(34) Let men of understanding tell me.—Rather, Men of understanding will say to me, or, agree with me; and every wise man that heareth me will say, &c.

Job 34:34-36. Let men of understanding tell me — I am content that any wise man should judge of my words. Let any such tell us what is their opinion. Job hath spoken without knowledge — Job seems to me to be very much mistaken, and his discourse to be inconsiderate, and without reason. My desire is, that Job may be tried — That his words and matters, which I am now debating, may be examined and sifted; unto the end — Thoroughly and exactly, till the cause be brought to an issue; because of his answers for wicked men — Because of his replies or discourses on their behalf: he hath put arguments into their mouths against God and his providence.

34:31-37 When we reprove for what is amiss, we must direct to what is good. Job's friends would have had him own himself a wicked man. Let will only oblige him to own that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Let us, in giving reproof, not make a matter worse than it is. Elihu directs Job to humble himself before God for his sins, and to accept the punishment. Also to pray to God to discover his sins to him. A good man is willing to know the worst of himself; particularly, under affliction, he desires to be told wherefore God contends with him. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins, but we must go and sin no more. And if we are affectionate children, we shall love to speak with our Father, and to tell him all our mind. Elihu reasons with Job concerning his discontent under affliction. We are ready to think every thing that concerns us should be just as we would have it; but it is not reasonable to expect this. Elihu asks whether there was not sin and folly in what Job said. God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, Ps 145:17. The believer saith, Let my Saviour, my wise and loving Lord, choose every thing for me. I am sure that will be wisest, and the best for his glory and my good.Let men of understanding - Margin, as in Hebrew "heart." The "heart," as there has been frequent occasions to remark, in the Scriptures is often used to denote the seat of the mind or soul, as the head is with us. Rosenmuller, Umbreit, and Noyes, render this passage as if it were to be taken in connection with the following verse, "Men of understanding will say, and a wise man who hears my views will unite in saying, 'Job has spoken without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.'" According to this, the two verses express a sentiment in which Elihu supposes every wise man who had attended to him would concur, that what Job had said was not founded in knowledge or on true wisdom. 34, 35. Rather, "men … will say to me, and the wise man (Job 34:2, 10) who hearkens to me (will say), 'Job hath spoken,'" &c. I am content that any wise man should judge of my words, and let such consider what I say. Or, as others translate the place, Men of understanding will speak for or with (as the prefix lamed is sometimes used, as Genesis 46:26 Numbers 18:11 Job 17:5) me, and

wise men will

hearken or assent unto me.

Let men of understanding tell me,.... Whether I am right or wrong:

and let a wise man hearken unto me; to what I have said or shall say. Elihu here addresses the company around him, the wise and intelligent part of them; the words may be rendered in the future tense, men of understanding "will" tell me (n), and a wise man "will" hearken to me and assent, not only to what I have said, but to what I am about to say, namely, what follows.

(n) "dicent"; Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius, Cocceius, Michaelis, Schultens: so Broughton.

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.