Elihu accuseth Job of charging God with injustice: he avers, that the Almighty can never act unjustly; and that humility and submission were required from man towards so great a Being.
Before Christ 1645.
Job 34:1. Furthermore Elihu answered and said— Elihu goes on with his impeachment of Job. He accuses him of having charged the Almighty with a denial of justice, and with having punished him beyond his deserts, Job 34:2-6. This is a language, he tells him, which could be used only by the profligate and abandoned, among whose party he seemed willing to enrol himself; otherwise he would never have said, that God makes no difference between the righteous and the wicked; referring to chap. Job 9:22-23. That it was impossible to suppose God could act unjustly; for, were he so disposed, what could hinder him from annihilating the whole human race at once? He needed only to withdraw his preserving power, and they would instantly fall into dust. Job 34:7-15. Since then he did not act in this manner, but his ways were perfectly agreeable to righteousness, he was not to be addressed in so rude a manner as Job had made use of. Reverence and respect were due to earthly princes; how much more to him in whose sight the prince and the beggar were the same: for he was the maker of them all. Job 34:16-19. That though God would look with a merciful eye on the infirmities of human nature, when accompanied with humility; yet the arrogant were sure to find no favour at his hands; he would not fail to execute his vengeance on them, that they might be an example to others, Job 34:23-30. That submission and resignation was the behaviour fit for man in the presence of God; and that were he really a man of that knowledge which he pretended, he would not act in this manner: but it was apparent that he was not so, by his acting the part of a wicked man, and adding contumacy to his sin. Job 34:31-37.