Job 34:17

Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
hateth	שׂוֹנֵ֣א so.Ne'	H8130	to hate (personally) · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular construct
right	מִשְׁפָּ֣ט mish.Pat	H4941	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
govern	יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ ya.cha.Vo.osh	H2280	to wrap firmly (especially a turban · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
condemn	תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ tar.Shi.a'	H7561	to be (causatively · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
most	כַּבִּ֣יר ka.Bir	H3524	vast · adjective, masculine singular absolute
just	צַדִּ֖יק tza.Dik	H6662	just · adjective, 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

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…
2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Romans 3:5-7 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
2 Samuel 19:21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Job 34:16-30

Elihu here addresses himself more directly to Job. He had spoken to the rest (Job 34:10) as men of understanding; now, speaking to Job; he puts an if upon his understanding: If thou hast understanding, hear this and observe it, Job 34:16. I. Hear this, That God is not to be quarrelled with for any thing that he does. It is daring presumption to arraign and condemn God's proceedings, as Job had done by his discontents. It was, 1. As absurd as it would be to advance one to power that is a professed enemy to justice: Shall even he that hates right govern? Job 34:17. The righteous Lord so loves righteousness that, in comparison with him, even Job himself, though a perfect and upright man, might…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 34:17

"Can even He who (in thy view) hateth right (justice) govern?" The government of the world would be impossible if injustice were sanctioned. God must be just, because He governs (Sa2 23:3). govern--literally, "bind," namely, by authority (so "reign," Sa1 9:17, Margin). UMBREIT translates for "govern, repress wrath, namely, against Job for his accusations. most just--rather, "Him who is at once mighty and just" (in His government of the world).

Adam Clarke on Job 34:17

Shall - he that hateth right govern? - Or, Shall he who hateth judgment, lie under obligation? It is preposterous to suppose that he who lives by no rule, should impose rules upon others. God, who is the fountain of all justice and righteousness, binds man by his laws; and wilt thou, therefore, pretend to condemn him who is the sum of righteousness?

John Gill on Job 34:17

Shall even he that hateth right govern?.... That hates moral and civil justice; is such an one fit to rule among men or over them? No, surely; for to love righteousness and do it is a qualification of a civil governor; it is his business to administer justice; and if an hater of it, he can never be a proper person to rule: and if God was an hater of that which is right, as he would seem to be if he did not do it, he would not be fit to govern the world as he does. To this absurdity is Job reduced, by suggesting that right was not done him, or that God had removed his judgment from him; see 2 Samuel 23:3, Romans 3:5. Mr. Broughton translates the words, "can a foe to judgment rule well?" And y…

The Church Fathers

Can he be healed that loveth not judgment? How dost thou so much condemn him that is just? He uttered a proper sentiment, but it ought not to have been uttered to blessed Job. For in every thing which is said we must by all means consider, what is said, to whom it is said, where it is said, how it is said. But Eliu considered only what he was saying, but did not consider to whom he was saying it. For blessed Job loved judgment, since he knew how to weigh his causes carefully with the Lord. Nor had he condemned Him that is just: but humbly enquired, when involved in grief, why he had been smitten when without sin. He loves judgment, whoever examines his own ways minutely, and enters into the secret chambers of his heart, and there considers what the Lord bestows on him, and what he owes to the Lord. But how had blessed Job not acted thus, who used to offer such frequent sacrifices in expiation for his sons, even on account of their thoughts? Because then Eliu said, that he that loveth not judgment cannot be healed, accusing blessed Job of not loving judgment, and of having condemned Him who is just, he immediately subjoins the righteousness of that same righteous One, that is, the Lord...
— Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXIV

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Blasphemy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Infidelity · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Job 34:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Job 34:16-30

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 34:17

Adam Clarke on Job 34:17

John Gill on Job 34:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Job 34:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Job 34:16-30

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 34:17

Adam Clarke on Job 34:17

John Gill on Job 34:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Job 34:16-20

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Job 34:17

Rashi on Job 34:17