Job 34:8 kjv
Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
Job 34:8 nkjv
Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?
Job 34:8 niv
He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with the wicked.
Job 34:8 esv
who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men?
Job 34:8 nlt
He chooses evil people as companions.
He spends his time with wicked men.
Job 34 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 13:20 | He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. | Companionship affects character. |
| Ps 1:1 | Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners... | Avoiding the ways and associations of the ungodly. |
| Ps 26:4 | I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. | Deliberate choice to avoid wicked company. |
| Ps 101:4 | A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil. | Rejection of wickedness in thought and deed. |
| Ps 101:7 | No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house... | Exclusion of wicked from one's inner circle. |
| 1 Cor 15:33 | Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” | New Testament emphasis on the corrupting power of bad company. |
| Prov 4:14 | Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers. | Warning against choosing paths of wickedness. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? | Distinction between believers and unbelievers; avoid partnership with those who are unrighteous. |
| Rom 1:32 | Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. | Approving of wicked acts is itself wickedness. |
| Eph 5:7 | Therefore do not become partners with them. | Warning against participation or association with those who commit immoral acts. |
| Isa 1:4 | Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers... | Divine judgment on those identified as "evildoers." |
| Isa 5:20 | Woe to those who call evil good and good evil... | Distortion of moral standards, as Job's words were perceived. |
| Ps 73:3-9 | For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked... They speak wickedly against heaven... | Envy leading to questioning God's justice, echoing Elihu's concern. |
| Job 34:7 | What man is like Job, who drinks up scorn like water? | Immediate context, Elihu's prior accusation that Job enjoys irreverent speech. |
| Job 34:9 | For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’ | Elihu's further clarification of Job's "wicked" speech, specifically challenging God's reward for righteousness. |
| 2 Chr 19:2 | Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? | Theological disapproval of aiding or showing affection to God's enemies. |
| Titus 1:16 | They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. | Discrepancy between profession and practice/speech. |
| 2 Tim 3:1-5 | In the last days...people will be lovers of self, unholy...holding to a form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. | Theological call to separate from those who embody such wickedness. |
| Prov 28:7 | Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. | Choosing companions impacts family and reputation. |
| Gal 5:7-9 | You were running well... A little leaven leavens the whole lump. | Even small influences of bad doctrine or conduct can spread throughout a community or person. |
Job 34 verses
Job 34 8 Meaning
Elihu, speaking concerning Job, asserts that Job's recent words and attitudes demonstrate an alignment with evildoers and wicked individuals. He claims Job's philosophical complaints and challenges to God's justice are akin to the speech and mindset of those who practice iniquity and are fundamentally ungodly. This implies that Job, by questioning God's righteousness, effectively places himself in solidarity with those who disregard divine moral order.
Job 34 8 Context
Job 34:8 is part of Elihu's third speech (Job 34-37). Elihu presents himself as a wise, young observer, confident that he possesses greater understanding of God's ways than Job's three older friends. His primary objective is to defend God's absolute righteousness and justice against Job's persistent accusations of injustice. In this chapter, Elihu asserts God’s perfect knowledge and omnipotent control over all things, insisting that God does not pervert justice (Job 34:10-12). In verses 7-9, Elihu directly accuses Job. He characterizes Job's lamentations and theological questions as a dangerous alignment with the very words and attitudes of those who scorn God. Elihu interprets Job’s anguish-filled outcries, particularly his statement that righteousness profits nothing (Job 34:9), as blasphemous and indicative of a profound spiritual corruption akin to that of wicked men. The historical and cultural context values communal standing and adherence to established wisdom traditions. Elihu, as a traditionalist, views Job’s personal questioning as a threat to these social and theological norms, placing him outside the circle of the righteous.
Job 34 8 Word analysis
- He: Refers to Job, whom Elihu is accusing and to whom he is largely speaking through the entire chapter.
- goes in company (יֵלֵךְ חֶבְרָה - yelek chevrah):
- `יֵלֵךְ` (yalakh): "he walks," "he goes." This verb denotes a continuous or habitual manner of conduct, a way of life, rather than a single event. It speaks of sustained behavior.
- `חֶבְרָה` (chevrah): "company," "association," "fellowship." This term suggests a close relationship, intimate connection, or shared social bond. It implies a deeper solidarity than mere casual acquaintance, hinting at shared values or purposes.
- with evildoers (עִם־פֹּעֲלֵי אָ֫וֶן - im po'alei 'aven):
- `עִם` (im): "with," indicating proximity, association, or shared experience.
- `פֹּעֲלֵי` (po'alei): "workers of," "doers of," "those who commit." This participial form emphasizes active practice and engagement, denoting those whose habitual activity is performing something.
- `אָ֫וֶן` ('aven): "iniquity," "wickedness," "mischief," "trouble," "harm." This word signifies moral corruption, injustice, or anything that violates divine law and causes spiritual or moral damage. It often refers to oppressive or harmful actions against others, or simply ungodly acts.
- and walks (וְהַלֵךְ - v'halech): A parallel construction, using another form of `yalakh` ("to walk"). The repetition intensifies the accusation, emphasizing the sustained and consistent nature of the alignment. It stresses that this is Job's "path" or "manner."
- with wicked men (עִם־אַנְשֵׁי רֶ֫שַׁע - im anshei resha'):
- `עִם` (im): "with."
- `אַנְשֵׁי` (anshei): "men of," "people of." Denotes individuals who are characterized by or belong to a certain group or quality.
- `רֶ֫שַׁע` (resha'): "wickedness," "ungodliness," "guilt," "criminality." This is a broader term for moral depravity, a state of rebellion against God, or conduct that is unrighteous in God's eyes. It encompasses not just specific acts but a general godlessness or an attitude contrary to divine principles.
- goes in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men: This parallel structure (a common feature of Hebrew poetry) does not present two separate accusations, but rather two ways of expressing the same intense indictment. Elihu asserts that Job’s current manner of speaking—his challenging of God’s justice and implied disavowal of piety’s profit—demonstrates that he shares the essential mindset and spiritual orientation of those who are fundamentally unrighteous and antagonistic toward God. This phrasing condemns Job by association and by implied shared philosophy, not just by deed.
Job 34 8 Bonus section
Elihu's charge against Job also functions as a polemic against any perception of divine injustice. By aligning Job’s questions with "workers of iniquity," Elihu attempts to delegitimize Job’s theological inquiry by classifying it as unrighteousness itself. In ancient Israelite wisdom tradition, piety was deeply intertwined with proper speech. Any utterances perceived as critical of God or His established moral order could be seen as a transgression, aligning the speaker with the godless. Elihu's argument here is designed to corner Job: either recant his words or be perpetually grouped with the wicked. The irony lies in the fact that Job’s lamentations, while extreme, arose from a desperate attempt to reconcile his suffering with his firm belief in God's righteousness, not from a deliberate embrace of wickedness. Elihu, focused on divine perfection, misinterprets the cries of the suffering saint.
Job 34 8 Commentary
Elihu's accusation in Job 34:8 is a stark illustration of the principle that "bad company corrupts good character" (1 Cor 15:33), not just through physical association, but through the sharing of attitudes and ideas. He indicts Job not necessarily for befriending actual evildoers, but for speaking words (specifically, his complaints against God and despair regarding the value of righteousness, as noted in 34:9) that reflect the "philosophy" or "attitude" of the ungodly. For Elihu, Job's verbal assaults on divine justice implicitly deny God's inherent goodness and omnipotent rule, an intellectual and spiritual rebellion common among those identified as "evildoers" and "wicked men" throughout Scripture (e.g., Ps 1:1, Ps 73:8-9). This verse emphasizes the profound theological implications of our speech and perspective. Even righteous individuals, when overwhelmed by suffering or despair, risk articulating sentiments that unintentionally align them with those who fundamentally reject God or his ways. It is a sharp reminder that a person's words are often seen as direct indicators of their inner spiritual state and alignment. Elihu, however, applies this principle harshly and without empathy for Job's unique trial.