Job 34:1

JOB 34

ELIHU'S SECOND SPEECH:

ELIHU'S BRUTAL ATTACK ON JOB

The whole cycle of speeches in Job is a marvel of human failure to understand. The relation between sin and suffering Job never for a moment disputed. The thing that confronted Job was that, in spite of his integrity toward God and the absence of any gross wickedness that could possibly have deserved the terrible misfortunes that had overtaken him, he was judged by his friends, and everyone else, as a wicked sinner who was getting exactly what his wicked conduct deserved.

It appears to this writer that one of the primary purposes of this book was that of contradicting that nearly universal fallacy. The false idea that wickedness is at once punished by God with retribution in kind is not true. It was not true in the days of Job; it was not true in the days of Christ; and it is not true today.

In Luke 13:1-5, Christ pointed out that those men whose blood Pilate had mingled with the sacrifices, and that those men upon whom the tower of Siloam fell were not any worse sinners than other citizens of Jerusalem; and in John 9:2-3, even the apostles of Christ had to be told that neither the blind man nor his parents had committed sins that resulted in his being born blind. The relevance of these New Testament passage is seen in the fact that people supposed the victims of those tragedies were being punished for their sins.

Since it was this very fallacy that was so vigorously alleged against Job by the instruments of Satan in this terrible campaign to compel him to renounce his integrity, we must conclude that the doctrine itself is a primary weapon of Satan, invented by him and continually advocated by evil men.

"Elihu continued to ignore the particular situation of Job and dealt only in generalities. Whereas Job had argued from the particular to the general, from his own case, to the character of God, as confirmed by other injustices around him, Elihu dealt only with his concept of theology (which was in error), concluding from it that Job was wicked."[1]

"There are three charges which Elihu brought against Job: (1) he said he was righteous (Job 9:21; 13:18); (2) this was an implication (in the sight of Elihu) that Job was accusing God of injustice; and (3) he even claimed that religion brought no profit to man. "It is impossible to justify this third charge from anything that Job had said. It was only a deduction made by Elihu from the general drift of what Job was saying."[2]

It was the erroneous views of Elihu and Job's other accusers that led to their false judgment of him.

"This second speech of Elihu is not addressed primarily to Job, but to a group called `wise men'; and Elihu is no longer reasoning with Job with a view to helping him. He is attacking Job."[3]

Job 34:1-9

ELIHU'S FALSE CHARGES AGAINST JOB

"Moreover Elihu answered and said,

Hear my words, ye wise men;

And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

For the ear trieth words,

As the palate tasteth food.

Let us choose for us that which is right:

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

For Job said, I am righteous,

And God hath taken away my right:

Notwithstanding my right, I am accounted a liar;

My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

What man is like Job,

Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walketh with wicked men?

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing

That he should delight himself with God."

"Hear my words, ye wise men" (Job 34:2). The break at the beginning of this chapter means that Job had completely ignored Elihu, and that here Elihu turned to address the crowd that is imagined to have assembled to hear the speeches.[4] Kelly pointed out that the crowd of onlookers here is "imagined,"[5] there being no reference whatever to it in the text. However, the idea that the wise men here are a different group from the three friends is supported by the fact that, "The tone of reproof Elihu used in addressing the three friends (Job 32:7ff) is no longer present in this chapter."[6]

"Notwithstanding my right, I am accounted a liar" (Job 34:6). We protest the evil rendition of Job 34:6 by Pope in the Anchor Bible. He rendered it, "Concerning my case, he (God) lies, wounded with his dart, yet sinless."[7] Many of the greatest scholars reject such a rendition. Atkinson translated it, "Although I am right, I am considered a liar,"[8] which without any doubt is the true meaning of the place. The noted Albert Barnes gave it as, "In respect to my cause, I am regarded a liar. The arrow in me is fatal, though I am free from transgression."[9] Noyes, as quoted by Barnes, rendered it this way: "Though I am innocent I am made a liar."

"What man is like Job, who drinketh up scoffing like water" (Job 34:7). "In this Elihu repeats the slander of Eliphaz, replacing `iniquity' with `scoffing,' and adding a totally groundless accusation that Job is a companion of evildoers (Job 34:8)."[10] The word here rendered `scoffing,' according to Keil, carries the meaning of `blasphemy.'"[11]

"For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself in God" (Job 34:9). "Again it must be remarked that Job had not said this."[12] The nearest approach to anything like this that Job has said is in Job 9:22, where he stated that "God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked," with the meaning that fatal accidents happen to good and bad alike.