Job 34:31

34:31-37 When we reprove for what is amiss, we must direct to what is good. Job's friends would have had him own himself a wicked man. Let will only oblige him to own that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Let us, in giving reproof, not make a matter worse than it is. Elihu directs Job to humble himself before God for his sins, and to accept the punishment. Also to pray to God to discover his sins to him. A good man is willing to know the worst of himself; particularly, under affliction, he desires to be told wherefore God contends with him. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins, but we must go and sin no more. And if we are affectionate children, we shall love to speak with our Father, and to tell him all our mind. Elihu reasons with Job concerning his discontent under affliction. We are ready to think every thing that concerns us should be just as we would have it; but it is not reasonable to expect this. Elihu asks whether there was not sin and folly in what Job said. God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, Ps 145:17. The believer saith, Let my Saviour, my wise and loving Lord, choose every thing for me. I am sure that will be wisest, and the best for his glory and my good.

Job 34:31-32 . Surely it is meet to be said unto God — It is certainly but fit and reasonable that man, a weak and sinful creature, should speak thus to his Maker and supreme Lord, who is so much superior to him, and so mighty and righteous in all his ways; I have borne chastisement — Or, I do, or shall bear it, namely, quietly and contentedly; I will bear the Lord’s indignation, and accept of the punishment of my own iniquity, and not accuse God falsely and foolishly, as I have done; I will not offend any more — Hebrew, לא אחבל , lo echbol, I will not corrupt, namely, myself, or my ways; or, I will take, or demand no pledge, in which sense also this word is often used, and so the meaning will be, “I confess I have been too bold with God in desiring that he would come with me into judgment, and that I might have a pledge that he would do so; but I will no longer desire it, but will submit myself wholly to him.” That which I see not, teach thou me — I will no longer maintain my innocence, but from thy judgments I will conclude that there are some secret sins in me, for which thou dost chastise, me: and which I, through my ignorance or partiality, cannot yet discover, and therefore I beg that, through thy Spirit, thou wouldst manifest them to me. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more — I will amend my former errors.

31, 32 . A supposition is put: Has any one said unto God? where God is emphatic, the emphasis implying the unseemliness and presumption of the act. The case is put generally, but the case is that of Job, as Job 34:33 reveals. The meaning of the passage is that the complainer under affliction protests his innocence ( Job 34:31 ); disclaims knowledge of any offence; desires, as Job frequently expressed his desire, to know what his sin was; and professes his readiness to desist from it, when it is made clear to him ( Job 34:32 ). 31–33 . Elihu gradually approaches the conduct of Job. He supposes the case of one animadverting on the Divine procedure and complaining of unjust affliction. This is presumption and implies that one usurps the government of the Most High.

Verse 31. - Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement . (So Rosenmuller and others.) If the passage be thus rendered, Elihu must be considered as, like Eliphaz ( Job 5:8 ), Bildad ( Job 8:5 ), and Zophar ( Job 11:13-15 ), counselling Job to submit himself to God, acknowledging his sin, accepting his punishment, and promising amendment for the future (ver. 22). But perhaps it is better to regard the passage as interrogative, and Elihu as asking - What man, among those whom God has cast down and punished, has ever sought to deprecate his wrath by contrition, confession, and promise of amendment, implying that, had they done so, God would have relented and forgiven them? (see the Revised Version). In this case no direct counsel is offered to Job; but still an indirect hint is given him. I will not offend any more . This is preferable to the marginal rendering of the Revised Version, "though I have not offended." Job 34:31

31. Job accordingly says so (Job 40:3-5; Mic 7:9; Le 26:41). It was to lead him to this that Elihu was sent. Though no hypocrite, Job, like all, had sin; therefore through affliction he was to be brought to humble himself under God. All sorrow is a proof of the common heritage of sin, in which the godly shares; and therefore he ought to regard it as a merciful correction. Umbreit and Maurer lose this by translating, as the Hebrew will bear, "Has any a right to say to God, I have borne chastisement and yet have not sinned?" (so Job 34:6). borne—namely, the penalty of sin, as in Le 5:1, 17. offend—literally, "to deal destructively or corruptly" (Ne 1:7).

Certainly it is but fit and reasonable that man should say thus to his Maker and supreme Lord, and that instead of contending with God, he should submit to him. Or, (which comes to the same thing,) But hath he said ? so the sense is, I have showed the absolute power which God hath over all his creatures, and that he may justly, and doth ofttimes severely, punish all sorts of men as he sees fit. And this Job should have applied to his own case. But , I appeal to all of you, hath he , i.e. Job, (who is the principal subject of this whole discourse, and to whom he now begins to direct his discourse,) said, that which here follows? which is a kind of form of confession or humiliation, which Elihu puts into Job’s mouth, as fit to have been used by him. Nay, hath not his speech and carriage been of a directly contrary nature and tendency? Instead of humbling himself under God’s hand, which was his duty, hath he not been full of murmurings and complaints against God? Unto God; unto one so much thy superior, so mighty and so righteous in all his ways; with such a one a weak and sinful creature (as thou art) should not presume to contest. I have borne chastisement; or, I do or shall bear it , to wit, quietly and contentedly; I will bear the Lord’s indignation, and accept of the punishment of my own iniquity, and not accuse God falsely and foolishly, as I have done. I will not offend any more, Heb. I will not corrupt , to wit, myself or my ways; which is oft understood in like cases.

Or, I will take or demand no pledge ; for so this verb is oft used. So the sense may possibly be, I confess I have been too bold with God, in desiring that he would come with me into judgment, and that I could have a pledge or surety that he would do so; but I will no longer desire it, but submit myself wholly to him.

Surely it is meet to be said unto God - It is evident that this verse commences a new strain of remark, and that it is designed particularly to bring Job to proper reflections in view of what had occurred. There has been, however, much diversity of opinion about the meaning of this and the following verses. Schultens enumerates no less than "fifteen" different interpretations which have been given of this verse. The "general" meaning seems to be, that a man who is afflicted ought to submit to God, and not to murmur or complain. He ought to suppose that there is some good reason for what God does, and to be resigned to his will, even where he cannot "see" the reason of his dispensations. The drift of all the remarks of Elihu is, that God is a great and inscrutable Severeign; that he has a right to reign, and that man should submit unqualifiedly to him. In this passage he does not reproach Job harshly. He does not say that he had been guilty of great crimes. He does not affirm that the sentiments of the three friends of Job were correct, or maintain that Job was a hypocrite. He states a "general" truth, which he considers applicable to all, and says that it becomes all who are afflicted to submit to God, and to resolve to offend no more; to go to God with the language of humble confession, and when everything is dark and gloomy in the divine dealings to implore "his" teachings, and to entreat him to shed light on the path.

Hence, he says, "It is meet or proper to use this language before God. It becomes man. He should presume that God is right, and that he has some good reasons for his dealings, though they are inscrutable. Even when a sufferer is not to be reckoned among the most vile and wicked; when he is conscious that his general aim has been to do right: and when his external character has been fair, it is to be "presumed to be possible" that he may have sinned. He may not have wholly known himself. He may have indulged in things that were wrong without having been scarcely conscious of it. He may have loved the world too much; may have fixed his affections with idolatrous attachment on his property or friends; may have had a temper such as ought not to be indulged; or he may have relied on what he possessed, and thus failed to recognize his dependence on God. In such cases, it becomes man to have so much confidence in God as to go and acknowledge "his right" to inflict chastisement, and to entreat him to teach the sufferer "why" he is thus afflicted." I have borne chastisement - The word "chastisement" is not in the Hebrew.