Job 34

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Job 34

1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

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.

11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

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.

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.

21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

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:

30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

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 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 3

<html>For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.</html>

Verse 5

<html>my right [my] To prove my words.</html>

Verse 6

<html>I call a liar I accuse my Judge of being a liar, because He did not judge me fairly. incurable Heb. אנוש, My wound is sore, like (II Sam. 12:15), “and it became mortally ill (ויאנש).” my wound Heb. חצי [lit. my arrow].</html>

Verse 9

<html>A man derives no benefit A man derives no benefit if he perfects his ways.</html>

Verse 13

<html>Who gave Him a charge over the earth Who rules over Him, saying, ‘Why did You do so?’ or ‘I did not command You so’? For who gave Him a charge over His dominion, and why should He find pretexts for His creatures? He need not answer one who rules over Him by saying ‘Because of this I harmed him.’</html>

Verse 14

<html>If He puts His heart on man to destroy him, why should He come upon him with a pretext? He can immediately gather in to Himself… His spirit and His soul His spirit and His soul that He blew into him, and no one will stop Him. Thus, all flesh will perish together.</html>

Verse 16

<html>And if you wish, understand And if you wish, understand. hearken to this This בּינה is not a noun but an imperative expression, like (Ps. 5:2), “consider (בּינה) my meditation.” Therefore, these two are accented on the first syllable, on the “beth,” whereas all the others are accented on the final syllable, on the “nun.”</html>

Verse 17

<html>Will…even one who hates judgment Will the Omnipresent heal [even the one who hates the judgment] of the just Judge? If you say that [to do so] is not judgment, for He acted not in accordance with the law, is it possible that you should condemn One Who is very righteous? very Heb. כביר, an expression denoting “exceedingly.”</html>

Verse 18

<html>Is it proper to say of a king, ‘scoundrel’ Is it fit and proper to say of a king, ‘scoundrel,’ or ‘wicked’ of nobles?</html>

Verse 19

<html>Who did not respect princes That is to say, the King of the world, before Whom there is no favoritism. a prince Heb. שוע, a prince, as in (Isa. 32:5), “nor shall a deceitful person be said to be noble (שוע).”</html>

Verse 20

<html>In a moment, they die when He wishes. and at midnight as He did to the Egyptians, an [entire] people quakes in a moment and passes away.it is not in their hands it is not in their hands, and they have no strength.</html>

Verse 23

<html>For He will not place additional [guilt] on a man That is to say: You said (23:6), ‘He will not place upon me anything but my sins,’ only my sins alone, and I reply to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, will not place on His creatures additional accusations over their transgression. [The word] עוד is an expression of addition. to go to God in judgment When He comes upon His creatures to debate with them.</html>

Verse 24

<html>He shatters Heb. ירע, [like] ירוֹצֵץ. He shatters, and like (Isa. 24:19), “has broken (התרעעה).” and He stands others in their stead.</html>

Verse 25

<html>Because He recognizes their deeds Because He recognizes their deeds, whether good or evil, He does not need to debate. He turns night A time of darkness and trouble for them, and they are crushed.</html>

Verse 26

<html>In the place of the wicked Heb. תחת, in their location. He smote them The people of Sodom. in the place of viewers Before everyone’s eyes.</html>

Verse 27

<html>Because they turned away from following Him Heb. אשר על-כן as in (Num. 10:31), “because (על- כן) you knew our camping in the desert.” [This is] like: because (מפני אשר) they turned away from following Him, and they brought before Him and upon Him the cry of the poor.</html>

Verse 29

<html>When He quiets He gives the poor [some peace and] quiet from those who oppress [them]. Now who will deal wickedly anymore? And as long as He hid His face, who will see Him? whether [it be done] to a nation or to a man, alike As for individuals, [or] as for a multitude it is the same to Him to quiet [them] and to hide His face.</html>

Verse 30

<html>And it shall be quiet, that a flattering man shall not reign because of the snares of the people Over the poor, who reigned. because of the snares of the people [who were guilty] of iniquity, and concerning such a God, you should not have said, ‘scoundrel,’ and ‘wicked.</html>

Verse 31

<html>For to God should be said To be said to Him. It is fitting and proper for all those who suffer pains to say, ‘I bear, accept, and tolerate Your judgments, and I will not destroy myself.’ Further, the one who is judged must say…</html>

Verse 32

<html>Besides what I see Besides what I know to perceive in Your words, You instruct me, and if I have committed injustice, I will not continue.</html>

Verse 33

<html>From you should He pay it, for you despised etc. so did Elihu say to Job, “Should the Holy One, blessed be He, have taken counsel from you about repaying you?” for you despised saying (above 7: 16), “I despised [my life]; I will not live forever”; (above 6:9) “enlarge His hand and finish me off.” Do you think that He would collect from you according to your thoughts and your desire, and you would choose the payment—not I? Elihu spoke instead of the Holy One, blessed be He, with a question.</html>

Verse 34

<html>Men of understanding will say to me that Job does not speak with knowledge.</html>

Verse 36

<html>My Father! May [Job] be tried You are my Father. The Holy One, blessed be He, is the Father of all. If only Job were tried to eternity, in order that there be repentance among men of iniquity. And also to men Scripture speaks in this manner (II Kings 5:13): “‘Master (אבי), if the prophet spoke to you to do a difficult thing etc.’” Another explanation: אבי is like (Ecc. 12:5), “and the sexual desire (האביונה) will fail,” an expression of desire. Menachem (Machbereth p. 11) associated it in this manner, and this is its interpretation: אָבִי יִבָּחֵן אִיוֹב עַד נֶצַח, my wish and my desire are that Job should be tried to eternity (omitted in some editions).</html>

Verse 37

<html>he speaks loquaciously Heb. יספוק is an expression of many words and raising the voice. among us he speaks loquaciously He asks, Why should we be concerned with his words? (above 19:4), ‘And even if I have indeed erred, let my error stay with me,’ and he does not know that we are punished, and he increases iniquities for us because we are listening. So it is explained in Leviticus Rabbah (4:6).</html>

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Table of Contents

Job 34

Job 34

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 3

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 9

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 26

Verse 27

Verse 29

Verse 30

Verse 31

Verse 32

Verse 33

Verse 34

Verse 36

Verse 37