Job 34:34

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(34) Let men of understanding tell me.—Rather, Men of understanding will say to me, or, agree with me; and every wise man that heareth me will say, &c.

Benson Commentary

Job 34:34-36. Let men of understanding tell me — I am content that any wise man should judge of my words. Let any such tell us what is their opinion. Job hath spoken without knowledge — Job seems to me to be very much mistaken, and his discourse to be inconsiderate, and without reason. My desire is, that Job may be tried — That his words and matters, which I am now debating, may be examined and sifted; unto the end — Thoroughly and exactly, till the cause be brought to an issue; because of his answers for wicked men — Because of his replies or discourses on their behalf: he hath put arguments into their mouths against God and his providence.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let men of understanding - Margin, as in Hebrew "heart." The "heart," as there has been frequent occasions to remark, in the Scriptures is often used to denote the seat of the mind or soul, as the head is with us. Rosenmuller, Umbreit, and Noyes, render this passage as if it were to be taken in connection with the following verse, "Men of understanding will say, and a wise man who hears my views will unite in saying, 'Job has spoken without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.'" According to this, the two verses express a sentiment in which Elihu supposes every wise man who had attended to him would concur, that what Job had said was not founded in knowledge or on true wisdom.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

34, 35. Rather, "men … will say to me, and the wise man (Job 34:2, 10) who hearkens to me (will say), 'Job hath spoken,'" &c.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I am content that any wise man should judge of my words, and let such consider what I say. Or, as others translate the place, Men of understanding will speak for or with (as the prefix lamed is sometimes used, as Genesis 46:26 Numbers 18:11 Job 17:5) me, and

wise men will

hearken or assent unto me.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let men of understanding tell me,.... Whether I am right or wrong:

and let a wise man hearken unto me; to what I have said or shall say. Elihu here addresses the company around him, the wise and intelligent part of them; the words may be rendered in the future tense, men of understanding "will" tell me (n), and a wise man "will" hearken to me and assent, not only to what I have said, but to what I am about to say, namely, what follows.

(n) "dicent"; Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius, Cocceius, Michaelis, Schultens: so Broughton.

Geneva Study Bible

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

34–37. The verdict regarding Job’s demeanour which all men of understanding and those who listen to Elihu will give,

34.  Men of understanding will say unto me,

And the wise man who heareth me:

35.  Job speaketh without knowledge,

And his words are without wisdom.

36.  Would that Job were tried unto the end,

Because of his answers in the manner of wicked men.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 34. - Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me. As Job does not answer him, Elihu turns to his "men of understanding" (supra, vers. 2, 10). He feels sure that he will at least have carried them with him, and that they will join in the condemnation of Job's words as wanting in true wisdom. "Men of understanding," he says, "will say unto me, yea, every wise man that heareth me will say, Job speaketh without knowledge," etc. (see the Revised Version). Job 34:34

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

33 Shall He recompense it as thou wilt? For thou hast found fault,

So that thou hast to determine, not I,

And what thou knowest speak out!

34 Men of understanding will say to me,

And a wise man who listeneth to me:

35 "Job speaketh without knowledge,

"And his words are without intelligence."

36 O would that Job were proved to the extreme

On account of his answers after the manner of evil men;

37 For he addeth transgression to his sin,

Among us he clappeth

And multiplieth his speeches against God.

The question put to Job, whether then from him or according to his idea (עם in מעמּך as Job 23:10; Job 27:11, which see) shall God recompense it (viz., as this "it" is to be understood according to Job 34:32: man's evil-doing and actions in general), Elihu proves from this, that Job has despised (shown himself discontented with it) the divine mode of recompense, so that therefore (this second כּי signifies also nam, but is, because extending further on account of the first, according to the sense equivalent to ita ut) he has to choose (seek out) another mode of recompense, not Elihu (who is perfectly satisfied with the mode with which history furnishes us); which is then followed by the challenge (דּבּר not infin., but as Job 33:32): what (more corresponding to just retribution) thou knowest, speak out then! Elihu on his part knows that he does not stand alone against Job, the censurer of the divine government of the world, but that men of heart (understanding) and (every) wise man who listens to him will coincide with him in the opinion that Job's talk is devoid of knowledge and intelligence (on the form of writing השׂכּיל as Jeremiah 3:15, vid., Ges. 53, rem. 2).

In Job 34:36 we will for the present leave the meaning of אבי undecided; יבּחן is certainly intended as optative: let Job be tried to the extreme or last, i.e., let his trial by affliction continue until the matter is decided (comp. Habakkuk 1:4), on account of the opposition among men of iniquity, i.e., after the manner of such (on this Beth of association comp. בּקּשׁשׁים, Job 36:14), for to חטּאת, by which the purpose of his affliction is to be cleared up, he adds פּשׁע, viz., the wickedness of blasphemous speeches: among us (therefore without fear) he claps (viz., his hands scornfully together, יספּוק only here thus absolute instead of ישׂפּק כּפּיו fo dae, Job 27:23, comp. בשׂפק Job 36:18 with ספקו Job 20:22)

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