New International Version “If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. New Living Translation “Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. English Standard Version “If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. Berean Standard Bible If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. Berean Literal Bible And if there is understanding, hear this; give ear to the sound of my words. King James Bible If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. New King James Version “If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words: New American Standard Bible “But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. NASB 1995 “But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. NASB 1977 “But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. Legacy Standard Bible “But if you have understanding, hear this; Give ear to the sound of my speech. Amplified Bible “If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. Berean Annotated Bible If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. Christian Standard Bible If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I have to say. Holman Christian Standard Bible If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I have to say. American Standard Version If now thou hast understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words. Contemporary English Version So be smart and listen! English Revised Version If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. GOD'S WORD® Translation "If you understand, listen to this. Open your ears to my words! Good News Translation Now listen to me, if you are wise. International Standard Version If you have understanding, listen to this! Pay attention to what I have to say: NET Bible "If you have understanding, listen to this, hear what I have to say. New Heart English Bible "If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words. Webster's Bible Translation If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleIf you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. World English Bible “If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd if [there is] understanding, hear this, "" Give ear to the voice of my words. Berean Literal Bible And if there is understanding, hear this; give ear to the sound of my words. Young's Literal Translation And if there is understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words. Smith's Literal Translation If now understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf then thou hast understanding, hear what is said, and hearken to the voice of my words. Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, if you have understanding, hear what is said, and heed the sound of my eloquence. New American Bible Now you —understand, hear this! Listen to the words I speak! New Revised Standard Version “If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIf now you have understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And if you understand, hear these things and give ear to the voice of my words OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If now thou hast understanding, hear this; Hearken to the voice of my words. Brenton Septuagint Translation Take heed lest he rebuke thee: hear this, hearken to the voice of words. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Elihu Confirms God's Justice…15all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust. 16If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. 17Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,… Cross References If you have understanding, Deuteronomy 32:29 If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate. Proverbs 1:5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel hear this; Psalm 49:1-2 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world, / both low and high, rich and poor alike. Job 13:17 Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears. listen to my words. Job 33:1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. Job 13:6 Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips. Proverbs 2:2 if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. Proverbs 8:5 O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding. Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out. Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. Isaiah 6:9-10 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Jeremiah 4:22 “For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.” Jeremiah 5:21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Matthew 13:13-15 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ Treasury of Scripture If now you have understanding, hear this: listen to the voice of my words. Job 12:3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? Job 13:2-6 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you… Jump to Previous Ear Hear Hearken Note Sound Understanding Voice Wise WordsJump to Next Ear Hear Hearken Note Sound Understanding Voice Wise WordsJob 34 1. Elihu accuses Job for charging God with injustice10. God omnipotent cannot be unjust 31. Man must humble himself unto God 34. Elihu reproves Job If you have understanding, Elihu appeals to Job’s discernment, urging him to weigh what follows rather than dismiss it because of the speaker’s youth. Deu 32:29 If only they were wise, they would understand it… hear this; He calls for careful attention as he turns to defend God’s justice against Job’s complaints. Psa 49:1-2 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.… listen to my words. Elihu presents his argument as a serious correction, insisting that neither suffering nor human confusion gives anyone grounds to accuse God of wrongdoing. Job 33:1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. Persons / Places / Events 1. ElihuA young man who speaks to Job and his friends. He is portrayed as a passionate and somewhat impatient speaker who believes he has a fresh perspective on Job's suffering. 2. Job The central figure of the Book of Job, a man who experiences immense suffering and seeks to understand the reasons behind it. 3. Job's Friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who attempt to explain Job's suffering through traditional wisdom, often suggesting that it is a result of sin. 4. God The ultimate authority and source of wisdom, whose understanding and purposes are beyond human comprehension. 5. The Setting The dialogue takes place in the land of Uz, where Job and his friends engage in deep discussions about suffering, justice, and divine wisdom. Teaching Points The Call to ListenElihu's words remind us of the importance of being attentive to wisdom and understanding. In our spiritual journey, we must prioritize listening to God's word and the counsel of the wise. Understanding Before Speaking Before we offer our opinions or judgments, especially in matters of faith and suffering, we should seek understanding. This requires humility and patience. The Role of Youth in Wisdom Elihu, as a younger man, demonstrates that wisdom is not confined to age. Young believers should be encouraged to seek and share wisdom, while older believers should remain open to learning from them. Divine Wisdom vs. Human Understanding Elihu's speech highlights the limitations of human understanding compared to divine wisdom. We should trust in God's greater plan, even when we do not fully comprehend it. Active Engagement with Scripture Just as Elihu calls for active listening, we should engage actively with Scripture, seeking to understand and apply it in our lives. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Job 34:16?2. How does Job 34:16 challenge us to listen to God's wisdom today? 3. What does "hear this" in Job 34:16 imply about God's communication methods? 4. How can we apply the call to "listen" in our daily prayer life? 5. How does Job 34:16 connect with Proverbs' teachings on wisdom and understanding? 6. What steps can we take to better "give ear" to God's word? 7. How does Job 34:16 challenge our understanding of divine justice and human suffering? 8. What does Job 34:16 reveal about God's communication with humanity? 9. How does Job 34:16 fit into the broader theme of wisdom in the Book of Job? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 34? Verse 16. - If now thou hast understanding, hear this. The appeal is not to Job, but to any wise and intelligent man among the many hearers who were present (see the comment on vers. 1, 2). Hearken to the voice of my words (comp. vers. 2, 10). Job 34:16 is Elihu’s earnest invitation to those who possess spiritual insight: acknowledge your God-given discernment, give God’s revelation your undivided attention, and let His righteous character shape your response. In a world of conflicting voices, the passage calls believers to lean in, receive, and obey the flawless word that testifies to the justice and sovereignty of the LORD. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifוְאִם־ (wə·’im-) Conjunctive waw | Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you have understanding, בִּ֥ינָה (bî·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 998: An understanding hear שִׁמְעָה־ (šim·‘āh-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently this; זֹּ֑את (zōṯ) Pronoun - feminine singular Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that, listen to הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה (ha·’ă·zî·nāh) Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 238: To broaden out the ear, to listen my words. מִלָּֽי׃ (mil·lāy) Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 4405: A word, a discourse, a topic Additonal Resources Job 34:16 Blue Letter BibleJob 34:16 Bible Gateway Job 34:16 Bible.com Job 34:16 NIV |
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