Job 34:10

10 "Therefore, hear me, you who have sense, far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

Job 34:10 Meaning and Commentary

Job 34:10

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding
The same persons he addresses as wise men and men of knowledge, ( Job 34:2 ) ; and here as men of understanding, or "heart" F26; the heart being the seat of wisdom and knowledge; and such Elihu desired to be his hearers, to attend to what he was about to say; which was to refute the words of Job, or his sense expressed in the preceding verses;

far be it from God [that he should do] wickedness; and [from] the
Almighty, [that he should commit] iniquity;
do any injustice or injury to any person, there being no unrighteousness in him, nor in any of his ways and works; which Job tacitly seemed to charge God with, at least as Elihu understood him. But sin is contrary to his pure and holy nature; he cannot look upon it with pleasure, much less commit it; it is forbidden by his holy righteous law, and therefore would never he done by him the lawgiver; nor can anyone single instance be given of wickedness and unrighteousness committed by him in any of his works of nature, or providence, or grace. He is the author of the evil of afflictions, whether as punishments or fatherly corrections; and in neither case does he commit or do any injustice; not in punishing wicked men less than they deserve, as he does in this life; nor in correcting his own people, which is always for their good: but not of the evil of sin; this may be concluded from the titles here given, of "Almighty and All-sufficient"; for being so he can be under no temptation of doing an unjust thing; and which is expressed with the like abhorrence and indignation by Elihu as the same sentiment is by the Apostle Paul, ( Romans 9:14 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (bbl yvna) "viri cordis", Pagninus, Montanus, Michaelis.

Job 34:10 In-Context

8 who goes in company with evildoers and walks with the wicked?
9 For he has said, "It profits one nothing to take delight in God.'
10 "Therefore, hear me, you who have sense, far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11 For according to their deeds he will repay them, and according to their ways he will make it befall them.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Traditional rendering of Heb [Shaddai]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.