Job 34 11

Job 34:11 kjv

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

Job 34:11 nkjv

For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way.

Job 34:11 niv

He repays everyone for what they have done; he brings on them what their conduct deserves.

Job 34:11 esv

For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.

Job 34:11 nlt

He repays people according to their deeds.
He treats people as they deserve.

Job 34 verses

Job 34 11 Meaning

Job 34:11 proclaims a fundamental principle of divine justice: God acts toward individuals precisely in accordance with their deeds and life choices. It asserts that there is a direct correlation between one's actions, whether good or evil, and the consequences, or "repayment," that God brings upon them. This statement, uttered by Elihu, underscores God's perfect righteousness and impartiality in His dealings with humanity.

Job 34 11 Context

Job 34:11 is spoken by Elihu, a young man who enters the discourse between Job and his three friends. Elihu intervenes because he is frustrated by both Job's self-righteous complaints against God and the friends' inability to convincingly refute Job. He believes himself to have a divinely inspired understanding and aims to correct Job's perspective. Throughout chapter 34, Elihu vehemently defends God's absolute righteousness, power, and justice. He argues that it is unthinkable for God to be unjust, and therefore, suffering must logically be a consequence of sin. Verse 11 serves as a foundational premise for Elihu's argument: if God repays according to deeds, then Job's suffering must be because of his deeds, and thus God is perfectly just in afflicting him. This perspective, while affirming a universal truth about God's justice, nonetheless applies a flawed logic to Job's unique situation, where his suffering is ultimately for purposes other than direct punishment for sin. The historical context for the original audience would have been one deeply rooted in the concept of divine retribution, where prosperity signaled favor and affliction signaled divine displeasure, a notion the book of Job ultimately complicates.

Job 34 11 Word analysis

• For He repays / יְשַׁלֵּם (yĕshallēm):

  • Derived from the Hebrew root shalem, meaning "to be complete," "to be sound," or "to make amends."
  • In this context, it signifies restitution, recompense, or paying back what is due. It can refer to both positive rewards and negative retribution.
  • Signifies a definitive, final action from God, a settlement or bringing to completion what is owed based on actions. It points to God's active involvement in human affairs to uphold moral order.

• a person / אָדָם ('āḏām):

  • Means "man" or "humankind" in a generic sense.
  • Emphasizes the universality of this principle: it applies to all individuals without exception or partiality. God's justice is not limited by social status, nationality, or any other human distinction.

• according to his work / כְּפָעֳל֑וֹ (kĕpā‘ŏlô):

  • according to / כְּ (kĕ): Signifies proportionality, correspondence, or being in accordance with.
  • his work / פָּעֳלוֹ (pā‘ŏlô from po'al): Refers to one's deed, act, accomplishment, or the sum total of one's actions. It encompasses both specific actions and the overall tenor of one's active life.
  • Highlights that the repayment is precise and proportionate to the quality and nature of the deeds themselves. God does not give arbitrary consequences.

• and makes them find it / יַמְצִיאֵהוּ (yamtsî’ēhū):

  • Derived from the root matsa, meaning "to find," "to encounter," or "to meet with."
  • The Hiphil stem ("makes them find") indicates causation. God is the active agent who causes the person to experience or encounter the consequences of their deeds.
  • Conveys the inevitability and directness of the outcome. It's not a chance encounter; it is God orchestrating events so that the individual experiences the fruit of their ways.

• according to their ways / כְּאֹרַח אִ֖ישׁ (kĕ'ōraḥ 'îsh):

  • according to / כְּ (kĕ): Again, proportionality.
  • their ways / אֹרַח ('ōraḥ): Refers to one's path, manner of life, or habitual conduct. It speaks to the consistent course of one's life choices and moral orientation, rather than just isolated incidents.
  • איש ('îsh) "man" (here referring back to the "person/them").
  • This phrase reinforces and complements "his work," emphasizing that divine repayment relates not just to individual acts, but to the entire direction and character of one's life journey.

Words-group Analysis:

• "He repays a person according to his work": This phrase establishes the divine standard of justice as directly proportional to one's deeds. It speaks to a merit-based or accountability-based system where consequences are earned. It asserts God's fairness in judgment, suggesting He rewards or punishes based on what one has done.

• "and makes them find it according to their ways": This second part reiterates the principle and deepens it. "Makes them find it" signifies God's active enforcement and the inescapability of the outcome. "According to their ways" broadens the scope from individual acts ("work") to the entirety of one's life choices and habits. This confirms that God's recompense encompasses not just discrete actions but the whole moral trajectory of a person's life.

Job 34 11 Bonus section

The underlying polemic in Elihu's argument is against Job's implicit charge that God is unjust or arbitrary. Elihu systematically dismantle the idea that God could deviate from this foundational principle of just repayment. For him, God's nature as Sovereign Lord absolutely requires Him to act in perfect righteousness, otherwise He would cease to be God. If God did not repay people according to their deeds, it would suggest imperfection or capriciousness, qualities wholly incompatible with the God of the Bible. While Elihu rightly defends God's character as just, his application misses the divine pedagogy and testing elements inherent in Job's experience. This verse points to the general rule of God's moral governance, a rule which holds true even when extraordinary cases, like Job's, are divinely permitted to unfold for purposes beyond simple merit or demerit. It underpins the expectation of divine judgment in the end times, when all deeds, open or hidden, will be brought to light for a final, perfect recompense.

Job 34 11 Commentary

Job 34:11 states a profound truth about God's governance of the universe: His justice is perfectly balanced and consistently applied. Elihu articulates that God, in His absolute righteousness, cannot be arbitrary; His very nature necessitates that consequences align with conduct. This principle of divine retribution is indeed widely affirmed throughout Scripture, forming a cornerstone of the biblical understanding of a moral universe overseen by a holy God. Every action, good or evil, has a spiritual ripple effect that God takes into account, eventually bringing about its fitting consequence. This implies both comfort for the righteous (who will receive their reward) and a sobering warning for the wicked (whose deeds will bring about their ruin).

However, within the specific narrative of the Book of Job, this verse serves a dual purpose. While its theological content is universally true about God's character, its application by Elihu (and the friends before him) to Job's situation is limited and ultimately mistaken. They use this principle as an explanatory key for all suffering, failing to comprehend the multifaceted purposes of God's sovereign plan, such as testing, refining, or revealing greater glory, independent of direct punitive measures. The verse affirms God's justice, but the Book of Job illustrates that human understanding of its timing and manifestation can be incomplete. Thus, believers are called to trust God's justice even when immediate circumstances do not appear to fit this principle.

Examples for practical usage:

• Encouragement to do good: Knowing God repays according to work encourages faithfulness and acts of kindness, as no good deed done for the Lord is in vain.
• Sobering caution: Awareness of repayment according to ways serves as a powerful deterrent against sin and destructive patterns, reminding one that persistent choices have consequences.
• Trust in God's fairness: In situations of apparent injustice, this verse fosters trust that ultimately, God sees all and will make things right, ensuring a just recompense for all.