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The Book of Job

Chapter Thirty-four: Drinking Scorn

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Who Drinks Up Scorn

Job: chapter 34
1 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 to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

“Hear my words”, Elihu turns to the three friends, “For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat” (34:2-3). He is upset at the lack of reception he has gotten from Job, and turns his back to Job: “Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good” (34:4). This is the ugly side of Elihu, the one that runs, not to God, but to the self-sufficiency of personal knowledge, (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), and to the support of the others whom he has just finished criticizing.

Clearly, Elihu is unaware that Job is innocent and that his tribulations are not of his own making. Spurred on by his anger, Elihu begins to spew forth vile accusations ending with a curse against Job. If he is not heard from again after the Lord arrives, it may be because he ran as fast as he could and never returned. I am being factitious. Because he loves God, Elihu was likely cowed by the appearance of God as much as was Job. But, like Job, Elihu loves the world and his place in it. He is, in the terms of the New Testament writers, double-minded. This Janus head catches him at the threshold of heaven, always looking back (Gen. 19:26) and so unable to enter.

We Will Decide What is Right

‘Job says that he is guiltless’ (9:21 and 16:17), reasons Elihu (34:5), and that ‘God won't hear his case’ (19:7; 27:2), furthermore Job challenges that he should not lie and say he is unrighteous (27:5-6; 34:6). With disgust, Elihu says, “What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water” (34:7)? Here Elihu has completely melded with the other three, quoting Eliphaz, “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?” (15:16) with the additional coloring that Job seems not to care that he is scorned, i.e. he is devoid of shame. He will not repent, but sits with the sinners, and adds to his shame saying, “It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God” (34:9). “Therefore...” (34:10). We are back to threadbare argument of the three friends: “God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment” (34:12), “He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others; Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways” (34:26-27).

The proud Elihu is driven to anger by Job's dismissal in not answering. He has just turned Job's words on their head to use against him. Job justifiably feels let down by God. Job does say, “If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent” (9:23). In chapter twenty-one he elaborates on this thought that the wicked prosper and the just may be tormented. However, in conclusion, Job quotes the wicked, “What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” (21:15). He follows up, “Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me” (21:16). ‘I could never listen to that’, says Job. But Elihu, claims that Job is saying that. It is no wonder that he gets no response from Job, any more than the chief priests got a response from Jesus (Mark 15:3-5).

“Speak what thou knowest” (34:33). Job has gone to great lengths to answer his friends and peers, but to no avail. He has no reason to answer this youngster. It is in fact beneath him to answer. Elihu doesn't see it that way. He closes this chapter with great vehemence: “My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God” (34:36-37). Elihu is angry that his wisdom is spurned. At this point, Elihu has solidly aligned himself with Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, trying to outdo them in insult, derision and now cursing.

God Does Not Misjudge a Man

There are some fresh arguments here. “There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For he will not lay upon man more than right [He does not need to consider a man further, (NASB)]; that he should enter into judgment with God” (34:22-23). These chewy verses imply that a mediator won't change anything between you and God because God knows all the evidence. It is not possible to hide. Speaking under the Spirit in the last chapter, Elihu put forward the suggestion that the mediator may advance a ransom. He seems to withdraw that now. God is not under the compulsion to reconsider, but God, in His mercy, does wait for us.

Elihu's careful attention seems lacking here: “Suppose a man says to God, ‘I am guilty but will offend no more. Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’ Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent?” (34:31-33). Elihu suggests that Job is unwilling to repent. Job has several times asked for his sin to be revealed (10:2; 13:23; 23:4-5 and 31:35). It is hard to imagine that he would not be willing to repent were sin revealed.

“Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?” (34:33, NASB). Elihu is now firmly caught in the same trap that has snared the others, Job's torment is a result of some undisclosed sin known to God. Job's refusal to accede to this notion and repent indicates stubbornness and rebellion. As far as the law is concerned, Job, we know, is perfect. God is pressing Job to step beyond the law. This is beyond the comprehension of any of the gathered men.

Elihu accuses: “Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom” (34:35). Although true, Job's four detractors are about to have a rude awakening. They all are in the same boat. All misjudge the situation, and all speak at length without wisdom, since none of them have any knowledge of the causes of Job's calamity. Job's three friends will be harshly rebuked for their false report of Job, which Elihu is now guilty of as well.

Elihu finishes with a savage curse: “My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end” (34:36). Some translations place this in the form of a prayer: “My father, let Job be tried” (Clarke, note on 34:36). This involves the translation of the Hebrew word âbeh or âbiy, which means ‘father’ in Hebrew, but is never used in the book of Job to refer to God as the implication would be here. Therefore Barnes suggests, “The probability is, therefore, that the word is from âbâh–‘to breathe after, to desire’” (Barnes, note to 34:36). This is the most common rendering of the word. Either way the implication would be that of a curse. The NET Bible tries to avoid the controversy: “But Job will be tested to the end” (NET Bible, footnote to 34:36), but leaves the impression that Elihu is merely giving a well meant warning.

Finally, Elihu accuses Job of rebellion. It would appear that the rebellion that most offends him is that of not being listened to. He will have no more words of encouragement or offerings of redemption. He appears to write off Job with this. Despite all of their vehemence, none of the other three have slammed the door as firmly.


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*All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.



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