God’s Word Translation
Job 34:31
31“But suppose such a person says to God, ‘I am guilty, I will stop my immoral behavior.
Job 34:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
- New International Version (NIV)“Suppose someone says to God, ‘I am guilty but will offend no more.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastening; I will offend no more;
Context of Job 34:31
29If he keeps quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him whether it is a nation or a single person? 30⌞He does this⌟ so that godless people cannot rule and so that they cannot trap people. “But suppose such a person says to God, ‘I am guilty, I will stop my immoral behavior. 32Teach me what I cannot see. If I’ve done wrong, I won’t do it again.’ 33Should God reward you on your own terms since you have rejected his? You must choose, not I. Tell me what you know. Speak!
Read all of Job 34Job 34:31 word by word
כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 34:31
- Job 33:27Each one sings in front of other people and says, ‘I sinned and did wrong instead of what was right, and it did me no good.
- Job 40:3Job answered the Lord,
- Job 42:6That is why I take back what I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show that I am sorry.”
- Leviticus 26:41I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt,
- Ezra 9:13“After all that has happened to us because of the evil things we have done and because of our overwhelming guilt, you, our God, have punished us far less than we deserve and have permitted a few of us to survive.
- Nehemiah 9:33But you were fair about everything that has happened to us. You have been faithful, but we have been wicked.
- Jeremiah 31:18“I have certainly heard Ephraim mourn and say, ‘You disciplined me, and I was disciplined. I was like a young, untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, because you are the Lord my God.
- Daniel 9:7You, Lord, are righteous. But we—the men of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far—are still ashamed because we have been unfaithful to you.
- Micah 7:9I have sinned against the Lord. So I will endure his fury until he takes up my cause and wins my case. He will bring me into the light, and I will see his victory.
Commentaries on Job 34:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Surely it is meet to be said unto God - This is Elihu's exhortation to Job: Humble thyself before God, and say, "I have suffered - I will not offend."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Surely it is meet to be said unto God - It is evident that this verse commences a new strain of remark, and that it is designed particularly to bring Job to proper reflections in view of what had occurred. There has been, however, much diversity of opinion about the meaning of this and the following verses. Schultens enumerates no less than “fifteen” different interpretations which have been given of this verse. The “general” meaning seems to be, that a…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-37Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31Suppose someone says: Elihu posed the indirect question, "Job, why won't you admit it?"Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. Job accordingly says so (Job 40:3-5; Mi 7:9; Le 26:41). It was to lead him to this that Elihu was sent. Though no hypocrite, Job, like all, had sin; therefore through affliction he was to be brought to humble himself under God. All sorrow is a proof of the common heritage of sin, in which the godly shares; and therefore he ought to regard it as a merciful correction. Umbreit and Maurer lose this by translating, as the Hebrew will bear, "Has any a…Read the comment
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In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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