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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Job 34:9

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God, by living in friendship and fellowship with God, this sentiment having frequently been uttered by Job as his impatience carried him away in his complaint. It is such an easy matter to go too far in making complaints, to use expressions which, if not actually accusing God of injustice, at least sound very much like an attempt at it.

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See also Job 34:9 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR HE HATH SAID, IT PROFITETH A MAN NOTHING THAT HE SHOULD DELIGHT HIMSELF IN GOD - That is, there is no advantage in piety, and in endeavoring to serve God. It will make no difference in the divine...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 34 _ 1. Hear my words ye wise men (Job 34:1)_ 2. The refutation of Job's accusation of God (Job 34:5) 3. Job needs testing to the end (Job 34:31)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Elihu summons the wise men who hear him to seek a right decision. Job has accused God of injustice, when he is innocent. But in reality Job is the worst of scorners, for he denies the profit of religi...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Elihu recites Job's statement of his cause against God, expressing his abhorrence of Job's sentiments....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job had nowhere used this precise language, though the idea is not an unnatural inference from much that he had said; comp. ch. Job 9:12; Job 21:7; Job 24:1, and ch. 21 throughout. This charge that a...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    C. THE SOURCE OF JUSTICE (Job 34:1-37) 1. Job is walking with wicked men when he attributes injustice to God. (Job 34:1-9) TEXT 34:1-9 1 MOREOVER ELIHU ANSWERED AND SAID, 2 Hear my words, ye wis...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _FOR HE HATH SAID, IT PROFITETH A MAN NOTHING THAT HE SHOULD DELIGHT HIMSELF WITH GOD._ With God - in intimacy (Psalms 50:18, "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SPEECHES OF ELIHU (CONTINUED) 1-9. Elihu appeals to his hearers to judge the matter. He protests against the complaints of Job that he was treated unjustly by God, and that it was no profit to be...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Cp. e.g. Job 9:21. 10-37. Elihu meets Job's doubts. The omnipotent God cannot commit injustice: the idea is inconsistent with the conception of One who creates and sustains and governs all mankind. I...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 34 ELIHU DISCUSSES THE SPEE...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Elihu was saying that Job’s words sounded like the words of a wicked man. Elihu was not saying that Job was evil. But evil men do say things like those that we read in verses 5-6. Job seemed to copy a...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IT PROFITETH A MAN NOTHING. — Comp. what Job had said (Job 9:20; Job 9:30; Job 10:6; Job 10:14). Eliphaz had virtually said the same thing, though the form in which he

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּֽי ־אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א יִסְכָּן ־גָּ֑בֶר בִּ֝ רְצ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXV. POST-EXILIC WISDOM Job 32:1; Job 33:1; Job 34:1 A PERSONAGE hitherto unnamed in the course of the drama now assumes the place of critic and judge between Job and his friends. Elihu, son of Bara...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE ALMIGHTY MUST BE JUST Job 34:1 Elihu stands in Job 34:10 as God's apologist. God's absolute and impartial justice is at all times a matter of untold comfort. There will be no cause of ultimate co...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Job gave no answer to the challenge, and Elihu proceeded. He first appealed to the wise men, asked that they would listen in order to try his words. He then made two quotations from the things Job had...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For he hath said, (h) It profiteth a man nothing that he should (i) delight himself with God. (h) He wrests Job's words who said that God's children are often punished in this world, and the wicked g...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    With him, and strive to please him. Horrible blasphemy! of which Job was incapable: as if God were a cruel master, and threw us into despair. He had asserted that God punishes the wicked, and often tr...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ Furthermore Elihu answered and said, (2) Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. (3) For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. (4) Let us choose t...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    3. NOW ON TO CHAPTER 34 H. Job 34:1-9 (NKJV) Elihu further answered and said: 2 "Hear my words, you wise [men]; Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. 3 For the ear tests words As the palate taste...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 32 THROUGH 37. But these spiritual affections of Job did not prevent his turning this consciousness of integrity into a robe of self-righteousness which hid G...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR HE HATH SAID,.... Not plainly and expressly, but consequentially; what it was thought might be inferred from what he had said, particularly in Job 9:22; IT PROFITETH A MAN NOTHING THAT HE SHOULD...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Ver. 9. _For he hath said, It profiteth a man not_] Did Job ever say so or think so? where? and when? He said ind...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Who drinketh up scorning like water_ That is, abundantly and greedily: who doth so break forth into scornful expressions, not only against his friends, but, in some sort, even against God himself. Th...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    HIS APPEAL AS TO WISE MEN (vv.1-4) Since Job had wisely refrained from speaking, Elihu makes an appeal to all his hearers, as to wise men (v.2). This reminds us of1 Corinthians 10:15, "I speak as to...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Elihu is also horrified by the argument that it profits man nothing to serve God faithfully, compare with Job 9:30-31. "To say that. person is no better off for having served God is. complaint Elihu a...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-9 Elihu calls upon those present to decide with him upon Job's words. The plainest Christian, whose mind is enlightened, whose heart is sanctified by the Spirit of God, and who is versed in the Scr...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    HE HATH SAID; not absolutely and in express terms, but by unforced consequence, and as concerning this life, and with reference to himself; because he said that good men were no less, nay, sometimes m...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 34:9 said H559 (H8804) profits H5532 (H8799) man H1397 delight H7521 (H8800) God H430 It -...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Job 34:1. _Furthermore Elihu answered and said, Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat._ I wish that verse was...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Elihu's discourse continued. He magnifies God's holiness. CHARACTERS: God, Elihu, Job, friends. CONCLUSION: It is absurd and unreasonable to multiply words in complaint against God's ways....

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 34:5. _Job hath said God hath taken away my judgment._ See on Job 27:2. Elihu, in every accusation, takes or turns Job's words in a wrong sense. Job meant that God had varied, in regard of him, th...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _What man is like Job?_ ELIHU’S ESTIMATE OF JOB It was natural that, with all his reverence for Job, Elihu should be offended by the heat and passion of his words, by the absence of moderation and se...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 34:1 Elihu calls on “wise men” to hear Job’s contention that he is in the right (vv. Job 34:2) and “men of understanding” to hear Elihu’s argument against this claim (vv....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 34:9 Although Job had stated that the wicked and the righteous seem to suffer the same fate, he did not say precisely what Elihu quotes him here as saying. Job had governed his own lif...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _ELIHU’S SECOND SPEECH_ Probably after waiting for a reply from Job, and none being forthcoming, Elihu resumes. Job 34:1.—“Furthermore Elihu answered (took up speech), and said”. Job’s silence probabl...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 34:1 In this chapter Elihu turns from Job to those whom he addresses as "wise men" (verse 2), or "men of understanding" (verse 10). Whether these are Job's three special friends, or ot...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Furthermore Elihu went on then [Job didn't answer], he said, Hear my words, O ye wise men; give ear unto me, that have knowledge. For the ear tries words, as the mouth tastes meat (Job 34:1-3). That'...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Job 21:14; Job 21:30; Job 22:17; Job 27:10; Job 35:3;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    HIGH ALTITUDES IN ELIHU'S ANSWER TO JOB Job 32:1, Job 33:1; Job 34:1; Job 35:1; Job 3

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    He said — Not in express terms, but by consequence; because he said that good men were no less, nay, sometimes more miserable here than the wicked....

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