FocusClaims about God's justice and instruction
Connection to the wholeA new speaker responds to Job and the friends before the LORD's speeches begin; his speech must be distinguished from the divine answer.
interpretation Job 34:10
KJVTherefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
Read it in context
Elihu Confirms God’s Justice
Start reading at Job 34:1 (Job 34:1 to Job 34:37).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
A new speaker responds to Job and the friends before the LORD's speeches begin; his speech must be distinguished from the divine answer.
- 34:1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
- 34:2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
- 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
- 34:4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
- 34:5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
- 34:6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
- 34:7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
- 34:8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
- 34:9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
- 34:10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
- 34:11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
- 34:12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
- 34:13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
- 34:14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
- 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
- 34:16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
- 34:17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
- 34:18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
- 34:19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
- 34:20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
- 34:21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
- 34:22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
- 34:23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
- 34:24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
- 34:25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
- 34:26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
- 34:27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
- 34:28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
- 34:29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
- 34:30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
- 34:31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
- 34:32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
- 34:33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
- 34:34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
- 34:35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
- 34:36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
- 34:37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
Who
- Who wrote the book? The author is unknown. Moses is one ancient traditional proposal, but neither that proposal nor another named author can be established with confidence. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). book background
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Job 32:1–37:24): Elihu addresses Job and the listening wise men after the three friends cease answering. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Readers within Israel's wisdom tradition, wrestling with innocent suffering, justice, and the limits of human judgment. No named individual or first community is identified. Biblical references: Job 28:28; Job 42:7. book background
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Elihu Confirms God’s Justice. Read Job 34:1 through Job 34:37 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? A new speaker responds to Job and the friends before the LORD's speeches begin; his speech must be distinguished from the divine answer. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The book supplies no royal date or exact historical year for Job's experiences. Proposed patriarchal-era settings are historical inferences, not a date explicitly stated by the narrative. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Job is introduced as a man in the land of Uz. The poetic speeches range through imagined and remembered scenes that should not all be treated as the speakers' physical locations. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Elihu Confirms God’s Justice (Job 34:1 to Job 34:37). Start reading at Job 34:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? James refers to Job's endurance and the Lord's compassion. Connections between Job's suffering and Christ may be considered as comparisons; Job's speeches should not all be treated as direct predictions of Jesus. See Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Do not assume that a sufferer's losses prove a hidden sin. Listen carefully, distinguish the speakers, and read their claims alongside the LORD's concluding rebuke of the friends. interpretation
Cited: Job 34:1, Job 34:37, Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15
Who wrote it, and how we know
Uncertain; among the oldest books of Scripture
Not known
What Scripture saysThe book does not name its author.
Early traditionJewish tradition (Baba Bathra 14b) suggested Moses, but ancient opinion varied widely.
What is debatedThe author is unknown and the date is uncertain. The setting appears patriarchal, but the book could have been written far later.
Related passages
- understanding Job 34:2-3,34 Prov 6:32 Prov 15:32
- far Job 8:3 Job 36:23 Job 37:23 Gen 18:25 Deut 32:4 2 Chr 19:7 Ps 92:15 Jer 12:1
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Job 34
Job contains narrative, lament, and extended disputation. The speakers must be identified before treating an assertion as the book's teaching: the LORD explicitly rebukes Job's friends near the end. Neither the author nor an exact historical date is stated. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Job
Job contains narrative, lament, and extended disputation. The speakers must be identified before treating an assertion as the book's teaching: the LORD explicitly rebukes Job's friends near the end. Neither the author nor an exact historical date is stated.
Job's losses and the friends' arrival
Job 1:1–2:13FocusSuffering and the opening test
Connection to the wholeThe narrative establishes Job's losses and integrity before the speeches begin, giving readers information the disputing friends do not possess.
interpretation The lament and first exchange
Job 3:1–14:22FocusSuffering questioned and explained
Connection to the wholeJob's lament leads into the first cycle of speeches, in which the friends' explanations are challenged by Job's experience.
interpretation The second exchange
Job 15:1–21:34FocusAccusation and protest intensify
Connection to the wholeThe argument sharpens as the friends connect suffering with wickedness and Job challenges their account of the wicked's fortunes.
interpretation The final exchange and Job's defense
Job 22:1–31:40FocusWisdom and the demand for an answer
Connection to the wholeThe later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer.
interpretation FocusClaims about God's justice and instruction
Connection to the wholeA new speaker responds to Job and the friends before the LORD's speeches begin; his speech must be distinguished from the divine answer.
interpretation The LORD answers
Job 38:1–41:34FocusCreation and the limits of human knowledge
Connection to the wholeThe LORD questions Job concerning the created order, confronting the limits of his knowledge and his attempt to contend with God.
interpretation Job's response and the conclusion
Job 42:1–17FocusRepentance, rebuke, and restoration
Connection to the wholeJob responds, the friends are rebuked, and the narrative closes with intercession and restoration without turning every speech into endorsed doctrine.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.