Job 34 · a question people ask

Elihu says Job has said, "I am righteous, God has taken away my right" (34:5). Did Job say that?

In the text

Some of the words are Job's, in the same Hebrew. Job swore, "As God lives, who has taken away my right" (27:2), and 34:5's God has taken away my right is the same three words (in 34:5 with and in front). Job said, "I know that I am righteous" (13:18), with the verb of 34:5's I am righteous, and "Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him" (9:15), where I were righteous is the very form. Elihu also says Job has said, "It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God" (34:9). In the Hebrew of Job, 34:9's profits comes six times, and none of them is in Job's own speeches: Eliphaz has it (15:3, 22:2 twice, 22:21), and Elihu has it twice (34:9, 35:3), both times in words he says are Job's. Eliphaz had asked, "Can a man be profitable to God?" (22:2), with 34:9's profits and man. Job had told what the wicked say to God: "What profit should we have, if we pray to him?" (21:15), where profit is another verb. The book doesn't say which of Job's words Elihu has in view, or whether he reports them fairly. These notes set the verses side by side and don't decide.

The verses

“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right.”
Job 34:5 · World English Bible
““As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter”
Job 27:2 · World English Bible
“See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.”
Job 13:18 · World English Bible
“Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.”
Job 9:15 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Job 34

Job 34: Far be it from God

Elihu's "He sees all his goings" (34:21) shares its Hebrew for see, ways and all … steps with Job's own "Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?" (31:4). And the justice Elihu says the Almighty will not pervert (34:12) is the same word as the right in the words he reports as Job's (34:5).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions