Scripture quotations on this page are from the World English Bible (public domain), shown in quotation marks; all commentary is written by Scripture Trove. Source: Job 35 · Commentary
Job chapter 35 is Elihu's third speech, the shortest, sharpest, and most prone to misjudgment of his four discourses. In the previous two (33, 34), Elihu first discussed God speaking in dreams and through suffering (chapter 33), then asserted that God never does wrong (chapter 34). In this chapter, he directly addresses a statement of Job's that has been repeatedly challenged: "What advantage is it to me that I take pleasure in my righteousness?" (cf. Job 21:15, 34:9, and other instances where Elihu quotes and refutes Job's words). Elihu here proposes a proposition that is correct in itself but misapplied: God's supreme transcendence means He is not moved by human vain cries. Taken alone, this statement is proverbial wisdom, but applied to Job, it is a misjudgment, because Job's cries are not vain.
Job Part Six · Elihu's Speeches (Chapters 32-37) · Third Discourse
The position of Elihu's four speeches:
Chapter 35 is the "middle section" of Elihu's discourse – discussing God's transcendence over humanity, logically following chapter 34's "God's justice" and preceding chapters 36-37's "God's majesty."
Elihu's Quotation and Introduction (35:1-3) Quotes Job's past protest – "My righteousness is more than God's righteousness," "What advantage is it to me if I do not sin?"
God's Supremacy and Transcendence (35:4-8) Look up to the heavens, gaze at the skies higher than you; your sin and righteousness cannot touch God Himself; they only concern your relationship with others.
Why the Cry of the Oppressed Seems Unanswered (35:9-13) People cry out because of oppression, yet do not ask, "Where is God my Maker?" God does not listen to vain cries.
Elihu's Conclusion, Job Should Wait for God (35:14-16) Since you say you do not see Him, justice is before Him, you should wait for Him; Job's words are nothing but vanity.
In this chapter, Elihu pushes Job into a logical corner: You say you are righteous, but what good is your righteousness to God? You say you suffer, but why should God listen to your lament? Elihu uses God's transcendence and supremacy to diminish the legitimacy of Job's lament. This is the sharpest turn in Elihu's stance; he started gently with "God speaks in suffering" and now directly questions the appropriateness of Job's lament.
But readers must be careful – Elihu's words, taken alone, are almost all proverbial truths: God's essence is indeed neither increased nor decreased, human sin and righteousness indeed affect others more than God, and vain cries are indeed not heard. The problem is that Elihu assumes Job's cries are vain, which contradicts God's own endorsement in 1:8 + 2:3 and God's own verdict in 42:7.
God's transcendence cannot be a prohibition against believers lamenting suffering. Elihu used true theology to wound a truly suffering person; this is the deepest mirror in the book of Job. Pastors reading this chapter today must be careful not to use the same "pious correctness" to harm those who are suffering.
Dear brothers and sisters, Job chapter 35 is the sharpest mirror – it reflects not Job, but us, "those who can speak theology."
Elihu's words, taken alone, are almost all true: God is indeed transcendent, God is indeed self-sufficient, God is indeed neither increased nor diminished by human good or evil, and vain cries are indeed not heard. These are true theological statements. The problem is that he misapplied true theology, using it to suppress a sincerely protesting sufferer.
This is precisely what often happens in Chinese churches: a brother or sister experiences sudden unemployment, bereavement, a cancer diagnosis, or depression, and cries out loudly to God, even protesting against God. We, as observers, immediately bring out "God is righteous," "Don't complain," "Be thankful," "God has a good plan in all things" – these words are true in themselves, but spoken at that moment, to that person, they become Elihu's knife.
Job 42:7 sets a mirror for all "pious observers." God Himself says that the three friends (including Elihu) "have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." Truth, used at the wrong time or for the wrong person, becomes a misrepresentation of God. When a sufferer laments, accompanying them in silence first (like the three friends' initial seven days, 2:13) is closer to God's heart than rushing to say "the right words."
Second layer of reminder – 35:10 is the most beautiful verse in this chapter – "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" Even if Elihu used these words to suppress Job, the words themselves are golden truth. In suffering, let us also learn to ask: "Where is God my Maker?" – not as a cry of despair, but to bring our heart before our Maker; let Him give "songs in the night" amidst our tears. The lament psalms, Psalm 42:8, and 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 all demonstrate this path.
The core is grace, not willpower. Job did not get through by "knowing not to complain"; he protested, roared, and sought death, but God never rebuked him (42:7 actually endorsed him). What sustained Job was not his "pious performance," but God's proactive grace. God ultimately appeared from the whirlwind, revealing Himself personally. If you are lamenting today, you are also not sustained by "pious performance," but by the same God of proactive grace.
Pointing to Christ – The Lord Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1). This cry, taken alone, would seem like "vain words" that Elihu would judge – but in the Father's ears, it was the Son's deepest, sincere outpouring, the key phrase of Psalm 22. Christianity teaches us that the truest cry is not a superficially calm prayer, but an honest opening of the heart to the Father, welling up from within.
Section Focus: Elihu directly quotes Job's past words as a target for refutation, a common debate tactic. These three verses are the "problem statement" of this chapter; Elihu aims to argue that Job's words, "What good is my righteousness to me?", are inappropriate. Speaker: Elihu. Responding to: Job's previous protests (especially Job 21:15 + 34:9, etc.).
35:1 "Moreover Elihu answered,"
Job 35:1（World English Bible）
The narrator introduces Elihu's third speech with a minimalist conjunction. "Answered" (וַיַּעַן, va-yaʿan), Hebrew for "responded, answered," indicates that Elihu continued without pause. This "rapid-fire" speech reveals the young man's impatient, passionate debating style (cf. Job 32:18-19, "My belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins it is ready to burst"). The narrator repeatedly uses this verb to connect Elihu's four speeches (33:1, 34:1, 35:1, 36:1), forming a rhetorical chain that allows readers to sense Elihu's urgency and confidence in the reading rhythm.
However, "urgent correctness" is not necessarily appropriate truth. Elihu's theology is more refined than that of the three friends, but his application is still misplaced. This chapter marks the peak of Elihu's misplacement.
35:2 "“Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’"
Job 35:2（World English Bible）
"Right" (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat), one of the most frequently occurring keywords in the book of Job, meaning "justice, judgment, legal right." Elihu challenges Job's "legal plea" – Do you think you are in the right?
"My righteousness is more than God's" – Job never said this verbatim; it is Elihu's exaggerated generalization. Job did say, "Nevertheless, I will hold fast to my righteousness" (27:6), and he asked God to come and contend with him (13:18-22, 23:3-7, 31:35), but he never said his righteousness was greater than God's. Elihu uses an exaggerated, ironic statement to discredit Job's position, a common "straw man fallacy" in debates.
Pastoral Application: When we debate with those who suffer, we must be wary of pushing their words to an extreme as a target for refutation. Job did not say his righteousness surpassed God's; he only said he had not committed the specific sins the three friends accused him of. Listen to the true words of those who suffer, not "the words we imagine them to say."
35:3 "That you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’"
Job 35:3（World English Bible）
Elihu quotes a question Job once asked (cf. Job 21:15, "What profit should we have, if we pray to him?"). This was Job's genuine protest in the second round of debate against "why the wicked prosper"; he was not praising wickedness, but confronting the breakdown of the "traditional formula of retribution." When the three friends said, "The righteous will be blessed, and the wicked will suffer," Job pointed out that reality was not so, with the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering, so he questioned the validity of the formula itself.
Elihu, however, takes it out of context – twisting Job's protest against the "breakdown of the formula" into an argument that Job "approves of sin." This is the lowest tactic in debate. It often happens in the church today: someone questions the application of a traditional teaching, and is immediately labeled as "opposing the teaching itself." Questioning an application and opposing the truth are two different things.
Section Focus: Elihu shifts from attacking Job's words to discussing the nature of God. These five verses are one of Elihu's most refined theological passages: God's supremacy means He is neither "increased" nor "diminished" by human good or evil. This theology, when viewed in isolation, is true, but when applied to Job, it becomes hurtful. Speaker: Elihu. Argument progression: From "Do you think this to be your right?" to "But look up to the heavens; your sin and righteousness do not reach that high."
35:4 "I will answer you, and your companions with you."
Job 35:4（World English Bible）
Elihu here distinguishes himself from the three friends – "you, and your companions with you" – he intends to answer not only Job but also the three friends. This is Elihu's posture of claiming to be more discerning than the three friends (cf. Job 32:11-13). But ironically, Elihu's core stance – "Job must be wrong" – is entirely consistent with that of the three friends. Elihu merely packages the same judgment with more refined theology. This warns us: superficial "refinement" does not necessarily lead to deeper repentance and empathy; sometimes it is just a more advanced version of the same error.
35:5 "Look to the heavens, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you."
Job 35:5（World English Bible）
"Look to the heavens, and see" (הַבֵּט שָׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה), look up at the heavens. "Skies" (שְׁחָקִים, shechakim), in Hebrew poetic language, refers to "high clouds, high heavens," juxtaposed with "שָׁמַיִם" (shamayim, heaven), reinforcing the idea of "that unreachable height."
Read in isolation, this verse is one of the most beautiful starting points in the Hebrew devotional tradition: looking up at the heavens to recognize God's vastness (cf. Psalm 8:3-4, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man..."). The problem is not in the verse itself, but in the way Elihu uses it; he uses it to belittle Job's lament, rather than to give Job a humble perspective. The same phrase "look up to the heavens" can be comfort or a sting, the difference lies in the speaker's heart.
35:6 "If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?"
Job 35:6（World English Bible）
Elihu's core argument: God's nature is not "diminished" by human sin. This is true in a strict theological sense; God is self-sufficient, immutable, and lacking nothing (cf. Acts 17:25, "nor is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything"). Human sin does not make God "less" or "worse," because God Himself is complete.
But applied to Job, these are hurtful words. Job was not asking, "Will my sin harm God?" Job was asking, "Why do people who are perfectly upright and fear God suffer such pain?" Elihu completely missed Job's real question. This is a common "answering a question not asked" in debates – using a true theological point to answer a non-existent question, and then declaring the opponent refuted.
35:7 "If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?"
Job 35:7（World English Bible）
The counter-argument: human righteousness also adds nothing to God. This is also true; God does not depend on human good deeds; His glory and nature are complete (cf. Psalm 50:9-12, "I will take no bull out of your house, nor male goats out of your pens... For the world is mine, with its fullness").
But these words are misapplied. Job was not thinking, "What does my righteousness add to God?" He was thinking, "Since I am innocent, why do I suffer such pain?" Elihu is still attacking a straw man.
35:8 "Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are, and your righteousness may profit a son of man."
Job 35:8（World English Bible）
This verse is the conclusion of the previous section: human sin and righteousness affect people "horizontally," but do not reach God "vertically." From a general ethical perspective, this is a partial truth – our good and evil indeed primarily affect others. But this statement ignores the vertical dimension: human sin offends God (cf. Psalm 51:4, David: "Against you, and you only, have I sinned"), and human righteousness pleases God (cf. Genesis 5:24, Enoch walked with God).
Elihu is using "God's transcendence" to sever "the relationship between humanity and God" – this is the deepest theological misplacement in this chapter. While God is indeed transcendent, God is also near; this is the deepest tension in the Hebrew Bible (cf. Isaiah 57:15, "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit'"). Elihu sees only transcendence, not nearness, and Job 38-41, where God appears from the whirlwind, is precisely the supreme God personally drawing near to Job, refuting Elihu's bias.
Section Positioning: Elihu shifts from abstract theology to practical circumstances: when people cry out under oppression, why does God seem not to listen? These five verses are Elihu's most insightful passage (35:10 "but none says, 'Where is God my Maker?'" is true spiritual devotion), and also a severely misused passage (35:13 "God will not hear an empty cry" directly targets Job). Speaker: Elihu. Argument progression: from transcendent theology to "why the oppressed are unanswered," aiming to prove Job's lament is "an empty cry that goes unanswered."
35:9 "“By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty."
Job 35:9（World English Bible）
Elihu acknowledges that injustice indeed exists among humans - the oppressed cry out for help. "Multitude of oppressions" (מֵרֹב עֲשׁוּקִים) refers to a large number of oppressed people; "arm of the mighty" - the power of the strong. This verse itself is a true depiction of social reality; in the ancient Near East and today, there are many situations where "though they cry out, it seems no one answers."
Elihu here places Job among the "oppressed," implying that Job is not crying out alone; many oppressed people are crying out, but many receive no response. This "grouping" treatment appears sympathetic but actually weakens the uniqueness of Job's case, mixing Job's problem into "universal unanswered laments," thereby rationalizing that "God need not respond to Job."
35:10 "But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,"
Job 35:10（World English Bible）
This is the most spiritually profound verse in this chapter.
"God my Maker" (אֱלוֹהַ עֹשָׂי, Eloah ʿosai), God is "my Maker," a title pointing to the fundamental relationship between Creator and created. Elihu accurately points out: when people lament, they often forget to ask "Where is God my Maker?" - merely uttering sounds of pain without bringing that pain before God.
"Songs in the night" (זְמִרוֹת בַּלָּיְלָה), songs in the night. In darkness, God can still make people sing (cf. Psalm 42:8 "By day Yahweh will command his loving kindness. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life."). This is the deepest truth of Hebrew spirituality; suffering itself need not be silent, suffering can be transformed into songs in the night, as demonstrated by the book of Psalms' laments.
This verse itself is a gift to all who suffer: bring your pain before God your Maker, and let Him give you "songs in the night." But Elihu uses these words to rebuke Job: "You haven't done this" - which becomes a distortion of truth. Job has consistently cried out to God (cf. 7:11-21, chapter 10, 13:13-28, chapter 23, 30:20); his lament has always been directed towards God, not, as Elihu implies, "neglecting where God my Maker is."
35:11 "who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’"
Job 35:11（World English Bible）
Continuing from verse 10, God teaches humans more profoundly than animals, and makes them wiser than birds. This is a concise expression of the imago Dei, that humans, as bearers of God's image, are endowed with wisdom that animals and birds do not possess (cf. Genesis 1:26-28, though Job does not directly quote Genesis but uses the language of wisdom literature).
Pastoral Application: God's first grace to people in suffering is the ability to think, allowing us to ask "why," to reflect, to pray, and to remember Him. Animals and birds can only cry out in pain; humans can lament and also pray. This is a precious part of God's image, not taken away by suffering, but rather revealed in it.
35:12 "There they cry, but no one gives answer, because of the pride of evil men."
Job 35:12（World English Bible）
"They" refers to the oppressed in 35:9. Because of the pride of evil men - they are the oppressed, and evil men are the oppressors. But their cry "none gives answer."
Elihu here presents a harsh observation - many cries of the oppressed indeed do not receive an immediate response. This is the recurring true question in Psalm 13:1 "How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?", and in the lament Psalms 73 and 88. Job himself observed in Job 21 that the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, so "unanswered lament" is not Job's prejudice but a fact repeatedly confronted in the Hebrew Scriptures.
But Elihu uses this fact in the wrong way - he uses it to diminish the legitimacy of the cry itself: "Look, how many laments go unanswered; why should your lament be answered?" This logic is cold; it wounds the sufferer twice: the original pain, and being told "you don't deserve to be answered."
35:13 "Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it."
Job 35:13（World English Bible）
The sharpest and most dangerous verse in this chapter.
"Empty" (שָׁוְא, shav), empty, false, meaningless. "Empty cry" refers to a cry without sincerity, a superficial cry, an outburst not directed towards God. Theologically, this statement is correct; God is not moved by performative prayers, James 4:3 "You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives."
The problem is that Elihu categorizes Job's cry as empty, which directly contradicts God's three personal endorsements in 1:8 + 2:3 + 42:7. Although Job's cries included protest and roaring, they were all genuine, directed towards God, and honest; God Himself affirmed that "Job spoke what was right."
Elihu uses true theology to suppress a true believer; this is the deepest mirror of the book of Job. Pastors today must be careful not to use "God does not hear empty cries" to suppress brothers and sisters who are lamenting; they must carefully distinguish between "performative prayer" and "honest protest." Job-like protest is legitimate prayer, affirmed by God Himself.
Section Focus: Elihu's conclusion: since God is so transcendent, Job should wait for Him. The last verse is Elihu's harshest judgment of Job – "Job speaks but vanity." Speaker: Elihu. Argument progression: from transcendent theology and the archetype of the oppressed, concluding with a personal judgment of Job.
35:14 "How much less when you say you don’t see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!"
Job 35:14（World English Bible）
Elihu quotes Job's previous statement, "I don't see God" (cf. 23:8-9 "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; backward, but I can't perceive him..."). Elihu responds: "Your cause (דִּין, din, legal statement) is before Him, and you wait for Him."
"Wait" (חוֹלֵל, cholel, from the verb chil "to wait, to long for") is a core verb in the devotional tradition of the Hebrew Bible (cf. Psalm 27:14 "Wait for Yahweh," Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength").
This verse, taken alone, is good counsel: in suffering, do not act rashly, but wait for God. The problem is that Elihu's "waiting" is a passive silencing – "just shut up and wait." But "waiting" in the Hebrew Bible is active hope, both waiting and crying out; both trusting and appealing (cf. Psalms 13, 22, 88). Job's cries and waiting are not contradictory; he both waits for God to appear (God indeed appears in chapter 38) and continues to protest to God (13:15, 19:25, 23:3-7).
35:15 "But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance."
Job 35:15（World English Bible）
"Because he has not visited in his anger" – the Hebrew has textual difficulties regarding the word (אַף, af, which can mean "anger" or "also"). Most Chinese translations render it as "has not been angry" or "has not yet been angry." Elihu's meaning is that because God has not yet unleashed His thunderous wrath to punish Job's sin, Job has become presumptuous. This portrays Job as "speaking wildly, taking advantage of God's slowness to anger," a very serious accusation.
However, the three endorsements in 1:8 + 2:3 + 42:7 show that God was not "yet to be angry," but rather that Job's words were not truly "wild talk." Elihu completely misjudges God's attitude toward Job's lament here; God is not delaying anger, but accepting Job's sincere protest.
35:16 "Therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”"
Job 35:16（World English Bible）
The harshest judgment in the entire chapter – "Job opens his mouth in vanity" (אִיּוֹב הֶבֶל יִפְצֶה-פִּיהוּ) and "he multiplies words without knowledge." "Vanity" (הֶבֶל, hevel) is also the key word "meaningless" in Ecclesiastes. Elihu judges all of Job's lament as meaningless, without knowledge, and improper to say.
This is precisely contrary to God's own judgment in 42:7 – "You have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has." Elihu was wrong, and deeply so; he not only misjudged certain details, but he completely reversed the fundamental nature of Job's lament.
This offers a profound mirror to all pastors: when we are about to declare that a suffering brother or sister "spoke improperly," please remember Elihu's mirror. Perhaps what you judge as "vanity and without knowledge" is precisely "the right thing" in God's eyes.
| Section | Speaker | Addressee | Core Argument | Emotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35:1-3 | Elihu | Job 21:15 + 34:9 etc. | Quotes Job's protest as a target for attack | Sharp, confident |
| 35:4-8 | Elihu | Job + Three Friends | God is transcendent - human sin or righteousness does not add to or subtract from Him | Theological, abstract |
| 35:9-13 | Elihu | Job | Vain cries are not heard - implicitly referring to Job | Archetypal, demeaning |
| 35:14-16 | Elihu | Job | You should wait, what you speak is vanity | Judgmental, severe |
Elihu's trajectory in this chapter: starting with the true theology of "God is transcendent" → to the true principle of "vain cries are not heard" → but completely misapplied to Job. True theology, misapplied, becomes hurtful words; this is a blind spot shared by Elihu and the three friends.
| Term | Hebrew/Original | Transliteration | Verse(s) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justice / Legal Right | מִשְׁפָּט | mishpat | 35:2 | Justice, judgment, legal statement |
| Benefit | סָכַן | sakhan | 35:3 | Advantageous, to profit |
| Heavens / High Clouds | שְׁחָקִים | shechakim | 35:5 | Poetic "high heavens" |
| Harm | פָּעַל | paʿal | 35:6 | To act, effect |
| Righteousness (Job's claim) | צֶדֶק | tzedek | 35:7 | Righteousness |
| Fellow Human | בֶּן-אָדָם | ben-adam | 35:8 | "Son of man" - human |
| Oppressed | עֲשׁוּקִים | ʿashuqim | 35:9 | The oppressed |
| Cry out | זָעַק | zaʿaq | 35:9, 12 | Cry of pain |
| Powerful | רַבִּים | rabbim | 35:9 | Powerful ones |
| My Maker | עֹשָׂי | ʿosai | 35:10 | God as Creator |
| God (poetic) | אֱלוֹהַ | Eloah | 35:10 | Characteristic term in Job |
| Songs in the night | זְמִרוֹת בַּלָּיְלָה | zemirot ba-laylah | 35:10 | Songs in suffering |
| Wisdom / Understanding | חכם | chakham | 35:11 | Wisdom |
| Vain | שָׁוְא | shav | 35:13 | Emptiness, meaninglessness |
| Wait | חוֹלֵל / חיל | chil | 35:14 | To wait, yearn |
| Case | דִּין | din | 35:14 | Legal statement, case |
| Anger | אַף | af | 35:15 | Anger, also (textual difficulty) |
| Vanity | הֶבֶל | hevel | 35:16 | Key term in Ecclesiastes "vanity" |
| Without knowledge | בְּלִי-דַעַת | beli-daʿat | 35:16 | Without knowledge |
Chapter 35's structure is a three-part "target, argument, conclusion":
(See the structure diagram in Chapter Guide · Paragraph Structure)
Comparison of chapter beginning and end - 35:3 "What advantage will it be to me if I am not sinful?" (Job's quoted words) and 35:16 "Job opens his mouth in vanity" (Elihu's judgment) form an inclusio. Elihu starts from Job's question and ultimately returns to a complete negation of Job. This "target, argument, conclusion" rhetorical strategy is a typical "set up the target, then strike it down" approach in debate.
These four rhetorical questions are stacked together, creating rhetorical tension in Hebrew poetry. But the power of rhetorical questions is a double-edged sword; it can make the other party reflect, or it can silence them (silence is not repentance).
Although Elihu uses these two lines to suppress Job, in the parallel structure of Hebrew poetry - "my Maker" and "songs in the night" form an echo of creation and presence. God is both my Maker and present with me in the night.
The latter phrase escalates the former, from "vanity" to "without knowledge." This is the peak of Elihu's argument, and also the peak of his misinterpretation.
"Songs in the night" (זְמִרוֹת בַּלָּיְלָה, zemirot ba-laylah) is one of the most refined formulas of comfort in the Hebrew spiritual tradition. "Songs" (zemirot) is a specialized Hebrew term for psalm-like praise, and "night" (ba-laylah) symbolizes suffering, darkness, and situations that are not understood.
References:
Suffering itself does not have to be silent; it can be transformed into songs in the night. This is a spiritual treasure shared by both Hebrew and New Testament traditions. Elihu's casual citation of this beautiful truth to demean Job ironically became an eternal spiritual resource for later generations.
Elihu's argument for God's transcendence—"your righteousness does not add to Him, nor does your wickedness diminish Him"—has precedents in ancient Near Eastern philosophy. The Babylonian Ludlul bēl nēmeqi (The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer) contains similar arguments, stating that human actions have no substantial effect on the nature of the gods. However, the distinctive feature of the Hebrew Bible is that while God is transcendent, God is also immanent. God "lives in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). Elihu inherited only the "transcendent" half, cutting off the "immanent" half; this is his blind spot.
The concept of "songs in the night" (zemirot ba-laylah) has parallels in ancient Near Eastern literature. Sumerian and Akkadian traditions include "night laments" (qinah), and Assyrian traditions include "night prayers." However, the Hebrew Bible transforms "night" from pure sorrow into a vehicle for song—suffering itself can carry praise. This was a revolution in Hebrew spirituality; one does not have to wait until "morning" to sing; one can sing in the night.
"Vain" (שָׁוְא, shav) in ancient Near Eastern legal documents refers to "false testimony" (cf. Exodus 20:7 + Deuteronomy 5:11, the Third Commandment "You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God" uses this word, which can be translated as "using God's name for false testimony"). Elihu uses this term to accuse Job, implying that his words are like false testimony, which is a very serious legal accusation. Precisely because the accusation is so severe, God's own reversal in 42:7—"Job spoke what was right"—reveals the extent of His grace.
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Job 22:2-3 | Eliphaz says, "Can a man be profitable to God?" |
| Job 35:6-8 | Elihu's complete argument |
| Psalm 50:9-13 | God does not need human sacrifices of cattle or goats |
| Acts 17:25 | "nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything" |
| Romans 11:35 | "Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him?" |
But also in Scripture:
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Genesis 4:9-15 | God personally asks Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" |
| Exodus 3:7-10 | "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt" |
| Psalm 34:18 | "Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit." |
| Isaiah 57:15 | "who lives in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit" |
| Matthew 1:23 | "God with us" |
| John 1:14 | "The Word became flesh, and lived among us" |
Complete biblical theology holds both in tension: God's nature is transcendent (He does not need us), and God's actions are immanent (He became flesh for us). Elihu saw only the first half, not the second. And in Job 38, when God appears, it is the most high God personally drawing near to Job. God is both the transcendent "founder of the earth" (38:4) and the Lord who personally visits Job's tent. God personally completes the other half that Elihu had severed.
| Old Testament Verse | New Testament Echo | Related Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Job 35:5 "Look to the heavens" | Heb 12:2 "looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith" | Looking up - but the New Testament shifts the focus from abstract heavens to the concrete Christ |
| Job 35:6-7 God is not increased or decreased by human sin or righteousness | Acts 17:25 "nor is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything" | Paul's sermon in Athens quotes similar theology |
| Job 35:7 "If you are righteous, what do you give him?" | Luke 17:10 "We are unworthy servants. We have only done our duty." | Lord Jesus' similar teaching - human righteousness does not "add to" God |
| Job 35:10 "God my Maker... who gives songs in the night" | Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas sing in prison | A concrete fulfillment of "songs in the night" |
| Job 35:10 "He gives songs in the night" | Rom 5:3-5 Rejoicing in suffering | Songs in affliction |
| Job 35:13 "God will not hear empty cries" | Jas 4:3 "You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives" | A true principle - but to be applied carefully |
| Job 35:14 "Wait for him" | Rom 8:25 "wait patiently for it" | Waiting in suffering |
| Job 35:16 Elihu judges Job as speaking vanity | John 9:24-34 The Pharisees judge the man born blind as "full of sin" | Elihu-style judgment is overturned again in the New Testament - "piously correct" again misjudges the suffering |
Job 35, among Elihu's four speeches, is the chapter with the sharpest argumentation, the most refined theology, and the most misplaced application. Elihu's trajectory is:
Chapter 35 is Elihu's most confident and incisive chapter. He uses true theology for a "high-position attack," dismissing Job's lament as "vain and ignorant." But this chapter also represents his deepest misplacement, because he completely misjudges God's attitude toward Job's lament.
The role of this chapter in the overall structure of the book:
35:10 "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" is the gold of this chapter - even when embedded in misplaced arguments, this sentence shines independently, becoming a spiritual resource that all suffering believers can rely on.
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| Theme | Content |
|---|---|
| God's Transcendence and Self-Sufficiency | 35:6-7 God's essence is not increased or decreased by human sin or righteousness - true theology when viewed in isolation |
| Human Good and Evil Have a Horizontal Dimension | 35:8 Our good and evil primarily affect others - this is true, but not the whole truth |
| Where is God My Maker? - Core of Devotion | 35:10 God can "give songs in the night" - suffering can be transformed into poetry |
| Wisdom in God's Image | 35:11 God teaches us more than the animals of the earth and the birds of the sky - the gift of reflection and prayer in suffering |
| Vain Cries Are Not Heard | 35:13 A foreshadowing of James 4:3 - performative prayers are indeed not heard |
| Elihu's Misplaced Application | But he imposes this truth on Job - this is the deepest mirror of the book of Job |
| The Two-Sided Nature of Waiting for God | 35:14 True waiting is both quietness and crying out, not silence |
| Points to Chapter 38 | Elihu judges Job as "empty and without knowledge," but God actually appears from the whirlwind to answer Job personally |