Job 34 5

Job 34:5 kjv

For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

Job 34:5 nkjv

"For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has taken away my justice;

Job 34:5 niv

"Job says, 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice.

Job 34:5 esv

For Job has said, 'I am in the right, and God has taken away my right;

Job 34:5 nlt

For Job also said, 'I am innocent,
but God has taken away my rights.

Job 34 verses

Job 34 5 Meaning

Job 34:5 conveys Elihu's interpretation of Job's primary complaint: Job claims absolute personal righteousness or innocence, yet believes God has unjustly denied him fair judgment or perverted his case. Elihu presents this as a direct accusation by Job against God’s justice and a contradiction of God’s perfect nature.

Job 34 5 Context

Job chapter 34 initiates the third major discourse of Elihu, following the silence of Job’s three friends. Elihu claims divine inspiration and superior understanding to both Job and his older companions (Job 32:6-9). In this chapter, Elihu addresses the wise, inviting them to discern the truth of his words. He sets out to defend God's absolute justice and sovereignty, directly challenging Job's complaints. Job 34:5 is Elihu's summary or direct quotation of what he perceives to be Job's audacious assertion – that Job is innocent, yet God is acting unjustly towards him. Elihu sees Job as accusing God of unfairness, a premise Elihu considers blasphemous and fundamentally incorrect about the nature of God, who is just and righteous in all His dealings.

Job 34 5 Word analysis

• For (כִּ֣י - ki): This is a causal conjunction, introducing the reason for Elihu's ensuing arguments or his direct response. It implies that what follows is Job's foundational assertion which Elihu aims to refute.
• Job (אִּיּ֥וֹב - ʾiyyōwḇ): The suffering patriarch whose integrity is on trial, not only before humans but, as the narrative reveals, before the cosmic realm. Elihu’s focus shifts the debate from the friends' traditional retribution theology to Job's attitude towards God amidst suffering.
• has said (אָמַר - ʾāmar): The simple past tense indicates a direct or indirect quotation. Elihu claims Job has stated this, whether verbatim or in essence, reflecting Elihu's interpretation of Job's frequent lamentations and arguments.
• ‘I am righteous’ (צַדִּ֥יק אָנִי - ṣaddîq ʾānî):
  • צַדִּיק (ṣaddîq): Adjective meaning "righteous, just, innocent, upright." It denotes adherence to a moral and legal standard, being in the right. Job’s self-declaration emphasizes his blamelessness concerning any sin that would warrant such suffering under the conventional understanding of divine retribution. This claim, while factually correct in the book's prologue (Job 1:1), is problematic when presented as a complaint against God, implying God’s injustice.
  • אָנִי (ʾānî): The emphatic first-person singular pronoun "I." This intensifies the claim, highlighting Job's firm conviction about his personal rectitude despite his severe afflictions.
• and God (וְאֵ֖ל - wəʾēl):
  • וְ (wə): A conjunctive "and," linking Job’s self-proclaimed righteousness with God’s action, framing them as directly opposing.
  • אֵל (ʾēl): A general Semitic term for "God" or "deity," sometimes used for the Most High God, emphasizing His power and transcendence. Elihu uses this term to refer to the Almighty God, implying the audaciousness of Job’s charge against such a supreme being.
• has taken away (הִטָּה - hiṭṭāh): This is the Hiphil perfect of the verb נָטָה (naṭah), meaning "to stretch out, incline, bend." In the Hiphil, it often means "to cause to bend, turn aside, remove, pervert." Here, it signifies that God has deliberately caused Job's "right" to be deflected or removed, effectively denying him justice. It suggests an active, unfavorable intervention by God in Job's legal or moral standing.
• my right (מִשְׁפָּטִי - mišpāṭî):
  • מִשְׁפָּט (mišpāṭ): This noun is rich in meaning, encompassing "judgment, justice, custom, ordinance, legal right, case." Here, it refers to Job's due, his just claim, his fair hearing, or the justice he expects for his case.
  • -י (-î): The first-person singular possessive suffix, "my." Job is stating that God has perverted his personal right or just case, making a direct, personal accusation of injustice.

Words-group Analysis:

• "For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, and God has taken away my right;’": This whole phrase encapsulates the core tension Elihu perceives in Job’s arguments. Elihu presents Job's lament as not merely seeking understanding for his suffering but rather as a direct charge of divine injustice against his blamelessness. The conjunction of Job's purity and God's perceived action implies a systemic failure of divine justice from Job's (as Elihu interprets it) perspective, which Elihu finds unacceptable. This accusation forms the bedrock of Elihu’s lengthy defense of God’s character and sovereignty, framing the debate around whether God can be accused of perverting justice.

Job 34 5 Bonus section

Elihu's perception of Job's words in this verse reflects a common misinterpretation in debates—that of emphasizing one part of a person's complaint (their righteousness) while interpreting another part (their perceived lack of justice) as a direct, accusatory claim against divine character, rather than an anguished plea for understanding or vindication. Elihu focuses on correcting this perceived insolence. The book of Job itself, however, validates Job's initial blamelessness (Job 1:1, 8), presenting a profound theological paradox: an innocent sufferer in a world governed by a righteous God. Elihu, unlike the three friends, does not accuse Job of specific sin but criticizes Job's "speech," which he sees as "righteousness in his own eyes" (Job 32:1) and a challenge to divine perfection. This verse serves as the core premise from which Elihu launches his comprehensive defense of God's justice, emphasizing His power and His incomprehensible wisdom in ruling the world.

Job 34 5 Commentary

Job 34:5 is Elihu's blunt summation of Job's predicament as Elihu understands it: Job believes himself fundamentally upright yet subjected to unmerited affliction, leading him to accuse God of denying him justice. This is a severe indictment from Elihu’s perspective, as it directly challenges God's perfect righteousness and immutable justice. Elihu takes issue with Job's implied premise that God can err or act arbitrarily in His judgments. While Job consistently maintained his integrity throughout his suffering, Elihu views this self-vindication, when coupled with bitter complaints against God's actions, as an arrogant assault on God's character. Elihu's purpose is to disabuse Job of the notion that God needs to justify Himself to man, or that God would ever pervert justice. Elihu suggests Job’s fault lies not in unrighteousness, but in a prideful challenging of the Almighty. The verse sets the stage for Elihu's extensive argument that God is absolutely just, powerful, and sovereign, and humans cannot question His righteous governance of the world.Example: One might feel like an innocent victim of severe circumstances (e.g., job loss, chronic illness) and lament, "I've done everything right, why is this happening to me? God isn't being fair!" This parallels Job's emotional state, albeit to a lesser, Job-like scale.