Job 34:8

Job 34:8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

Ver. 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity] Strange if he should; for the wicked is abomination to the righteous, Pro 29:27. "Lord, gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men," saith David, Psa 26:9. Lord, send me not to hell among the wicked (said a certain good woman upon her death bed), for thou knowest I never liked their company here on earth. But how proveth Elihu this charge against Job, who was ever a terror to graceless Belialists? Forsooth he gathereth it from a certain speech of his, if he could tell what, or when it was uttered.

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.

Meaning, that Job was like to the wicked, because he seemed not to glorify God and submit himself to his judgments.

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

Job virtually goes in company (makes common cause) with the wicked, by taking up their sentiments (Job 9:22-23, Job 9:30; Job 21:7-15), or at least by saying, that those who act on such sentiments are unpunished (Mal 3:14). To deny God's righteous government because we do not see the reasons of His acts, is virtually to take part with the ungodly.

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 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity] This is an allusion to a caravan: all kinds of persons are found there; but yet a holy and respectable man might be found in that part of the company where profligates assembled. But surely this assertion of Elihu was not strictly true; and the words literally translated, will bear a less evil meaning: "Job makes a track ארח arach, to join fellowship, לחברה lechebrah, with the workers of iniquity;" i.e., Job's present mode of reasoning, when he says, "I am righteous, yet God hath taken away my judgment," is according to the assertion of sinners, who say, "There is no profit in serving God; for, if a man be righteous, he is not benefited by it, for God does not vindicate a just man's cause against his oppressors." By adopting so much of their creed, he intimates that Job is taking the steps that lead to fellowship with them. See Job 34:9.

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

(8) And walketh with wicked men.—This was the charge that was brought against Job by Eliphaz (Job_15:4-5; Job_22:15).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. In expressing such opinions Job goes over to the camp of the professed ungodly; comp. Job_22:15; Psa_1:1.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 delight himself with God; in his house and ordinances, ways and worship; he may as well indulge himself in the pleasures of sin, and in the delights of the world, if God destroys the perfect and the wicked, as Job had said in the place referred to; if this be the case, it is in vain to serve God, and pray unto him, or keep his ordinances; which are the language and sentiments of wicked men, and according to which they act, see Job 21:14, Mal 3:14. Mr. Broughton renders it,

"when he would walk with God;''

and so the Targum,

"in his walking with God;''

and another Targum,

"in his running with God:''

though he walks and even runs in the way of his commandments, yet it is of no advantage to him; or he does the will of God, as Aben Ezra; or seeks to please him or be acceptable to him, and to find grace in his sight. Whereas though love and hatred are not known by prosperity and adversity, but both come to good and bad men, which seems to be Job's meaning in the above place, from whence this inference is deduced; yet it is certain that godliness is profitable to all, Ti1 4:8.

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

Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity - That is, in his sentiments. The idea is, that he advocated the same opinions which they did, and entertained the same views of God and of his government. The same charge had been before brought against him by his friends; see the notes at Job 21.

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

Goeth in. Septuagint insert a negation, which is not found in Hebrew, Chaldean, &c. They may be understood to speak ironically. (Calmet) --- "Who committeth no sin, nor iniquity, nor has had any society with lawless people, so as to walk with wicked men." (Haydock)

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).

Although I dare not say, as his three friends do, that he is a wicked man, yet in this matter he speaks and acts like one of them.

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

8. In company — Literally, To the company. That Job should have uttered such words (Job_34:5-6) stirs the indignation of Elihu. His zeal for God and the truth leads him, like the friends, into embittered language and unjustifiable assault. His view is in general just, that the language a man speaks betokens the company he keeps. He intimates that the complaints Job makes are merely the sentiments of the utterly godless, though in another guise. Like sentiments lead to like company, and, vice versa, as we see in the following verse, low associations give rise to low ideas. Dr. Clarke thinks there is an allusion here to a caravan, in which all kinds of persons were found.

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

Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity. It is impossible to supply any other antecedent to "which" than Job himself. Elihu therefore accuses Job of having turned aside from righteousness, and betaken himself to the "counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the seat of the scornful". (Psa_1:1) This is grossly to exaggerate Job"s faults of temper, and puts Elihu very nearly on a level with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in respect of misconception and rudeness. And walketh with wicked men. If no more is meant than that Job has adopted principles and arguments commonly used by wicked men (Canon Cook), the language employed is unfortunate.

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

Who goeth - Although I dare not say, that he is a wicked man, yet in this matter he speaks and acts like one of them.

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