Job 34:28

Became apostates from the ways and worship of God, as the posterity of Cain before the flood, and the posterity of Ham after it; who had been educated and trained up therein, and turned from the law of God, as the Septuagint version, from the light and law of nature: and would not consider any of his ways; either of providence, whether in a way of mercy which might lead to repentance, or in a way of judgment which might be a caution and instruction to them; or of his precepts, the way of his commandments, not any of these would they consider; so as to express a value for them, show any regard to them, and walk in them; and which was owing to the stubbornness of their wills; they would not advert to them. Job 34:28 Ver. 28. So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him,.... To God; through their oppressions of the poor they are made to cry by reason of them, and who come to God with their cries, and tears, and supplications, and which enter into the ears of the Lord of hosts; and he heareth the cry of the afflicted; as he did the cry of the Israelites under Egyptian bondage; he is a God hearing and answering prayer, and he particularly attends to the cry of the humble and of the afflicted, and arises for their help and deliverance. Job 34:29 Ver. 29. When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?....

34:16-30 Elihu appeals directly to Job himself. Could he suppose that God was like those earthly princes, who hate right, who are unfit to rule, and prove the scourges of mankind? It is daring presumption to condemn God's proceedings, as Job had done by his discontents. Elihu suggests divers considerations to Job, to produce in him high thoughts of God, and so to persuade him to submit. Job had often wished to plead his cause before God. Elihu asks, To what purpose? All is well that God does, and will be found so. What can make those uneasy, whose souls dwell at ease in God? The smiles of all the world cannot quiet those on whom God frowns.

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him,.... To God; through their oppressions of the poor they are made to cry by reason of them, and who come to God with their cries, and tears, and supplications, and which enter into the ears of the Lord of hosts; and he heareth the cry of the afflicted; as he did the cry of the Israelites under Egyptian bondage; he is a God hearing and answering prayer, and he particularly attends to the cry of the humble and of the afflicted, and arises for their help and deliverance.

28 . so that they cause the cry ] Rather, thus he causeth the cry of the poor to come before Him ; lit. to cause (or, causing) to come . The words sum up the general purpose (or, effect) of God’s destructive judgments on the oppressors; He thus brings before Him and hears the cry of the afflicted.

Verse 28. - So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him . Elihu views the wicked man as almost certainly an oppressor, whose misdeeds "cause the cry of the poor to come before God," and provoke God, the Avenger of the poor and needy, to visit him with chastisement. And he heareth the cry of the afflicted (comp. Exodus 2:23, 24 ; Exodus 22:23, 24 ; Psalm 12:5 , etc.) God's ears are ever open to the cry of the oppressed, and his hand is ever heavy upon those who "afflict" the weak and defenceless ( Isaiah 1:24 ; Isaiah 3:12-15 ; Amos 5:11, 12 ; Micah 3:1-4 ; Habakkuk 1:13 ). Job 34:28

So that they cause, Heb. to bring , &c., which is ambiguous, and may be read, either, 1. That he , i.e. God, might bring , &c. So this is a reason why God smote them , &c., as is said, Job 34:26 . Or, 2. That they, i.e. those wicked men, might bring , &c.; and so these words contain either, 1. A reason of what was last mentioned, to wit, why they would not consider nor walk in God’s ways, because they were resolved to oppress the poor, and give them cause to cry unto God; which they neither could nor would have done, if they had thoroughly understood and considered God’s ways. Or, 2. An evidence or instance of it, wherein it did appear that they had turned back from God, &c. Unto him , i.e. unto God, as the following words imply, it being God’s work to hear the cry and plead the cause of the afflicted or oppressed. Others, upon him , or upon them , or upon each of them , to wit, of the oppressors; upon whom the cry of the oppressed is said to come, because the vengeance of God is by that cry brought down upon them. He heareth the cry of the afflicted; he delivereth the oppressed by taking the oppressor away.

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him - - Their character is that of oppressors. They take away the rights of the poor; strip away their property without any just claims, and cause them to pour out their lamentations before God. And he heareth the cry of the afflicted - They oppress the poor so that they appeal unto him, but God hears their cry, and brings punishment upon the oppressor. This is "a general remark" thrown in here, meaning that God "always" regards the cry of the oppressed. Its bearing on the case before us is, that God hears the appeal which the oppressed make to him, and as a consequence brings calamity upon those who are guilty of wrong.

The following תּחת רשׁעים cannot signify: on the place of the evil-doers, i.e., in the place where evil-doers are punished (Hirz., Hahn, and others), for תּחת (תּחתּי) only has this signification with the suff. (vid., on Habakkuk 3:16 ); but not otherwise than: in the evil-doers' stead, taking them and treating them as such, as Jer. has correctly translated: quasi impios (comp. Isaiah 10:4 , Jerome, cum interfectis). The place first mentioned afterwards is not exactly the usual place of judgment, but any place whatever where all can see it. There He smites those who hitherto held positions of eminence, as of unimpeachable honour, like the common criminal; ספק, Arab. ṣfq, complodere, and then ictu resonante percutere, as the likewise cognate Arab. sf' signifies first to box the ear (as Arab. sfq equals ṣfq), then so to strike that it smacks. As little as לכן, Job 34:25 , was equals לכן אשׁר, just so little is אשׁר על־כּן, Job 34:27 , equals על־כן אשׁר (vid., on the other hand what is said on Genesis 18:5 concerning כּי־על־כּן).

Elihu wishes to say that they endure such a destiny of punishment, because they therefore, i.e., in order to suffer such, have turned aside from following after God, and have not thought on all His ways, i.e., guidings, by which He manifested Himself to them: they have thus sought to cause the cry of the poor to come (Jer. well renders: ut pervenire facerent ad eum) before Him (עליו, perhaps with the idea of urging forward equals לפניו or בּאזניו), and that He may hear the cry of the lowly (construction exactly like Job 33:17 ), i.e., have sought to bring forth His avenging justice by injustice that cries aloud to heaven.

Better, as U MBREIT , "He does not (needs not to) regard (as in Job 34:14; Isaiah 41:20) man long (so Hebrew, Genesis 46:29) in order that he may go (be brought by God) into judgment." Literally, " lest his (attention) upon men" (Job 11:10, 11). So Job 34:24, "without number" ought to be translated, "without [needing any] searching out," such as has to be made in human judgments. 24. break in pieces —(Psalms 2:9; Job 12:18; Daniel 2:21). 25. Therefore —because He knows all things (Job 34:21). He knows their works, without a formal investigation (Job 34:24). in the night —suddenly, unexpectedly (Job 34:20). Fitly in the night, as it was in it that the godless hid themselves (Job 34:22). U MBREIT , less simply, for "overturneth," translates, "walketh"; that is, God is ever on the alert, discovering all wickedness. 26. He striketh them —chasteneth. as —that is, because they are wicked. sight of others —Sinners hid themselves in darkness; therefore they are punished before all, in open day. Image from the place of public execution (Job 40:12; Exodus 14:30; 2 Samuel 12:12). ## 27, 28. The grounds of their punishment in Job 34:26. Job 34:28 states in what respect they "considered not God's ways," namely, by oppression, whereby "they caused the cry," &c. 29. (Proverbs 16:7; Isaiah 26:3). make trouble —rather, "condemn" (Romans 8:33, 34).