, Job, like all, had sin; therefore through affliction he was to be brought to humble himself under God. All sorrow is a proof of the common heritage of sin, in which the godly shares; and therefore he ought to regard it as a merciful correction. UMBREIT and MAURER lose this by translating, as the Hebrew will bear, "Has any a right to say to God, I have borne chastisement and yet have not sinned?" (so
Ιώβ 34:6).
borne--namely, the penalty of sin, as in
Λευ. 5:1,
Λευ. 5:17.
offend--literally, "to deal destructively or corruptly" (
Νεεμ. 1:7).
32 (
Ιώβ 10:2;
Ψαλ. 32:8;
Ψαλ. 19:12;
Ψαλ. 139:23-
Ψαλ. 139:24).
no more-- (
Παρ. 28:13;
Εφεσ. 4:22).
33 Rather, "should God recompense (sinners) according to thy mind? Then it is for thee to reject and to choose, and not me" [UMBREIT]; or as MAURER, "For thou hast rejected God's way of recompensing; state therefore thy way, for thou must choose, not I," that is, it is thy part, not mine, to show a better way than God's.
34 Rather, "men . . . will say to me, and the wise man (
Ιώβ 34:2,
Ιώβ 34:10) who hearkens to me (will say), 'Job hath spoken,'" &c.
36 Margin, not so well, "My father," Elihu addressing God. This title does not elsewhere occur in Job.
tried--by calamities.
answers for wicked men--(See on
Ιώβ 34:8). Trials of the godly are not removed until they produce the effect designed.
37 clappeth . . . hands--in scorn (
Ιώβ 27:23;
Ιεζ. 21:17).
multiplieth . . . words-- (
Ιώβ 11:2;
Ιώβ 35:16). To his original "sin" to correct which trials have been sent, "he adds rebellion," that is, words arraigning God's justice.