Job 34:12-22

12 "Surely *, ¹God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 "Who ²gave Him authority over the earth? And who ³has laid on Him the whole world?

14 "If He should determine * to do so, If He should ⁴gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15 All ⁵flesh would perish together, And man would ⁶return to dust.

16 "But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

17 "Shall ⁷one who hates justice rule? And ⁸will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18 Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones ';

19 Who shows no ⁹partiality * to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the ¹⁰work of His hands?

20 "In a moment they die, and ¹¹at midnight * People are shaken and pass away, And ¹²the mighty are taken away without a hand.

21 "For ¹³His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

22 "There is ¹⁴no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

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Job 34:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 34

In this chapter Elihu reassumes his discourse, and proceeds in his answer to Job, in which are first a preface exciting attention, Job 34:1-4; then a charge is brought against Job, expressed in or extracted from some words that dropped from his lips, not so well guarded, Job 34:5-9; a refutation of these expressions of his in a variety of arguments, Job 34:10-30; and the chapter is closed with some good advice to Job, Job 34:31-33; and with an earnest request of Elihu to men of understanding, to join with him in trying him to the uttermost, Job 34:34-37.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 14

1. Job 34:10
2. Job 38:4
3. Job 38:5
4. Job 12:10; Psalms 104:29; Ecclesiastes 12:7
5. Genesis 7:21; Job 9:22
6. Genesis 3:19; Job 10:9
7. 2 Samuel 23:3; Job 34:30
8. Job 40:8
9. Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:17
10. Job 10:3
11. Exodus 12:29; Job 34:25; Job 36:20
12. Job 12:19
13. Job 24:23; Job 31:4; Proverbs 5:21; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17
14. Psalms 139:11, 12; Amos 9:2, 3

Footnotes 1

[a]. Lit "set His mind on Himself"