Job 35 2

Job 35:2 kjv

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

Job 35:2 nkjv

"Do you think this is right? Do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's'?

Job 35:2 niv

"Do you think this is just? You say, 'I am in the right, not God.'

Job 35:2 esv

"Do you think this to be just? Do you say, 'It is my right before God,'

Job 35:2 nlt

"Do you think it is right for you to claim,
'I am righteous before God'?

Job 35 verses

Job 35 2 Meaning

Job 35:2 presents Elihu’s challenge to Job, interpreting Job’s lamentations and assertions of innocence as a presumptuous claim of superior righteousness, essentially suggesting Job believes his own vindication outweighs or is purer than God's justice. Elihu suggests Job has accused God of injustice by implying God is unfair for causing his suffering despite Job’s perceived blamelessness. This verse encapsulates Elihu’s fundamental misinterpretation of Job’s true heart, reducing Job's cry of anguish and desire for an audience with God into an accusation of divine injustice arising from self-righteous pride.

Job 35 2 Context

Job 35:2 is part of Elihu’s third discourse (chapters 35-37). Having patiently listened to the previous exchanges, Elihu now directly addresses Job’s perceived errors, aiming to present a more balanced and accurate view of God's ways than Job or his three friends. The broader context of Job is a philosophical exploration of the nature of suffering and divine justice, especially when it befalls the righteous. Elihu enters the conversation as a younger, more zealous, and supposedly wiser commentator.

Specifically, in chapter 35, Elihu challenges Job's frequent assertions of innocence and laments about his suffering, which Elihu interprets as Job casting aspersions on God's character and justice. Elihu accuses Job of saying "My righteousness is more than God's," an extreme inference drawn from Job's arguments where Job expresses bewilderment at God’s treatment of him, despite his integrity. Elihu proceeds to argue that Job's behavior—thinking his suffering unmerited and hence implicitly faulting God—demonstrates a lack of reverence and understanding of God’s absolute justice and sovereignty, which are beyond human judgment. The cultural context supports the idea that calamities were typically linked to sin, making Job's protestations of innocence (while suffering immensely) deeply challenging to established beliefs, which Elihu tries to rectify by emphasizing God's transcendence and freedom from human obligation.

Job 35 2 Word analysis

• Thinkest thou / תְּחֹשֵׁ֥ב (tᵊḥōšēḇ): From the root חָשַׁב (ḥāšaḇ), meaning "to think," "reckon," "consider," "devise." Elihu implies Job's statement is not merely a spontaneous outburst but a deliberate, calculated, and deeply held conviction. This term suggests Job has rationalized his position against God, making the perceived error more grievous in Elihu’s eyes. It’s an accusation of an intellectual, reasoned judgment by Job against God’s character.
• this to be right / מִשְׁפָּט֙ (mišpāṭ): This Hebrew term signifies "justice," "judgment," "right," or "vindication." Elihu is questioning Job’s claim that his stance (his "my righteousness") is "right" in comparison to God. It highlights a central theme in Job: the human perception of justice versus divine, perfect justice. Elihu assumes God is the ultimate standard of mišpāṭ, and for Job to think his own standard is "right" implies he thinks God's standard is not.
• that thou saidst / אָמַ֖רְתָּ (’āmar·tā): "You said." Elihu is referencing Job's previous expressions of self-defense and questioning God. While Job did not explicitly utter the exact words "My righteousness is more than God's," Elihu construes Job's complaints (e.g., Job 9:20-22, 10:3, 27:5-6) as conveying this underlying thought. Elihu is drawing a severe interpretive conclusion from Job's agonized statements.
• My righteousness / צִדְקָתִ֖י (ṣidqāṯî): From צְדָקָה (ṣᵊḏāqāh), meaning "righteousness," "justice," "integrity," "vindication." Job has repeatedly asserted his ṣᵊḏāqāh, his moral integrity, as the basis for his plea for divine vindication against his unjust suffering. Elihu views this self-vindication, especially in light of Job's dire circumstances, as an attempt to diminish God's perfect justice by elevating his own.
• is more than / מֵאֵֽל (mê’ēl): Literally "from God" or, with the comparative particle מִן (min), "more than God." The interpretation here is comparative: Job believes his righteousness to be greater than God’s or that his case for vindication is more compelling than God’s reason for afflicting him. This phrase encapsulates the perceived arrogance in Elihu’s accusation. It implies a human being setting themselves up as a judge of divine standards or behavior.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Thinkest thou this to be right": This rhetorical question immediately puts Job on the defensive. Elihu isn't asking for information; he's condemning Job’s presumed judgment. It suggests Job's thought process is fundamentally flawed because it seeks to evaluate divine justice according to human standards.
• "that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?": This directly states Elihu's inflammatory conclusion about Job's sentiments. It captures Elihu’s primary point of contention with Job: Job has dared to put himself in a position where his human integrity implicitly surpasses, or challenges, God's divine integrity or justice. This is the ultimate hubris in Elihu's view, a severe charge against Job's spiritual posture. The perceived polemic is against any human assertion of personal justice that questions God's right to act sovereignly and justly, even if His ways seem inscrutable to humanity.

Job 35 2 Bonus section

• Elihu's presumption: While Elihu chastises Job for a perceived presumption, Elihu himself presumptuously speaks on God's behalf, making a definitive claim about God's thought processes and the inner meaning of Job’s statements. He positions himself as God’s interpreter, even before God speaks (which God does directly later in chapters 38-41).
• Rhetorical exaggeration: Elihu's phrase "My righteousness is more than God's" is an interpretive leap, a rhetorical exaggeration of Job's actual words, serving to underscore Elihu's conviction about Job’s sin. Job did assert his own integrity, but never directly claimed superiority over God. Elihu extrapolates what he sees as the logical (and erroneous) conclusion of Job's arguments.
• Theological Blindness: This verse reveals a theological blind spot prevalent in ancient (and sometimes modern) thought: equating God's absolute sovereignty and righteousness with a transparent, easily discernible system of retributive justice where suffering always directly corresponds to sin. This prevents a true grappling with undeserved suffering, often leading to judgmental accusations against victims.
• God’s ultimate response: Significantly, when God finally speaks, He does not condemn Job for saying his "righteousness is more than God’s" but rather acknowledges Job's integrity, albeit highlighting Job's ignorance concerning God's vast cosmic operations (Job 38:2, 42:3-6). This implicitly corrects Elihu's misinterpretation of Job's heart.

Job 35 2 Commentary

Job 35:2 highlights Elihu's pivotal yet flawed understanding of Job's ordeal. He accuses Job of presuming his righteousness surpasses God's, interpreting Job's innocent lamentations as outright blasphemy or arrogance. Elihu is right to uphold God’s absolute justice and sovereignty; no human can be "more righteous" than God. However, Elihu errs in assuming Job’s cries of anguish, which sought an explanation and encounter with God, were born out of a challenge to divine justice itself, rather than from deep bewilderment and agony under unexplained suffering. Elihu simplifies the profound theological tension of the book into a straightforward case of human arrogance vs. divine supremacy. This perspective misses the true spiritual battle in Job, wherein a righteous man wrestled faithfully with God amidst incomprehensible pain, seeking understanding rather than condemning the Almighty. The verse thus sets up Elihu's argument for God’s unquestionable sovereignty in chapter 35, dismissing Job's profound questions as mere self-righteous complaint. This illustrates the human tendency to misunderstand and misrepresent deep suffering when viewed through the lens of rigid theological dogma.