Job 35:8

_LOOK UNTO THE HEAVENS, AND SEE; AND BEHOLD THE CLOUDS WHICH ARE HIGHER THAN THOU._ Elihu, like Eliphaz (Job 22:2; Job 22:12), shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of man respectively: it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness or hurt by sin. HIGHER THAN THOU - spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou cannot even reach them clearly with the eye. Yet these are not as high as God's seat. God is therefore too exalted to be dependent on man. Therefore, He has no inducement to injustice in His dealings with man. When He afflicts, it must be from a different motive-namely, the good of the sufferer. Verse 6. WHAT DOEST - how canst thou affect Him? UNTO HIM - that can h

1-8 Elihu reproves Job for justifying himself more than God, and called his attention to the heavens. They are far above us, and God is far above them; how much then is he out of the reach, either of our sins or of our services! We have no reason to complain if we have not what we expect, but should be thankful that we have better than we deserve....

Verse Job 35:8. _THY WICKEDNESS_ MAY HURT] It is better to translate this literally: To a man like thyself is thy wickedness: And to the son of man, thy righteousness: That is: - Thou mayest injure thyself and others by thy wickedness, And thou mayest benefit both by thy righteousness; But God thou canst neither hurt nor profit....

THY WICKEDNESS MAY HURT A MAN AS THOU ART - That is, it may injure him, but not God. He is too far exalted above man, and too independent of man in his sources of happiness, to be affected by what he can do. The object of the whole passage Job 35:6 is, to show that God is independent of people, and is not governed in his dealings with them on the principles which regulate their conduct with each other. One man may be greatly benefited by the conduct of another, and may feel under obligation to reward him for it; or he maybe greatly injured in his person, property, or reputation, by another, and will endeavor to avenge himself. But nothing of this kind can happen to God. If he rewards, therefore, it must be of his grace and mercy, not because he is laid under obligation; if he inflicts chastisement, it must be because people deserve it, and not because God has been inju

EXPOSITION JOB 35:1 In this short chapter, once more Elihu addresses himself to Job, first (verses 1-8) answering his complaint that a life of righteousness has brought him no correspondent blessings; and then (verses 9-14) explaining to him that his prayers and appeals to God have probably not been answered because they were not preferred in a right spirit, _i.e. _with faith and humility. Finally (verse 15, 16), he condemns Job for haughtiness and arrogance, and reiterates the charge that he "multiplies words without knowledge" (comp. Job 34:35-18). JOB 35:1, Job 35:2

THY WICKEDNESS [MAY HURT] A MAN AS THOU [ART],.... But not God: a man may hurt himself by his wickedness; his body, by bringing various diseases upon it, through debauchery and intemperance; his family and estate, by wasting it; his soul, for every sin is a wrong and injury to a man's soul, and exposes it to ruin and destruction: and sin does even a good man harm, since it breaks in upon his peace, and hinders his communion with God; and the wickedness of men may harm others like themselves, frail, mortal, sinful creatures, and easily led aside by ill examples; as well as there are many sins which do injury to the persons, families, and estates of others, as murder, adultery, theft, c. and since sin is harmful to others, God resents it, and punishes for it, though, strictly speaking, it cannot harm him in the sense before given AND THY RIGHTEOUSNESS [MAY PROFIT] THE SON OF MAN; may prof...

CHAPTER 35 _ 1. Remember the greatness of God (Job 35:1)_ 2. Why God is silent and does not answer (Job 35:9) Job 35:1. Job having kept silence Elihu continues and asks him if this is sound judgment, what he had said, “My righteousness is greater than God's righteousness.” This was the logical conclusion which Elihu drew from some of his words. Because God did not care for him the sufferer what profit was it to him if he had not sinned? Then Elihu answers and his friends as well by following Job's unjustly charge. He points out the greatness of God and that cannot in any way be affected by what man does. That was Job's contention. Look at the heavens which are higher than the creature of the dust. If thou hast sinned b

Elihu inquires whether it is Job's righteousness which finds expression in his question as to the profitableness of religion. Let him look to the heavens and see how far God is above him. Man's sin or righteousness in no way injures or profits God, but only other men. In Job 35:2 instead of Or sayest thou, my righteousness is more than God's, translate And callest it my righteousness before God. With Job 35:5; cf. Job 22:2; cf. Job 22:12....

The reply of Elihu to Job's complaint. A glance at heaven, the infinitely exalted abode of God, must tell us that our conduct whether good or bad cannot affect Him. Our righteousness confers no profit on Him, neither does our wickedness entail any loss. It is men themselves that their conduct affects. It is in human life that the influence of righteousness or evil-doing is seen. And being so eternally unlike they cannot have the same effect. Elihu does not contemplate any one going so far as to maintain that godliness and unrighteousness do not differ in themselves. Job assumes and most strongly asserts their difference. He even rises to the sublime height of resolving to adhere to righteousness though God and men should shew their indifference to it (ch. Job 17:9). And what he complains of is that God is indifferent to it, and that in His government the righteous is treated as the wick...

2. Man's actions, good or bad, do not help nor hurt God; they do affect men. (Job 35:4-8) TEXT 35:4-8 4 I WILL ANSWER THEE, And thy companions with thee. 5 Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou. 6 If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? 7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand? 8 Thy wickedness _may hurt_ A MAN AS THOU ART; And thy righteousness _may profit_ A SON of MAN. COMMENT 35:4-8 JOB 35:4Elihu here addresses all who have sympathy for Job's positionJob 34:2-4