Job 34:10 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Job 34:10
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.
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural
men
אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י'a.na.Shei
H582
a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural construct
understanding
לֵבָ֗בle.Vav
H3824
the heart (as the most interior organ) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
it
חָלִ֖לָהcha.Li.lah
H2486
literal fora profaned thing · interjection
God
לָאֵ֥לla.'El
H410
strength · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
wickedness
מֵרֶ֗שַׁעme.Re.sha'
H7562
a wrong (especially moral) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Almighty
וְשַׁדַּ֥יve.sha.Dai
H7706
the Almighty · conjunction + proper noun, a title
iniquity
מֵעָֽוֶלme.'A.vel
H5766
(moral) evil · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
2 Chronicles 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of pers…
Job 8:3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that b…
Job 36:23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
Psalms 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 34:10-15
The scope of Elihu's discourse to reconcile Job to his afflictions and to pacify his spirit under them. In order to this he had shown, in the foregoing chapter, that God meant him no hurt in afflicting him, but intended it for his spiritual benefit. In this chapter he shows that he did him no wrong in afflicting him, nor punished him more than he deserved. If the former could not prevail to satisfy him, yet this ought to silence him. In these verses he directs his discourse to all the company: "Hearken to me, you men of understanding (Job 34:10), and show yourselves to be intelligent by assenting to this which I say." And this is that which he says, That the righteous God never did, nor ever…
The true answer to Job, which God follows up (Job 38:1-41). Man is to believe God's ways are right, because they are His, not because we fully see they are so (Rom 9:14; Deu 32:4; Gen 18:25).
Adam Clarke on Job 34:10
Far be it from God - Rather, Wickedness, far be that from God; and from iniquity, the Almighty. The sense is sufficiently evident without the paraphrase in our version.
John Gill on Job 34:10
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding,.... The same persons he addresses as wise men and men of knowledge, Job 34:2; and here as men of understanding, or "heart" (z); the heart being the seat of wisdom and knowledge; and such Elihu desired to be his hearers, to attend to what he was about to say; which was to refute the words of Job, or his sense expressed in the preceding verses;
far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity; do any injustice or injury to any person, there being no unrighteousness in him, nor in any of his ways and works; which Job tacitly seemed to charge God with, at least as Elihu understood him. But…
"Far from God ungodliness," who would refuse reward to him who walks in his presence; and if he visited him by temptation, there would still be no impiety or injustice.
"Therefore, hear me, you who have sense, far be it from God that he should do wickedness. For according to their deeds he will repay them." Since, according to the rules of debating, it is easier, in general, that they both lie rather than saying the truth. Here, as they speak against each other, it is nonetheless proven that the arguments of both are true. In fact, what Elihu says cannot be completely proved by holy Job to be false, and what Job asserts cannot be proven to be untrue. Therefore the fact that God repays according to the deeds of each one, though not in everybody, can be proven in many; on the other hand, Job is convinced by testimonies that God does not repay [many]. So, in a sense, it is evident that what both say is true: according to Elihu, [God] does not repay everybody; according to Job, he did not repay many.
Let unmercifulness ['impietas'] be far from God, and iniquity from the Almighty: for the work of a man shall He render unto him, and will restore to them according to the ways of every man. He well said, that iniquity or unmercifulness is not in Almighty God. But that which he added is by no means always the case in this life, namely, that He renders to each man according to his work, and according to his own ways. [see Rev. 22, 12. 2 Cor. 5, 10.] For both many who commit unlawful and wicked deeds He prevents of His free grace, and converts to works of holiness: and some who are devoted to good deeds He reproves by means of the scourge, and so afflicts those who please Him, as though they were displeasing to Him. As Solomon bears witness, saying, There are just men to whom many things happen, as though they had done the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked, who are as secure as though they had the deeds of the just. [Eccles. 8, 14] God doubtless so ordains it of His inestimable mercy, that both scourges should torture the just, lest their doings should elate them, and that the unjust should pass this life at least without punishment, because by their evil doings they are hastening onwards to those torments, which are without end. For that the just are sometimes scourged in no way according to their deserts, is shewn by this very history which we are considering. For the same blessed Job had not been scourged for any fault, who was praised by the attestation of the Judge Himself before the smarting of the scourge. Eliu therefore would speak more truly, if he had said, That there is not unmercifulness and iniquity in God, even when He seems not to render to men according to their own ways. For even that which we do not understand, is brought forth from the righteous balance of secret judgment. But because haughty preachers, when they scatter abroad many follies, also frequently utter many things that are true and solid...
Keil & Delitzsch on Job 34:10-11
10 Therefore, men of understanding, hearken to me!
Far be it from god to do evil,
And the Almighty to act wrongfully.
11 No indeed, man's work He recompenseth to him,
And according to man's walk He causeth it to be with him.
"Men of heart," according to Psychol. S. 249, comp. 254, is equivalent to noee'mones or noeeroi' (lxx συνετοὶ καρδίας). The clause which Elihu makes prominent in the following reply is the very axiom which the three defend, perfectly true in itself, but falsely applied by them: evil, wrong, are inconceivable on the part of God; instead of וּלשׁדּי it is only ושׁדּי in the second member of the verse, with the omission of the praep. - a frequent form of ellipsis, particu…
The passage attaches three ideas to the truth that God can do no wrong (34:10, 12): (1) God pays back all people according to their behavior (34:11); (2) as the Creator, God is not answerable to anyone (34:13); and (3) every living being depends upon God for its existence, and God can withdraw that gift without doing anything wrong (34:14-15; cp. Rom 9:19-29).
Rashi on Job 34:9
A man derives no benefit A man derives no benefit if he perfects his ways.