Job 35:13
Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.
BSB
ASV
Surely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it.
KJV
Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
For God will not hear without reason, and the Almighty will behold the causes of men one by one. We must observe that two points are stated: both that He does not hear without reason him, who cries to Him, and yet regards his sufferings; and pretends not to hear his cry, and still is not ignorant what each one suffers. Let no one, then, who is not speedily heard, believe that he is not cared for by God's providence.
Surely God will not hear vanity - A vain, hollow, heartless petition. The object of Elihu here is to account for the reason why sufferers are not relieved - having his eye, doubtless, on the case of Job as one of the most remarkable of the kind. The solution which he here gives of the difficulty is, that it is not consistent for God to hear a prayer where there is no sincerity.
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).
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
Proverbs 15:29The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
leads to
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.
Through
James 4:3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
leads to
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
Through
Isaiah 1:15When 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.
leads to
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 independent paths from here.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
leads to
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.