Job 34:1-12 Meaning: Can We Defend God's Justice Without Misjudging Others?
1Moreover Elihu answered,
2“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.
4Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right.
6Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’
7What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,
8who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’
10“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11For the work of a man he will give to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
1Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10Therefore 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.
11For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
1Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.
4Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right:
6Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I amwithout transgression.
7What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water,
8Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men?
9For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.
10Therefore 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.
11For the work of a man will he render unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.
12Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
1And Elihu answereth and saith:
2Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
3For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.
4Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job hath said, `I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,
6Against my right do I lie? Mortal is mine arrow--without transgression.'
7Who is a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,
8And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
9For he hath said, `It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'
10Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Mighty to do perverseness:
11For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.
12Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.
1Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
4Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!
5For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:
6Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.
7What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,
8And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.
10Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!
11For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.
12Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.
Meaning in one sentence
Elihu answers Job's unspoken complaint by declaring God never does wrong. But does he misrepresent Job? A careful look at Job 34.
Context
Elihu, the younger man who has been listening to the debate, now turns to address the 'wise men' who are gathered. He is responding not to a specific statement Job just made, but to the whole pattern of Job's arguments throughout the book. After a pause, Elihu begins a new section of his speech. He quotes Job's words back to him: Job has claimed to be righteous and that God has taken away his right. Job has implied his suffering is incurable even though he is innocent. Elihu takes these statements as evidence that Job speaks scornfully, drinking up mockery like water, and even suggests that Job thinks there is no profit in serving God. Then comes Elihu's central claim: God cannot do evil. The Almighty never perverts justice. For Elihu, this is the bedrock truth that Job has forgotten.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words anchor this passage. First, chaliylah, translated 'far be it' in verse 10. It is a cry of abhorrence, like saying 'God forbid!' Elihu cannot even entertain the thought that God might do evil. The strength of the word shows how deeply he reveres God's character. Second, the word mishpat, used four times in these twelve verses. It means 'justice' or 'a just decision', what is rightly due to someone. Job says God has taken away his mishpat (v5). Elihu insists God never perverts mishpat (v12). They use the same word for opposite claims. Third, the verb tsadaq, 'to be righteous.' Job uses it to declare his own integrity (v5). But Elihu hears it as a boast. Understanding these words helps us see why the two men talk past each other.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read Elihu's speech with different emphasis. Some see him as a breath of fresh air after the three friends, because he does not accuse Job of secret sin but simply declares that God is just. The Cambridge Bible (Anglican) calls his argument 'the truest answer that can be given' to Job's complaint. Yet many also notice that Elihu misrepresents Job. Job never said there is no profit in serving God. Others point out that a principle like 'God repays each according to their ways' is true in the final judgment, but applying it to immediate circumstances can be misleading, as the rest of the book shows. Both Job's honesty in suffering and Elihu's zeal for God's honor have lessons for readers today.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to take verse 9 as a direct quote from Job: 'It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.' In fact, Job never said those exact words. Elihu is drawing an inference from Job's earlier statements about the prosperity of the wicked and his own undeserved suffering. It was Elihu's interpretation, not Job's confession. Job consistently maintained that he feared God, even if he struggled to understand his circumstances.
Living This Out
This passage invites you to examine how you speak about God when you or someone else is suffering. Elihu was zealous for God's honor, but he ended up putting words in Job's mouth. This week, when you hear someone express pain or doubt about their situation, resist the urge to defend God by correcting them. You can trust that God's justice stands without your explanations. Instead, listen the way the ear 'tries words', carefully, thoughtfully, before you answer. Let your first response be presence, not argument.
Main takeaway: God never acts unjustly, but we can misrepresent both Him and others when we rush to defend His honor.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Elihu told people to test words like you taste food. If something doesn't taste right, you don't swallow it. If someone says something about God, you can think carefully first. And Elihu was right: God never does anything bad.
For ages 9, 12
Elihu thought Job was saying wrong things about God. But sometimes people say hard things when they are hurting, and they don't mean what we think they mean. Before you correct someone, ask yourself if you really understand them. And remember: God is always fair, but that doesn't mean every hard thing in your life is a punishment. Sometimes bad things happen even when you haven't done anything wrong.
Questions People Ask
Why does Elihu 'answer' in Job 34:1 when Job isn't speaking?
Elihu is not responding to a specific remark Job just made. He is answering the entire course of Job's arguments over previous chapters. After a pause, he addresses the listeners and begins a new line of reasoning, so 'answered' here signals a new section of his speech.
Did Job really say 'it profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God'?
Job never said those exact words. As commentators note, Elihu is drawing what he considers a logical inference from Job's statements, but it may be an unfair one. Job maintained his trust in God even while questioning his suffering.
What does 'far be it from God' mean in Job 34:10?
The Hebrew word chaliylah is a strong exclamation of denial and abhorrence. It means something like 'God forbid!' or 'may it never be!' Elihu uses it to emphatically reject any suggestion that God could act wickedly.
Do verses 11-12 mean God punishes every sin immediately?
Elihu states a general principle: God repays each person according to their ways. Most Christians understand this as being ultimately true at final judgment. However, the book of Job itself shows that immediate suffering is not always a direct punishment for sin.
Is Elihu right or wrong in this passage?
Elihu is right that God never does evil. But he is unfair to Job by misrepresenting his words. His speech contains truth about God, but lacks compassion for the sufferer. The end of the book shows that God ultimately vindicates Job, not his friends.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study