Job 35:12
in Job 35There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
KJV
There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
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This verse in Job 35
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThere they will cry, and He will not hear, because of the pride of evil men. There; namely, in tribulation: as it is written on the other hand of joy, The children of thy servants shall inhabit there. [Ps. 102, 28] But it seems doubtful whether he says, Because of the pride of evil men He will not hear, or, they will cry because of the pride of evil men. But it can be better understood, if they are rather said not to be heard, than to cry out, because of the pride of evil men.
This site's exposition
There they cry out, but He does not answer
on Job 35:12-13
Elihu explains the silence: “There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men”. Henry notes Elihu grants real oppression and explains why one cry goes unheard, since pride corrupts the prayer. Wesley reads verse 13 as a general rule for all men.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Because of the pride of humanity," that is, they are reproved for the pride and arrogance that they show before their neighbors. And God will not hear the vain cries of proud people.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Since God hates evil and good pleases him, he hears the oppressed when they cry out, and does not hear the oppressors. So he says, "They will cry out," i.e. calumniators and tyrants seeking the fulfillment of their desires from God, "and he will not …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is because of the pride of evil men; they are evil men; they regard iniquity in their hearts, and therefore God will not hear their prayers, Ps. lxvi. God hears not such sinners. They have, it may be, brought themselves into trouble by their own wickedness; they are the devil's poor; and then who can pity them?
There they cry,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
There they cry - They bewail their calamities, but sorrow not for the cause of them; they cry against their oppressors, but they call not upon God. Because of the pride of evil men - Or מפני mippeney, from the face, presence, or influence, of the pride of wicked men. They cry for deliverance from the pride of wicked men; but they are not heard, because they cry not to God.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
There--rather, "Then" (when none humbly casts himself on God, Job 35:10). They cry proudly against God, rather than humbly to God. So, as the design of affliction is to humble the sufferer, there can be no answer until "pride" gives place to humble, penitent prayer (Ps 10:4;
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
There they cry - They cry out in the language of complaint, but not for mercy. Because of the pride of evil men - That is, of their own pride. The pride of men so rebellious, and so disposed to complain of God, is the reason why they do not appeal to him to sustain them and give them relief. This is still as true as it was in the time of Elihu. The pride of the heart, even in affliction, is the true reason with multitudes why they do not appeal to God, and why they do not pray. They have valued themselves on their independence of spirit. They have been accustomed to rely on their own resources. They have been unwilling to recognize their dependence on any being whatever. Even in their trials, the heart is too wicked to acknowledge God, and they would be ashamed to be known to do what they regard as so weak a thing as “to pray.” Hence, they complain in their afflictions; they linger on in their sufferings without consolation, and then die without hope. However inapplicable, therefore, this solution of the difficulty may have been to the case of Job, it is “not” inapplicable to the case of multitudes of sufferers. “Many of the afflicted have no peace or consolation in their trials - no ‘songs in the night’ - because they are too proud to pray!”
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
There they cry out And see that there the poor cry out because of the pride of those who oppress them, and He does not answer, for..
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Who teaches us He teaches us more wisdom than [He does] the beasts; i.e., He esteemed us and made us greater than the beasts and the birds.
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. 5 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
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁ֣ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| יִ֭צְעֲקוּ | yitzaku | they cry out | H6817 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲנֶ֑ה | yaaneh | he answers | H6030 → | 331 times |
| מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| גְּא֣וֹן | geon | [the] pride of | H1347 → | 49 times |
| רָעִֽים׃ | raim | wicked [people] | H7451 → | 662 times |
שָׁ֣םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
יִ֭צְעֲקוּthey cry out
yitzakuH6817 →
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲנֶ֑הhe answers
yaanehH6030 →331 times
מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
גְּא֣וֹן[the] pride of
geonH1347 →49 times
רָעִֽים׃wicked [people]
raimH7451 →662 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
John 9:31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 3:4
Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Proverbs 28:9
Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Isaiah 1:15
Through
Proverbs 1:28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
it leads to
- Zechariah 7:13
And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- James 4:3
And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
- Jeremiah 11:11
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.
- Zechariah 7:13
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON JOB 35:12-13; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXVI; 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.