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Texts -- Job 34:16-37 (NET)

Context
God Is Impartial and Omniscient
34:16 “If you have understanding , listen to this , hear what I have to say . 34:17 Do you really think that one who hates justice can govern ? And will you declare guilty the supremely righteous One, 34:18 who says to a king , ‘Worthless man’ and to nobles , ‘Wicked men,’ 34:19 who shows no partiality to princes , and does not take note of the rich more than the poor , because all of them are the work of his hands ? 34:20 In a moment they die , in the middle of the night , people are shaken and they pass away . The mighty are removed effortlessly . 34:21 For his eyes are on the ways of an individual , he observes all a person’s steps . 34:22 There is no darkness , and no deep darkness , where evildoers can hide themselves . 34:23 For he does not still consider a person , that he should come before God in judgment . 34:24 He shatters the great without inquiry , and sets up others in their place . 34:25 Therefore , he knows their deeds , he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed . 34:26 He strikes them for their wickedness , in a place where people can see , 34:27 because they have turned away from following him, and have not understood any of his ways , 34:28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he hears the cry of the needy . 34:29 But if God is quiet , who can condemn him? If he hides his face , then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike , 34:30 so that the godless man should not rule , and not lay snares for the people .
Job Is Foolish to Rebel
34:31 “Has anyone said to God , ‘I have endured chastisement , but I will not act wrongly any more. 34:32 Teach me what I cannot see . If I have done evil , I will do so no more .’ 34:33 Is it your opinion that God should recompense it, because you reject this? But you must choose , and not I , so tell us what you know . 34:34 Men of understanding say to me– any wise man listening to me says– 34:35 that Job speaks without knowledge and his words are without understanding . 34:36 But Job will be tested to the end , because his answers are like those of wicked men . 34:37 For he adds transgression to his sin ; in our midst he claps his hands, and multiplies his words against God .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Elihu

    [ebd] whose God is he. (1.) "The son of Barachel, a Buzite" (Job 32:2), one of Job's friends. When the debate between Job and his friends is brought to a close, Elihu for the first time makes his appearance, and delivers his opini...
    [nave] ELIHU 1. A Buzite and one of Job's three friends, Job 32-37. 2. Son of Tohu, 1 Sam. 1:1. Probably identical with Eliel, 1 Chr. 6:34, and Eliab, 1 Chr. 6:27. 3. A Manassite warrior, who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Chr. 12:20...

  • Job

    [nave] JOB 1. A man who dwelt in Uz, Job 1:1. Righteousness of, Job 1:1, 5, 8; 2:3; Ezek. 14:14, 20. Riches of, Job 1:3. Trial of, by affliction of Satan, Job 1:13-19; 2:7-10. Fortitude of, Job 1:20-22; 2:10; Jas. 5:11. Visite...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • Blasphemy

    [nave] BLASPHEMY See also Slander; Speaking, Evil.Ex. 20:7 Deut. 5:11. Lev. 19:12 Lev. 22:32. Lev. 24:10-16; 2 Kin. 19:22 Isa. 37:23. 2 Chr. 32:19 The following passages from the book of Job (with the exception of Job 21:13,14) are...

  • Infidelity

    [nave] INFIDELITY. Gen. 3:1 v. 4.; Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11 v. 12;; Ex. 16:3, 7; Num. 14:27-34; 16:41; 21:5. Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30 v. 31.; Deut. 29:19, 20 v. 21.; Deut. 32:15; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; 2 Kin. 2:23 v. 24.; 2 Chr. 30:6, ...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Poor

    [nave] POOR Atonement money of, uniform with that of the rich, Ex. 30:15. Inexpensive offerings of the poor, Lev. 5:7; 12:8; 14:21, 22. See: Beneficence; Giving; Liberality; Orphans; Poverty; Widow. Also See: Rich; Riches. Uncl...

  • OMNISCIENCE

    [isbe] OMNISCIENCE - om-nish'-ens: The term does not occur in Scripture, either in its nominal or in its adjectival form. 1. Words and Usage: In the Old Testament it is expressed in connection with such words as da'ath, binah, tebh...

  • Backsliders

    [nave] BACKSLIDERS. Lev. 26:14-42; Deut. 4:9; Deut. 8:11-14; Deut. 28:58, 59, 63 vs. 15-68;; 1 Kin. 9:6-9; Deut. 29:18 vs. 18-28.; Deut. 32:15-30; Josh. 24:27 vs. 20-27.; 2 Chr. 15:2-4; Ezra 8:22; Job 34:26, 27; Psa. 44:20, 21; Ps...

  • Escape

    [nave] ESCAPE. None, from the Judgments of God Gen. 3:7-11; Gen. 4:9-11; Job 34:21, 22; Isa. 10:3; Matt. 23:33; Rom. 2:3; 1 Thess. 5:2, 3; Heb. 2:2, 3; Heb. 12:25, 26; Rev. 6:15-17 See: Sin, Fruits of, Punishment of; Judgments, N...

  • Repentance

    [nave] REPENTANCE Attributed to God, Gen. 6:6, 7; Ex. 32:14; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 2:18; 1 Sam. 15:11, 29, 35; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Psa. 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jer. 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3; 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9...

  • King

    [nave] KING Called King of kings, Ezra 7:12; Ezek. 26:7; Dan. 2:37. Divinely authorized, Deut. 17:15; 1 Sam. 9:16, 17; 16:12; 1 Chr. 22:10; 2 Chr. 2:11, 12; Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21, 37; 4:17; 5:20; Hos. 8:4; 13:11. How chosen: By d...

  • BEAR; BORNE

    [isbe] BEAR; BORNE - bar, born (nasa'; lambano, anaphero, bastazo): In English Versions of the Bible the physical sense is familiar, of supporting or carrying any weight or burden. The translation of the Revised Version (British an...

  • Hypocrisy

    [nave] HYPOCRISY. Job 8:13-15; Job 13:16; Job 15:31, 33, 34; Job 17:8; Job 20:4, 5 vs. 6-18.; Job 27:8-10 vs. 13-18.; Job 31:33, 34; Job 34:30; Job 36:13, 14; Psa. 5:9; Psa. 50:16, 17; Psa. 52:4; Psa. 55:12-14, 20, 21, 23; Psa. 78...

  • Evildoers

    [nave] EVILDOERS 1 Sam. 24:13; 2 Sam. 3:39; Job 8:20; 34:8, 22; Psa. 14:4, 6; 26:5; 36:12; 53:4; 59:2; 64:2; 92:7, 9; 94:4, 16; 101:8; 119:115; 125:5; 141:4, 5, 9; Prov. 21:15; Isa. 1:4; 31:2; Jer. 23:14; Hos. 10:9; Mal. 3:15; 4:1;...

  • CLAP

    [isbe] CLAP - An emphatic expression of joy, "They clapped their hands (nakhah), and said, Long live (the King James Version "God save") the king" (2 Ki 11:12); "Oh clap your hands (taqa`), all ye peoples" (Ps 47:1); or exultation ...

  • Loyalty

    [nave] LOYALTY Enjoined, Ex. 22:28; Num. 27:20; Ezra 6:10; 7:26; Job 34:18; Prov. 24:21; Eccl. 8:2; 10:4; Rom. 13:1; Tit. 3:1. Enforced, Ezra 10:8; Prov. 17:11. Disloyalty, 2 Pet. 2:10. See: Patriotism. Instances of Israelites...

  • BREAK

    [isbe] BREAK - brak: shabhar = "break" (down, off, in pieces, up), "destroy," "quench" (Isa 14:25; Jer 19:10,11; Ezek 4:16; Am 1:5); paraq = "to break off" or "craunch"; figuratively "to deliver" (Gen 27:40 the King James Version);...

  • Nation

    [nave] NATION Sins of, Isa. 30:1, 2. Chastised, Isa. 14:26, 27; Jer. 5:29; 18:6-10; 25:12-33; Ezek. 2:3-5; 39:23, 24; Dan. 7:9-12; 9:3-16; Hos. 7:12; Joel 1:1-20; Amos 9:9; Zeph. 3:6, 8. Perish, Psa. 9:17; Isa. 60:12. National a...
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • Because the speech in this chapter is more soliloquy than dialogue some scholars have concluded that someone other than Job spoke it: Zophar, Bildad, or God. One writer argued for its being a speech by none of the characters,...
  • Many critical scholars believe that a later editor inserted chapters 32-37 in the text of Job.135Most conservatives believe there is ample external and internal evidence indicating that this section of chapters fits into the ...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • Elihu sought to refute Job's charge that God was unjust in this speech. He tried to answer Job's question, "Why doesn't God have mercy on me?"He first addressed the three friends (vv. 10-15, plural "you"in Hebrew) and then sp...
  • As the three friends, Elihu believed God was acting perfectly justly in allowing Job to suffer and that Job was insolent to accuse God of being unjust (v. 10). He then reviewed God's character to illustrate His justice (vv. 1...
  • We could chart the differences in Elihu's first three speeches this way.Elihu's SpeechJob's question that Elihu answeredJob's charge that Elihu refutedFirstWhy doesn't God respond to me?God is insensitive (ch. 33).SecondWhy d...
  • Andersen, Francis I. Job. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Leicester, Eng. and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1976.Archer, Gleason L., Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised ed. Chicago: Moody...
  • Peter's sermon on this occasion is the first sermon in Acts addressed to a Gentile audience (cf. 14:15-17; 17:22-31). It is quite similar to the ones Peter preached in 2:14-40 and 3:11-26 except that this one has more informa...
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