Job 34:9

Job 34:9 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 indeed, and truly, that in this life it is oft seen, that bad men prosper and good men suffer. But must it needs follow, therefore, that it is a course of no profit to walk with God? Knoweth not Elihu that there is nothing that may not be taken with either hand? and that it is a spiritual unmannerliness to take it with the left? Indeed, it is not amiss to admonish good men, what absurdities may be gathered out of their words; and it is fit that they should prevent it as much as may be. Elihu also was the more to be borne with (and that made Job let him go on, likely, without a reply) because he pleaded for God and the glory of his justice, which Job had somewhat wronged, as cannot be denied, while he gave too much way to his grief and other passions, and now beginneth to be sensible of his outbursts. But, truly, if he should have said as here he is taxed (and yet David and Jeremiah said little less), he would have gone in company with those workers of iniquity, Isa 58:3 Mal 3:14-15, and have lifted at the very foundation of all true religion, Heb 11:6, and thence it was that Elihu was so hot. But men must take heed of drawing odious consequences out of other men’s speeches; and of forcing them to go two miles when they would go but one. "Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood," &c., Pro 30:33.

That he should delight himself with God] Or, When he runneth with God. Tremellius, When he shall be willing to walk with God, as Gen 5:22; see Eze 1:14. The Tigurines render the whole verse thus, Dixit enim, vir non faciet paria, si cum Deo cursu contendat. Sure it is nec volentis, nec volantis (as a nobleman gave it for his motto), it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth; no, though he could run as fast as a bird can fly; but in God that showeth mercy.

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.

34:9 Elihu later repeated this accusation (35:3; cp. Ps 73:13; Zeph 1:12; Mal 3:14), but he misrepresented Job’s words (Job 9:22-23; 21:15). Job had actually condemned those who held this view (21:14-16).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He wresteth Job’s words who said that God’s children are ofttimes punished in this world, and the wicked go free.

That is, live godly, as Gen. 5:22.

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

with God--in intimacy (Psa 50:18, Margin).

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

(9) It profiteth a man nothing.—Comp. what Job had said (Job_9:20-22; Job_9:30-31; Job_10:6-7; Job_10:14-15). Eliphaz had virtually said the same thing, though the form in which he cast it was the converse of this (see Job_22:3), for he had represented it as a matter of indifference to God whether man was righteous or not, which was, of course, to sap the foundations of all morality; for if God cares not whether man is righteous or not, it certainly cannot profit man to be righteous. On the other hand, Eliphaz had in form uttered the opposite doctrine (Job_22:21).

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

9. 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 man is nothing bettered by being religious Elihu refutes in ch. 35, directing his attention in the meantime to the general charge of in justice so far as it bore on God Himself.

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.

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding,.... The same persons he addresses as wise men and men of knowledge, Job 34:2; and here as men of understanding, or "heart" (z); the heart being the seat of wisdom and knowledge; and such Elihu desired to be his hearers, to attend to what he was about to say; which was to refute the words of Job, or his sense expressed in the preceding verses;

far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity; do any injustice or injury to any person, there being no unrighteousness in him, nor in any of his ways and works; which Job tacitly seemed to charge God with, at least as Elihu understood him. But sin is contrary to his pure and holy nature; he cannot look upon it with pleasure, much less commit it; it is forbidden by his holy righteous law, and therefore would never he done by him the lawgiver; nor can anyone single instance be given of wickedness and unrighteousness committed by him in any of his works of nature, or providence, or grace. He is the author of the evil of afflictions, whether as punishments or fatherly corrections; and in neither case does he commit or do any injustice; not in punishing wicked men less than they deserve, as he does in this life; nor in correcting his own people, which is always for their good: but not of the evil of sin; this may be concluded from the titles here given, of "Almighty and All-sufficient"; for being so he can be under no temptation of doing an unjust thing; and which is expressed with the like abhorrence and indignation by Elihu as the same sentiment is by the Apostle Paul, Rom 9:14.

(z) "viri cordis", Pagninus, Montanus, Michaelis.

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

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 dealings with him. He will be treated just as well if he lives a life of sin, as if he undertakes to live after the severest rules of piety. Job had not used precisely this language, but in Job 9:22, he had expressed nearly the same sentiment. It is probable, however, that Elihu refers to what he regarded as the general scope and tendency of his remarks, as implying that there was no respect paid to character in the divine dealings with mankind. It was easy to pervert the views which Job actually entertained, so as to make him appear to maintain this sentiment, and it was probably with a special view to this charge that Job uttered the sentiments recorded in Job 21; see the notes at that chapter.

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

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 treats his friends with the like severity, (chap. ix. 22., and xxx. 26.) in this world: which is very true. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "Say not that man is visited. He is indeed visited by the Lord." (Haydock) --- Eliu wrests Job’s words, in order that he may have something to say against him. (St. Gregory xxiv. 25.) (Worthington)

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).

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 more, miserable here than the wicked, Job 9:22; 30:26, and that for his part he was no gainer as to this life by his piety, but a loser, and that God showed him no more kindness and compassion than he usually did to the vilest of men; which was a very unthankful and ungodly opinion and expression, seeing godliness hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come, and Job had such supports, and such assurances of his own uprightness, and of his future happiness, as he confesseth, as were and should have been accounted even for the present a greater comfort and profit than all which this world can afford.

That he should delight himself with God; that he should choose and delight to walk with God, and make it his chief care and business to please him, and to do his commandments; which is the true and proper character of a godly man.

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

9. It profiteth a man nothing, etc. — Job had, indeed, used a similar expression, (Job_21:15,) but had applied it to the wicked. He had maintained the contrary, (Job_17:9; Job_21:15; Job_28:28,) though it must be admitted that some of Job’s repinings are susceptible of such an interpretation (Job_9:22-25; Job_21:7; Job_24:1) as he himself seems to have felt at the close of his description of the happiness of the wicked. (Job_21:7-15.) The variations, if not errors, Elihu makes in his citations from Job are no more than might have been expected from one who had to rely solely on his memory for the points made in the course of the long discussion. They serve to illustrate and demonstrate the reality of the debate, and more particularly the genuineness of the Elihu section. Had Elihu’s speeches been an interpolation, (see Excursus VI,) as some German commentators hold, ordinary prudence, to say nothing of human workmanship in general, would have furnished joinering different from this.

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

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Again it must be remarked that Job had not said this. The nearest approach to it is to be found in Job_9:22, where this passage occurs: "It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked" (Revised Version). Elsewhere Job speaks, not generally, but of his own individual case, remarking that his righteousness has not saved him from calamity. (Job_9:17, 18 10:15 17:9-16, etc.) And the fact is one that causes him the deepest perplexity.

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

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.

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

A man derives no benefit A man derives no benefit if he perfects his ways.

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.