Job 35
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Elihu accuses Job of impious speeches, Job 35:1-4. No man can affect God by his iniquity, nor profit him by his righteousness, Job 35:5-8. Many are afflicted and oppressed, but few cry to God for help; and, for want of faith, they continue in affliction, Job 35:9-16.
Open source ↗(Job 35:1-16) more than--rather as in Job 9:2; Job 25:4 : "I am righteous (literally, my righteousness is) before God." The English Version, however, agrees with Job 9:17; Job 16:12-17; Job 27:2-6. Job 4:17 is susceptible of either rendering. Elihu means Job said so, not in so many words, but virtually.
Open source ↗Elihu spake moreover, and said. Elihu very probably paused awhile, and waited to observe whether any of the company would rise up, and either contradict and refute what he had said, or declare their assent unto it and approbation of it; or rather to see whether Job would make any reply or not; but perceiving no inclination in him to it, he proceeded to take notice of some other undue expressions of Job, and refute them; one of which is observed in Job 35:2, and the proof of it given in Job 35:3. . Job 35:2 job 35:2 job 35:2 job 35:2Thinkest thou this to be right,.... Elihu appeals to Job himself, to his conscience and reason; who as a natural man, guided by the light of nature and reason only, and judging according to the dictates of a natural conscience, and especially as a good man, one that feared God, and had so much knowledge of him and his perfections, as his speeches showed, could never upon reflection think it right what he had said concerning God and his justice, as follows: that thou saidst, my righteousness is more than God's? A strange expression this indeed! but what is to be understood not of his personal righteousness; Job in his senses could never say that this was more or greater than God's, or to be above it and preferred to it in any sense; nor even of righteousness imputed. Old Testament saints had the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and were justified by it; and so Job, who had knowledge of and faith in Christ as his living Redeemer, and the Lord his righteousness: but then though this is the righteousness of God, wrought out by one that is God as well as man, and approved and accepted of by God, and imputed by him to his people, which is revealed in the Gospel, and is unto all, and upon all them that believe, and they are made the righteou…
Open source ↗1 Then began Elihu, and said: 2 Dost thou consider this to be right, Sayest thou: my righteousness exceedeth God's, 3 That thou sayest, what advantage is it to thee, What doth it profit me more than my sin? 4 I will answer thee words, And thy companions with thee. The neutral זאת, Job 35:2, refers prospectively to כּי־תאמר, Job 35:3: this that thou sayest. חשׁב with acc. of the obj. and ל of the predicate, as Job 33:10, comp. Job 13:24, and freq. The second interrogative clause, Job 35:2, is co-ordinate with the first, and the collective thought of this ponderous construction, Job 35:2, Job 35:3, is this: Considerest thou this to be right, and thinkest thou on this account to be able to put thy righteousness above the divine, that, as thou maintainest, no righteousness on the side of God corresponds to this thy righteousness, because God makes no distinction between righteousness and the sin of man, and allows the former to go unrewarded? צדקי (for which Olsh. wishes to read צדקתּי, as Job 9:27 אמרתי for אמרי) forms with מאל a substantival clause: justitia mea est prae Deo (prae divina); מן comparative as Job 32:2, comp. on the matter Job 34:5, not equivalent to ἀπό as Job 4:17. כי־תאמר is first followed by the oratio obliqua: what it (viz., צדקך) advantageth thee, then by the or. directa (on this change vid., Ew. 338, a): what profit have I (viz., בצדקי), prae peccato meo; this מן is also comparative; the constantly ambiguous combination would be allowable from the fact that, according to the usage of the language, "to obtain profit from anything" is expressed by הועיל בּ, not by הועיל מן. Moreover, prae peccato meo is equivalent to plus quam inde quod pecco, comp. Psa 18:24, מעוני, Hos 4:8 אל־עונם. We have already on Job 34:9 observed that Job has not directly said…
Open source ↗We have here, I. The bad words which Elihu charges upon Job, Job 35:2, Job 35:3. To evince the badness of them he appeals to Job himself, and his own sober thoughts, in the reflection: Thinkest thou this to be right? This intimates Elihu's confidence that the reproof he now gave was just, for he could refer the judgment of it even to Job himself. Those that have truth and equity on their side sooner or later will have every man's conscience on their side. It also intimates his good opinion of Job, that he thought better than he spoke, and that, though he had spoken amiss, yet, when he perceived his mistake, he would not stand to it. When we have said, in our haste, that which was not right, it becomes us to own that our second thoughts convince us that it was wrong. Two things Elihu here reproves Job for: - 1. For justifying himself more than God, which was the thing that first provoked him, Job 32:2. "Thou hast, in effect, said, My righteousness is more than God's," that is, "I have done more for God than ever he did for me; so that, when the accounts are balanced, he will be brought in debtor to me." As if Job thought his services had been paid less than they deserved and his sins punished more than they deserved, which is a most unjust and wicked thought for any man to harbour and especially to utter. When Job insisted so much upon his own integrity, and the severity of God's dealings with him, he did in effect say, My righteousness is more than God's; whereas, though we be ever so good and our afflictions ever so great, we are chargeable with unrighteousness and God is not. 2. For disowning the benefits and advantages of religion because he suffered these things: What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin? Job 35:3. This is gathered from Job 9:30, Job 9:3…
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
אֱלִיהוּ (ʼĔlîyhûw, H453) — Elihu, the name of one of Job's friends, and of three Israelites עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗חָשַׁב (châshab, H2803) — properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to… מִשְׁפָּט (mishpâṭ, H4941) — properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a… אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) צֶדֶק (tsedeq, H6664) — the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity אֵל (ʼêl, H410) — strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)
Open source ↗אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) סָכַן (çâkan, H5532) — to be familiar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable to, be customary יַעַל (yaʻal, H3276) — properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively; useful, subjectively;… חַטָּאָה (chaṭṭâʼâh, H2403) — an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or…
Open source ↗שׁוּב (shûwb, H7725) — to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not… מִלָּה (millâh, H4405) — a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic רֵעַ (rêaʻ, H7453) — an associate (more or less close)
Open source ↗נָבַט (nâbaṭ, H5027) — to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care שָׁמַיִם (shâmayim, H8064) — the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds… רָאָה (râʼâh, H7200) — to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied,… שׁוּר (shûwr, H7789) — to spy out, i.e. (generally) survey, (for evil) lurk for, (for good) care for שַׁחַק (shachaq, H7834) — a powder (as beaten small); by analogy, a thin vapor; by extension, the firmament גָּבַהּ (gâbahh, H1361) — to soar, i.e. be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty
Open source ↗חָטָא (châṭâʼ, H2398) — properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit,… פָּעַל (pâʻal, H6466) — to do or make (systematically and habitually), especially to practise פֶּשַׁע (peshaʻ, H6588) — a revolt (national, moral or religious) רָבַב (râbab, H7231) — properly, to cast together , i.e. increase, especially in number; to multiply by the… עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
Open source ↗צָדַק (tsâdaq, H6663) — to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense) נָתַן (nâthan, H5414) — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.) לָקַח (lâqach, H3947) — to take (in the widest variety of applications) יָד (yâd, H3027) — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
Open source ↗רֶשַׁע (reshaʻ, H7562) — a wrong (especially moral) אִישׁ (ʼîysh, H376) — a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term… צְדָקָה (tsᵉdâqâh, H6666) — rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue)… בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… אָדָם (ʼâdâm, H120) — ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
Open source ↗רֹב (rôb, H7230) — abundance (in any respect) עָשׁוּק (ʻâshûwq, H6217) — used in plural masculine as abstractly, tyranny זָעַק (zâʻaq, H2199) — to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene… שָׁוַע (shâvaʻ, H7768) — properly, to be free; but used only causatively and reflexively, to halloo (for help,… זְרוֹעַ (zᵉrôwaʻ, H2220) — the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force רַב (rab, H7227) — abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
Open source ↗אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) אֱלוֹהַּ (ʼĕlôwahh, H433) — a deity or the Deity עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application נָתַן (nâthan, H5414) — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.) זָמִיר (zâmîyr, H2158) — a song to be accompanied with instrumental music לַיִל (layil, H3915) — properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity
Open source ↗אָלַף (ʼâlaph, H502) — hence, to learn (and causatively to teach) בְּהֵמָה (bᵉhêmâh, H929) — properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) חָכַם (châkam, H2449) — to be wise (in mind, word or act) עוֹף (ʻôwph, H5775) — a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively שָׁמַיִם (shâmayim, H8064) — the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds…
Open source ↗צָעַק (tsâʻaq, H6817) — to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an assembly) עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… גָּאוֹן (gâʼôwn, H1347) — {arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament} רַע (raʻ, H7451) — bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
Open source ↗אֵל (ʼêl, H410) — strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity) שָׁמַע (shâmaʻ, H8085) — to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively,… שָׁוְא (shâvᵉʼ, H7723) — evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively… שַׁדַּי (Shadday, H7706) — the Almighty שׁוּר (shûwr, H7789) — to spy out, i.e. (generally) survey, (for evil) lurk for, (for good) care for
Open source ↗אַף (ʼaph, H637) — meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction); also or yea; adversatively though אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) שׁוּר (shûwr, H7789) — to spy out, i.e. (generally) survey, (for evil) lurk for, (for good) care for דִּין (dîyn, H1779) — judgement (the suit, justice, sentence or tribunal); by implication also strife פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… חוּל (chûwl, H2342) — properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to…
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