Job 34:12
in Job 34Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
KJV
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
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This verse in Job 34
Commentary
7 notes on this verseFor truly God will not condemn without cause, nor will the Almighty subvert judgment. The Lord said to the devil, Thou hast moved Me against him to afflict him without cause. [Job 2, 3] But Eliu says, That the Lord will not condemn without cause. A statement which is believed to be at variance with the words of Truth, unless weighed with careful consideration. For to condemn is one thing, to afflict another. He afflicts therefore in some respect without cause, but does not condemn without cause.
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.
This site's exposition
the Almighty does not pervert justice
Albert Barnes notes that Elihu repeats verse 10 with the Hebrew word surely. God does no wickedness, and the Almighty never perverts justice. Gregory the Dialogist weighs this against Job 2:3, where Job was afflicted without cause, and says God may afflict a man without condemning him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It is a truth which none can deny or call in question; it is what we may take for granted and are all agreed in, That God will not do wickedly. With an abhorrence of the very thought of the contrary (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly,....
He will never either do any man wrong or deny any man right, but the heavens will shortly declare his righteousness. Because he is God, and therefore is infinitely perfect and holy, he can neither do wrong himself nor countenance it in others, nay more than he can die, or lie, or deny himself.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly - So important does Elihu hold this principle to be, that he repeats it, and dwells upon it. He says, “it surely (אמנם 'omnâm) must be so.” The principle must be held at all hazards, and no opinion which contravenes this should be indulged for one moment. His ground of complaint against Job was, that he had not held fast to this principle, but, under the pressure of his sufferings, had indulged in remarks which implied that God might do wrong.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Who gave Him a charge over the earth Who rules over Him, saying, ‘Why did You do so?’ or ‘I did not command You so’? For who gave Him a charge over His dominion, and why should He find pretexts for His creatures?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַף־ | ʾaf- | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| אָמְנָ֗ם | ʾamenam | truly | H551 → | 9 times |
| אֵ֥ל | ʾel | God | H410 → | 241 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ | yarshia' | he acts wickedly | H7561 → | 34 times |
| וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י | veshadai | and [the] Almighty | H7706 → | 48 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְעַוֵּ֥ת | yeavet | he perverts | H5791 → | 11 times |
| מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | mishpat | justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
אַף־also
ʾaf-H637 →134 times
אָמְנָ֗םtruly
ʾamenamH551 →9 times
אֵ֥לGod
ʾelH410 →241 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַרְשִׁ֑יעַhe acts wickedly
yarshia'H7561 →34 times
וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗יand [the] Almighty
veshadaiH7706 →48 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְעַוֵּ֥תhe perverts
yeavetH5791 →11 times
מִשְׁפָּֽט׃justice
mishpatH4941 →422 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
Psalms 145:17The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
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 2 separate paths from here.
- Zephaniah 3:5
The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.
- Psalms 103:6
The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
Through
Psalms 11:7For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.
it leads to
- Revelation 22:4
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
- Psalms 17:15
As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.
- 1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Psalms 45:7
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.
- 1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as…
- Revelation 22:4
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Justice34 verses
About Job
This page draws on 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.