Job 34:32

Job 34:32 [That which] I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Ver. 32. That which I see not, teach thou me] For I am yet in the dark, and know not the right cause wherefore thou afflictest me. Herein men are very apt to mistake themselves, and when God calls one way to run another, as young Samuel did, i Sam. iii. 5. The devil also dealeth by the afflicted as the Jews did by Christ, blindfolds them, and then bids them prophesy who smote them, and for what? Hence in afflictions we many times grope as blind men, guessing at this cause and at that, but seldom fasten on the right. Here, then, God must be sought unto for direction, and besought that he would graciously point us to the sin he strikes at. This Job had done once and again, Job 10:2; Job 13:23. But Elihu would have him to do it yet better.

If I have done iniquity, I will do no more] Thus men must both vow and perform to the Lord their God, Psa 76:11, and not promise amendment, as children do when taken up to be whipped; or as men in danger at sea, or on their sick beds, use to do largely; but then Sciaputo il morbo, fiaudato il santo, as the Italian proverb hath it, When the disease is removed the saint is defrauded. Pharaoh promised fair while upon the rack; but got off once, he hardened his heart, and would do nothing. So those slippery votaries, Jer 34:11.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus Elihu speaketh in the person of God, as it were mocking Job, because he would be wiser than God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(Job 10:2; Psa 32:8; Psa 19:12; Psa 139:23-24).

no more-- (Pro 28:13; Eph 4:22).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 32. That which I see not] "What I do not know, teach thou me; wherein I have done iniquity, I will do so no more."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That which I see not, teach thou me - That is, in regard to my errors and sins. No prayer could be more appropriate than this. It is language becoming every one who is afflicted, and who does not see clearly the reason why it is done. The sense is, that with a full belief that he is liable to error and sin, that he has a wicked and deceitful heart, and that God never afflicts without reason, he should go to him and ask him to show him “why” he has afflicted him. He should not complain or repine; he should not accuse God of injustice or partiality; he should not attempt to cloak his offences, but should go and entreat him to make him acquainted with the sins of heart and life which have led to these calamities. Then only will he be in a state of mind in which he will be likely to be profited by trials.

If I have done iniquity, I will do no more - Admitting the possibility that he had erred. Who is there that cannot appropriately use this language when he is afflicted?

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I will no longer maintain mine innocency, but from thy judgments I will conclude and have reason to believe that there are some secret sins in me, for which thou dost chastise me, and which I through mine ignorance or partiality cannot yet discover, and therefore do beg that thou wouldst by thy Spirit manifest them to me. If I have done iniquity, I will amend my former errors.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

32. That which I see not — בלעדי, without, beyond: — that which lies beyond my vision. The expression points to latent sins — unknown iniquity. The soul is a darkened chamber that hides its own uncleanness. The light of the divine Spirit alone discloses the hidden domains of evil — the man of corruption to his own quickened conscience. “Moses well calls sin a secret thing, whose greatness no mind can comprehend. For as the wrath of God is, and as death is, so also is sin, an inconceivable infinite.” — LUTHER, on Psa_90:8. The reader is referred to Sermons, in loc., by Leighton and Tillotson.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That which I see not, teach thou me; i.e. "If in anything I fail to see thy will, teach thou it me. Make thy way plain before my face." If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. The hypothetical form seems to be preferred, as more acceptable to Job, who maintained his righteousness, than a positive confession of sin.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That - The secret sins which I cannot discover, manifest thou to me.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Besides what I see Besides what I know to perceive in Your words, You instruct me, and if I have committed injustice, I will not continue.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.