Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
Parallel translations
- WEB Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty? —
- KJV Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
- NKJV Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just?
- NASB “Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
- NLT Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Elihu argues that one who hates justice could not govern the world, so it is wrong to condemn the righteous and mighty God. It defends God's perfect justice.
Overview
Elihu reasons that the very order of the world depends on a just ruler; a God who hated justice could not sustain it. Therefore Job is wrong to charge the righteous and mighty God with injustice. The argument rightly upholds God's righteousness, a truth fully displayed at the cross, where God remains 'just and the justifier' of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Sam 23:3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
- Job 40:8Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
- Rom 9:14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
- Gen 18:25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
- Rom 3:5–7But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.
- Job 1:22In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
- 2 Sam 19:21But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 34:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.