Job 9:34

34 Do he away his rod from me, and his dread make not me afeared. (Let him take his rod away from me, and let not the fear of him, or his terrors, make me afraid.)

Job 9:34 Meaning and Commentary

Job 9:34

Let him take his rod away from me
Not his government over him, of which the rod or sceptre is an ensign, Job did not want to be freed from that; but, his rod of affliction, or stroke, as the Targum, the stroke of his hand, which, though a fatherly chastisement, lay heavy upon him, and depressed his spirits; so that he could not, while it was on him, reason so freely about things as he thought he could if it was removed, and for which he here prays:

and let not his fear terrify me;
not the fear of him as a father, which is not terrifying, but the fear of him as a judge; the terror of his majesty, the dread of his wrath and vengeance, the fearful apprehensions he had of him as a God of strict justice; that would by no means clear the guilty, yea, would not hold him innocent, though he was with respect to the charge of his friends; being now without those views of him as a God gracious and merciful; to these words Elihu seeks to have respect, ( Job 33:6 Job 33:7 ) .

Job 9:34 In-Context

32 Truly I shall not answer a man, that is like me; neither that may be heard evenly with me in doom. (Truly I shall not be able to answer him, for he is not a man who is like me; nor is he someone who can equally be heard with me in court, or at the judgement.)

33 There is none, that may reprove ever either, and set his hand in both. (There is no one, who can rebuke both of us, or who can put his hand upon both of us.)

34 Do he away his rod from me, and his dread make not me afeared. (Let him take his rod away from me, and let not the fear of him, or his terrors, make me afraid.)

35 I shall speak, and I shall not dread him; for I may not answer dreading. (I shall speak, and I shall not fear him; for I cannot answer if I am afraid.)