Job 34:31

_SURELY IT IS MEET TO BE SAID UNTO GOD, I HAVE BORNE CHASTISEMENT, I WILL NOT OFFEND ANY MORE:_ Job accordingly says so (Job 40:3; Micah 7:9; Leviticus 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 Job 34:6.)...

31-37 When we reprove for what is amiss, we must direct to what is good. Job's friends would have had him own himself a wicked man. Let will only oblige him to own that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Let us, in giving reproof, not make a matter worse than it is. Elihu directs Job to humble himself before God for his sins, and to accept the punishment. Also to pray to God to discover his sins to him. A good man is willing to know the worst of himself; particularly, under affliction, he desires to be told wherefore God contends with him. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins, but we must go and sin no more. And if we are affectionate children, we shall love to speak with our Father, and to tell him all our mind. Elihu reasons with Job concerning his discontent under affliction. We are ready to think every thing that concerns us should be just as we would have it; but it is not re...

Verse Job 34:31. _SURELY IT IS MEET TO BE SAID UNTO GOD_] This is Elihu's exhortation to Job: _Humble thyself before God_, and say, "_I have_ _suffered - I will not offend_....

SURELY IT IS MEET TO BE SAID UNTO GOD - It is evident that this verse commences a new strain of remark, and that it is designed particularly to bring Job to proper reflections in view of what had occurred. There has been, however, much diversity of opinion about the meaning of this and the following verses. Schultens enumerates no less than “fifteen” different interpretations which have been given of this verse. The “general” meaning seems to be, that a man who is afflicted ought to submit to God, and not to murmur or complain. He ought to suppose that there is some good reason for what God does, and to be resigned to his will, even where he cannot “see” the reason of his dispensations. The drift of all the remarks of Elihu is, that God is a great and inscrutable Severeign; that he has a right to reign, and that man should submit unqualifiedly to him. In this passage he does not reproach...

EXPOSITION JOB 34:1 In this chapter Elihu turns from Job to those whom he addresses as "wise men" (verse 2), or "men of understanding" (verse 10). Whether these are Job's three special friends, or others among the company which had perhaps gathered to hear the debate, is uncertain. He makes the subject of his address to them Job's conduct—scarcely a polite thing to do in Job's presence. Job, he says, has scorned God and charged him with injustice (verses 5-9). He will vindicate him. This he proceeds to do in verses 10-30. He then points out what Job's course ought to be (verses 31-33), and winds up by an appeal to the "men of understanding" to endorse his condemnation of Job as a sinner and a rebel (verses 34-37). JOB 34:1,...

SURELY IT IS MEET TO BE SAID UNTO GOD,.... By any afflicted person under his chastising hand, and particularly by Job, for whom the advice and instructions in this verse and Job 34:32 are designed: I HAVE BORNE [CHASTISEMENT]; the word "chastisement" is not in the text, but is very properly supplied, as it is by Jarchi and others; the affliction of God's people is a fatherly chastisement, and should be considered and borne as such; and it becomes an afflicted good man to say, "I have borne and still do bear, and I am content yet to bear, the chastisement of the Lord; I am desirous to bear it willingly, cheerfully, and patiently, until he is pleased to remove it from me.'' See Micah 7:9; I WILL NOT OFFEND [ANY MORE]; that is, sin any more; sin is an offence

Job 34:1. _Furthermore Elihu answered and said, Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat._ I wish that verse was always true, especially concerning those who hear what purports to be the gospel; I only wish they would test and try what they hear, just as, with their mouth, they taste what they eat. But, as there are some persons who will eat anything that is set before them, so there are some who will accept anything that they hear, without exercising any spiritual discernment whatever. «It is cleverly put,» they say, and therefore they receive it; yet they would scarcely be foolish enough to eat unhealthy food simply because it was skillfully carved. Job 34:4. Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among

CHAPTER 34 _ 1. Hear my words ye wise men (Job 34:1)_ 2. The refutation of Job's accusation of God (Job 34:5) 3. Job needs testing to the end (Job 34:31) Job 34:1. In beginning this part of the address, in which Elihu vindicates God's character against Job's insinuations, he addresses the friends of Job, and perhaps others who were gathered there. He wants them to pay the closest attention to what he will say. Job 34:5. This is the main burden of his address; it is taken up with refuting Job's charge against God. He treats Job with all fairness a

If God does not intervene, who can condemn Him, even if He set up the wicked to rule? If only man penitently confesses his sin, is Job to presume to fix his punishment? Wise men will say that Job has spoken without wisdom. Would that Job were tried to the end, for to his sin he adds rebellion against God. JOB 34:29 is very difficult. In Job 34:29 a render, If he remains quiet. Budde reads in Job 34:29 b blame for behold, and omits Job 34:29 c as a gloss. In Job 34:30 read with Theodotion and the Targum, If he cause a godless man to reign, One of them that ensnare the people

The connexion of the following verses is rather uncertain. The sense of Job 34:30 might suggest the connexion of Job 34:29 with the preceding. In this case Job 34:31 would make a new start, and the connexion would be maintained to the end of the chapter. It is probable, however, that Job 34:34 should be taken by themselves. In Job 34:29 the word he is emphatic; similarly in Job 34:31 an emphasis falls on _God_. This common emphasis, in...