Job 34:1-37
Justice Belongs to God
1Then Elihu continued:
2“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
8He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
10Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
11For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
20They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
23For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
28They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed Him? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
Berean Standard Bible
Elihu asks the wise men to listen and judge between his words and Job's. He says Job has claimed to be right while God has denied him justice. Elihu rejects the idea that God could act wickedly or pervert justice, because He repays people according to their deeds and shows no partiality.
God does not need to investigate a city before judging it, Elihu says, and He does not appoint the wicked to rule. He sees the work of people and overturns them at night. The speech emphasizes divine knowledge and power, but it still does not establish why Job has suffered.
Elihu asks whether anyone can say to a king, “Worthless man,” or to nobles, “Wicked men.” God does not favor princes or the rich over the poor because all are the work of His hands. He hears the cry of the afflicted and does not remain silent when the poor call out.
Elihu says Job should be tested because his answers resemble those of wicked men. This is where his defense of God's justice becomes another accusation. He protects a true doctrine with a conclusion the book has not authorized him to make.
Questions
1 What does Elihu say God cannot do?
AnswerHe says God cannot act wickedly or pervert justice.
2 Whom does God not favor?
AnswerHe does not favor princes or the rich over the poor.
3 Whom does God hear?
AnswerHe hears the cry of the afflicted and the poor who call out.
4 What does Elihu finally claim about Job?
AnswerHe claims Job's answers resemble those of wicked men and should be tested.
What This Means for Us
Elihu is right that God is not corrupt, but he repeats the friends' mistake by making God's justice proof of Job's guilt. Defending God's character does not require inventing a reason for a person's pain.
Keep compassion for the afflicted at the center of justice. A theory that makes you less willing to hear the poor has already failed its own moral test.
Prayer
Just God, keep us from defending You with accusations. Make us attentive to the afflicted, impartial toward rich and poor, and humble enough to leave hidden matters in Your hands. Amen.