Job 34 36

Job 34:36 kjv

My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

Job 34:36 nkjv

Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are like those of wicked men!

Job 34:36 niv

Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost for answering like a wicked man!

Job 34:36 esv

Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men.

Job 34:36 nlt

Job, you deserve the maximum penalty
for the wicked way you have talked.

Job 34 verses

Job 34 36 Meaning

Job 34:36 presents Elihu's fervent wish concerning Job: that Job be thoroughly and enduringly put to the test. This desire arises from Elihu's perception that Job's verbal responses, particularly his complaints and questioning of God's justice, align him with individuals who actively practice wickedness and rebellion against God. Elihu sees Job's words as impious and deserving of severe, conclusive divine scrutiny.

Job 34 36 Context

Job 34:36 concludes Elihu's third speech, a passionate and lengthy discourse found in chapters 32-37. Elihu, a younger man, asserts himself as a spokesman for God, having waited impatiently while the three older friends struggled to address Job's arguments. His core contention in Chapter 34 is the unblemished righteousness and omnipotence of God. Elihu maintains that God is far too just to engage in wrongdoing or pervert justice. Therefore, he attributes Job's immense suffering not to an injustice from God, but to Job's own presumed wickedness. Elihu views Job's repeated protestations of innocence and his lamentations, especially Job's questioning of God's ways and desire for a divine hearing, as arrogant and rebellious speech—akin to that of wicked men who deny God's authority or slander Him. Elihu's wish for Job to be "tried to the uttermost" reflects his belief that further severe suffering or testing would fully expose Job's perceived sin and lead him to confession, thus justifying God's actions. Elihu’s words, though zealous for God’s honor, also demonstrate the pervasive Old Testament cultural belief that suffering is directly tied to sin, a theology that the Book of Job ultimately challenges. Elihu is engaged in a polemic against Job's 'presumptuous' questioning of divine justice, aligning himself with traditional views of divine retribution.

Job 34 36 Word analysis

• Would that: The Hebrew particle "יִבָּחֵן" (yibbāḥēn), translated as "would that... were tried," suggests a strong wish or desire on Elihu's part, functioning as an emphatic prayer or an intense plea.
• Job: The central figure of the book, Job's name is יּוֹב (Iyyôb) in Hebrew. He is the righteous and blameless man who endures extraordinary suffering. Elihu specifically names him as the target of this wished-for intensified testing.
• were tried: From the Hebrew root בָחַן (bāḥan), meaning "to test," "examine," "prove," or "refine." In this Niphal form (yibbāḥēn), it conveys a passive sense: to be tested. The implication is a rigorous, thorough, and severe examination or proving, similar to refining metal to determine its purity or authenticity. It is a divine process meant to reveal truth, whether hidden sin or proven integrity.
• to the uttermost: The Hebrew phrase לָנֶצַח (lāneṣaḥ). This word typically means "forever," "to the end," "continually," or "utterly." In this context, it emphasizes the completeness and conclusive nature of the desired testing. It suggests a thorough and definitive trial that brings everything to light, rather than necessarily an eternal duration of the suffering itself. It signifies a profound, comprehensive, and perhaps even permanent determination of Job's true spiritual state.
• Because of his answering: The Hebrew phrase עַל־תְּשֻׁבוֹת (ʿal-tᵉšūḇōṯ), meaning "on account of his replies" or "for his answers." Elihu points directly to Job's verbal expressions as the reason for his harsh judgment. This refers to Job's prolonged complaints, laments, and arguments challenging God's apparent injustice in his suffering.
• like wicked men: The Hebrew phrase כְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָוֶן (kᵉʾanšē ʾāwen), literally "like men of iniquity" or "men of wickedness." This is Elihu's harsh indictment. "אָוֶן" (ʾāwen) signifies mischief, ungodliness, vanity, or evil. By categorizing Job's words in this way, Elihu implies that Job's speech is characterized by spiritual rebellion, foolishness, or a challenge to God's inherent goodness, akin to those who purposefully commit evil or are habitually rebellious against divine law. This judgment reveals Elihu's absolute conviction that Job has crossed a line of acceptable complaint and has instead ventured into open defiance.

Job 34 36 Bonus section

• Elihu's perspective represents a limited, human understanding of God's ways, contrasting sharply with God's ultimate revelation and vindication of Job in chapters 38-42. His accusation that Job spoke "like wicked men" is proven incorrect by God's own assessment that Job "has not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has" (Job 42:7).
• The concept of testing (בחן) in the Bible is multifaceted. It can be for refining (Ps 66:10), to reveal truth (Ps 26:2), to humble (Dt 8:2), or, as Job experienced, to prove one's integrity to a watching cosmic audience. Elihu, however, applies it as a means to expose presumed wickedness.
• Elihu's passionate speech, though flawed in its application to Job, contributes to the book's theological dialogue by strongly defending God's sovereignty and justice. His error lies in his inability to see beyond a direct cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering for all situations, particularly in a unique case like Job's.

Job 34 36 Commentary

Elihu, zealous for God's reputation, delivers a harsh judgment upon Job, wishing for Job to be put to a severe and conclusive test because of his words. Elihu believes that Job's profound suffering, coupled with his outspoken challenges to divine justice, places him in the category of the wicked who speak against God. This highlights Elihu's reliance on the traditional understanding that severe suffering is solely the result of severe sin. He misinterprets Job's cries of anguish and protestations of innocence as rebellion and impious speech rather than the cries of a righteous man deeply confused and distressed. Elihu, like the three friends, cannot reconcile Job's suffering with his apparent righteousness and therefore concludes that Job's words must expose a hidden sin, placing him in the camp of the wicked. His desire for Job to be tried "to the uttermost" suggests a demand for Job to either confess his hidden sin or be utterly proven guilty through prolonged affliction. However, the wider narrative of Job ultimately reveals that Job's suffering was a divine test of integrity, not a punishment for wickedness, and his words, while expressing profound human anguish, did not amount to the deliberate impiety Elihu presumed. God Himself vindicates Job, highlighting Elihu's error in judgment.