Job 34:10
in Job 34Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
KJV
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
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This verse in Job 34
Commentary
9 notes on this verseLet unmercifulness ['impietas'] be far from God, and iniquity from the Almighty: for the work of a man shall He render unto him, and will restore to them according to the ways of every man. He well said, that iniquity or unmercifulness is not in Almighty God. But that which he added is by no means always the case in this life, namely, that He renders to each man according to his work, and according to his own ways. [see Rev. 22,
This site's exposition
Far be it from God to do wrong
on Job 34:10-12
“Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly” is the thesis of Elihu's second speech. Verse 11 grounds it in recompense. Wesley holds the claim true and reverent in itself, whatever the reader judges of Elihu's use of it against Job.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Since, then, Eliud abused the words of Job and was eager to impose on him what he himself did not think or had not expressed in his words, it is clear that the whole subsequent discussion was not against Job. Yet since Eliud thought Job …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and show yourselves to be intelligent by assenting to this which I say." And this is that which he says, That the righteous God never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of his creatures, but his ways are equal, ours are unequal.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
): Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from us that we should entertain the least suspicion of it or say any thing that looks like charging him with it. How evidently it is proved by two arguments: 1.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Far be it from God - Rather, Wickedness, far be that from God; and from iniquity, the Almighty. The sense is sufficiently evident without the paraphrase in our version.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The true answer to Job, which God follows up (Job 38:1-41). Man is to believe God's ways are right, because they are His, not because we fully see they are so (Ro 9:14;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Therefore hearken unto me - Elihu proceeds now to reply to what he regarded as the erroneous sentiments of Job, and to show the impropriety of language which reflected so much on God and his government. Instead, however, of meeting the facts in the case, and showing how the actual course of events could be reconciled with justice, he resolves it all into a matter of sovereignty, and maintains that it is wrong to doubt the rectitude of the dealings of one so mighty as God. In this he pursues the same course substantially which the friends of Job had done, and does little more to solve the real difficulties in the case than they had. The facts to which Job had referred are scarcely adverted to; the perplexing questions are still unsolved, and the amount of all that Elihu says is, that God is a sovereign, and that there must be an improper spirit when people presume to pronounce on his dealings. Ye men of understanding - Margin, as in Hebrew men of “heart.” The word heart is used here as it was uniformly among the Hebrews; the Jewish view of physiology being that the heart was the seat of all the mental operations. They never speak of the head as the seat of the intellect, as we do. The meaning here is, that Elihu regarded them as sages, qualified to comprehend and appreciate the truth on the subject under discussion. Far be it from God - Hebrew חלילה châlı̂ylâh - “profane, unholy.” It is an expression of abhorrence, as if the thing proposed were profane or unholy: 1Sa 20:2; Gen 18:25; Jos 24:16. The meaning here is, that the very idea that God would do wrong, or could patronize iniquity, was a profane conception, and was not to be tolerated for a moment. This is true enough, and in this general sentiment, no doubt, Job would himself have concurred.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֤ן׀ | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י | ʾanashei | O people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| לֵבָ֗ב | levav | heart | H3824 → | 252 times |
| שִׁמְע֫וּ | shimu | listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לִ֥י | li | to me | ||
| חָלִ֖לָה | chalilah | far be it | H2486 → | |
| לָאֵ֥ל | lael | to <the> God | H410 → | 241 times |
| מֵרֶ֗שַׁע | meresha' | from wickedness | H7562 → | 30 times |
| וְשַׁדַּ֥י | veshadai | and [the] Almighty | H7706 → | 48 times |
| מֵעָֽוֶל׃ | meavel | from unrighteousness | H5766 → | 54 times |
לָכֵ֤ן׀<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥יO people of
ʾanasheiH582 →566 times
לֵבָ֗בheart
levavH3824 →252 times
שִׁמְע֫וּlisten
shimuH8085 →1159 times
לִ֥יto me
li
חָלִ֖לָהfar be it
chalilahH2486 →
לָאֵ֥לto <the> God
laelH410 →241 times
מֵרֶ֗שַׁעfrom wickedness
meresha'H7562 →30 times
וְשַׁדַּ֥יand [the] Almighty
veshadaiH7706 →48 times
מֵעָֽוֶל׃from unrighteousness
meavelH5766 →54 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 32:4He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
it leads to
- Psalms 92:15
to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 18:30–31
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
- Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
- Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in…
- Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalms 92:15
Through
2 Chronicles 19:7And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 18:25
Far 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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
Through
Romans 9:14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 19:7
And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7
About Job
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXIV; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.