who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
Parallel translations
- WEB Who says to a king, ‘Vile!’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?
- KJV Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
- NKJV Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
- NASB Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;
- NLT For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’
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 points out that even kings and nobles can be rightly called wicked. It shows that God answers to no human authority.
Overview
Elihu observes that God may justly rebuke kings as 'vile' and nobles as 'wicked,' something no mere human could presume to do. The point underscores God's supreme authority over all earthly rulers. Since God judges even the highest human powers, it is unthinkable that He Himself could be unjust-a sovereignty ultimately vested in Christ, King of kings (Revelation 19:16).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Exod 22:28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Prov 17:26It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
- Rom 13:7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
- Acts 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
- Acts 23:5“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
- Jude 1:8Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.
- 2 Pet 2:10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
- 1 Pet 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
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 34:18 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.