Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said, Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
2 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
3 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
4 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
5 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
6 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
7 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men?
8 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
9 Therefore hearken unto me, O ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
10 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
11 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
12 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
13 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
14 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
15 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
16 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
17 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
18 Yea, he that accepteth not persons is he that made them; and he that giveth to the kings their judgment.
19 Surely the ear trieth words; as the mouth tasteth meat.
20 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
21 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
22 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
23 Who is able to resist his will? who shall say unto him, What doest thou?
24 For he putteth no trust in his holy ones; and the heavens are not clean in his sight.
25 How much less man, that is abominable and filthy, which drinketh iniquity like water?
26 I will shew you, hear me: for, what I have seen I will declare, and I will utter the knowledge that I have.
Job 34 Commentary
Chapter Overview
Job 34 is Elihu’s second major address. After speaking directly to Job in Job 33, he now appeals to the “wise men” and asks the listeners to test his words as the mouth tastes food. His central claim is that God cannot act wickedly or pervert justice.
That doctrine is essential to the book. Job’s suffering has raised questions about whether the Judge of all the earth is treating him rightly. Elihu insists that God is the Creator, Sustainer, impartial Ruler, and all-seeing Judge. No one appointed God over the world, no social rank influences Him, and no darkness can conceal human conduct from His sight.
Yet Elihu’s speech also shows the danger of defending a true doctrine through an unfair account of another person’s words. He strengthens Job’s complaints into the claim that serving God has no value, associates him with evildoers, and ends by wishing that Job would be tested “unto the end.” The chapter therefore combines strong theology with severe and sometimes inaccurate application.
Test the Words Carefully
Elihu begins, “The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” Listeners should not accept teaching merely because it is forceful, traditional, or religious. Words must be examined for truth, fairness, and wise application.
This principle applies to Elihu himself. Readers should neither dismiss everything he says because he is young nor assume everything is correct because God’s final speeches follow his. His claims must be compared with Job’s actual words, the heavenly prologue, and God’s conclusion in Job 42.
Has Elihu Represented Job Fairly?
Elihu summarizes Job as saying, “I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.” Job has indeed defended his integrity and complained that he cannot obtain the hearing he desires. In Job 23, he longs to present his case before God, confident that a fair examination would distinguish him from the crimes alleged by the friends.
Job also described his wound as incurable “without transgression.” His point was not that he had never sinned in any sense. He denied that a hidden act of extreme wickedness explained the catastrophe that had overtaken him. The book’s opening supports that denial.
Elihu becomes less fair when he says Job has claimed that a person gains nothing by delighting in God. Job has observed that righteous and wicked people may experience similar earthly outcomes, especially in Job 21. He has also questioned what benefit his integrity brought during intense pain. But he has not abandoned God or joined a company of evildoers. He continues speaking to God, appealing to God, and longing for God.
God Cannot Do Wickedness
Elihu’s foundational declaration is clear: “Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.” God is not merely more powerful than human judges. His character is perfectly righteous, so injustice is contrary to who He is.
Elihu adds that God renders to people according to their work. Scripture consistently teaches moral accountability and final judgment. Human actions matter, and evil will not remain unanswered forever.
However, the book has already shown that recompense is not always immediate or easily read from present circumstances. Job’s losses were not a straightforward payment for secret crimes, and Job 21 demonstrated that wicked people may prosper for a time. Elihu’s principle is true when placed within God’s complete judgment, but misleading if used as a simple explanation for every present condition.
“Surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.” This answer corrects Job wherever his lament moves from describing confusion to accusing God of injustice. Yet the statement does not by itself explain why a righteous sufferer experiences prolonged affliction. Correct doctrine may establish a boundary without resolving every mystery inside that boundary.
The Creator and Sustainer Owes His Throne to No One
Elihu asks who gave God authority over the earth or placed the whole world in His care. No higher power appointed Him, and no outside authority can remove Him. God’s rule is original, not delegated.
His sovereignty is joined to His sustaining power. If God gathered back the spirit and breath He gives, all flesh would perish together and humanity would return to dust. Every breath therefore testifies to human dependence.
Can One Who Hates Justice Govern?
Elihu asks, “Shall even he that hateth right govern?” A ruler who despised justice would make stable government impossible. Elihu argues from the order God maintains: the universal Governor cannot be fundamentally opposed to the justice His rule requires.
He then asks whether Job will condemn “him that is most just.” This identifies the dangerous edge of Job’s language. In seeking vindication, Job sometimes speaks as though his innocence and God’s righteousness cannot both be maintained. Elihu rightly refuses that false choice.
Nevertheless, correcting that false choice requires more than repeating that God is just. The eventual divine speeches will expand Job’s vision of creation, wisdom, and providence rather than merely accuse him of belonging among the wicked.
God Judges Without Partiality
Human courts are often distorted by wealth, rank, influence, or fear. God does not favor princes over ordinary people or regard the rich more than the poor, because all are the work of His hands.
Kings and commoners alike can die suddenly. The mighty may be removed “without hand,” showing that political power does not protect anyone from divine authority. God is never intimidated by status.
Nothing Is Hidden from God
God’s eyes are upon human ways, and He sees every step. There is no darkness or shadow of death where workers of iniquity can hide. Unlike human judges, God does not depend upon incomplete reports, manipulated testimony, or secret evidence withheld from Him.
Because His knowledge is complete, God does not need an extended investigation before bringing someone into judgment. He knows the works of the mighty, can overturn them in the night, and can expose wrongdoing openly.
This should comfort victims whose suffering has been concealed or ignored. It should also warn anyone who mistakes secrecy for safety. Hidden exploitation remains visible to God.
God Hears the Cry of the Poor
Elihu says the wicked turn aside from God’s ways until “the cry of the poor” comes to Him, and He hears the cry of the afflicted. Divine justice is not an abstract concern with rules; it includes attention to people harmed by the powerful.
This point is especially ironic because Eliphaz accused Job of abusing vulnerable people in Job 22, while Job answered with a detailed record of mercy and justice in Job 31. Elihu is right that God hears oppressed people, but he has not proved that Job caused their cries.
When God gives quietness, no one can manufacture trouble against His will; when He hides His face, no one can compel His favor. Elihu applies this to individuals and nations alike. God’s government reaches beyond private spirituality to public leadership, so that hypocritical rulers do not endlessly ensnare a people.
What Should Repentance Sound Like?
Elihu proposes words appropriate for someone under correction: “I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: that which I see not teach thou me.” This prayer contains humility, teachability, and willingness to turn from actual wrong.
The request “Teach thou me” is especially valuable. People may have blind spots and need God to reveal what they do not see. Job himself has asked God to show him his transgression rather than merely accepting the friends’ invented charges.
Repentance must be truthful. It is not spiritual maturity to confess crimes one did not commit simply to end conflict. God desires honesty about real sin, not surrender to false accusation.
Elihu asks whether God’s recompense should be governed by Job’s preferences. The answer is no: a creature cannot define justice solely by what feels acceptable. Still, Elihu presents the choice too narrowly when he suggests Job must either accept his explanation or reject God’s justice.
Elihu’s Harsh Verdict
Elihu concludes that Job has spoken without knowledge and that his words lack wisdom. God will later make a related correction when He asks who darkens counsel by words without knowledge. Job’s understanding is limited, and some of his charges against God require repentance.
But Elihu goes further, desiring that Job be tested “unto the end” because of answers associated with wicked men. He says Job adds rebellion to sin, claps his hands among them, and multiplies words against God. The tone shifts from correction toward prosecution.
The heavenly prologue prevents readers from accepting this as a full description of Job. Job is not suffering because he joined evildoers. His language has become excessive in places, but his perseverance, honesty, and refusal to curse God remain important parts of the story.
Important Questions
Does Job 34 teach that everyone immediately receives according to his works? It teaches certain moral accountability under God’s perfect judgment. The rest of Job shows that the timing and earthly form of that judgment cannot always be inferred from present circumstances.
Was Job claiming that serving God is worthless? Elihu overstates Job’s argument. Job questioned the visible advantage of righteousness during suffering, but he continued seeking God rather than rejecting Him.
Is Elihu completely right or completely wrong? Neither description does justice to the speech. He powerfully defends God’s righteousness, impartiality, knowledge, and concern for the poor, yet he also misrepresents Job and draws conclusions not established by the facts.
Application
Job 34 teaches believers to defend God’s character without distorting another person’s testimony. Truth does not need exaggeration, selective quotation, or false accusation in order to remain true.
The chapter also calls leaders and communities to imitate God’s impartial concern for justice. Wealth, title, and social influence must never outweigh the cry of a poor or afflicted person.
Finally, the passage invites humble self-examination: “That which I see not teach thou me.” Mature faith can confess limited understanding, reject false guilt, receive correction for real wrong, and continue trusting that the Judge who sees every path will never pervert justice.