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Job 35

Job 35

The big picture

Job 35 opens in verse 1 with “Elihu spake moreover, and said,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of…”, and closes in verse 16 with “Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.” Repeated or prominent terms include answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Job · King James Version · 16

Job 35:1-8

1–8: Elihu spake moreover, and said,

Job 35:1–8 opens with “Elihu spake moreover, and said,” and reaches “Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 35 develops its own movement around answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason, with particular weight carried by doest, profit, righteousness.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Elihu spake moreover, and said,” By verse 4, the text has turned to “I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.” It lands on “Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 4 questions, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as doest, profit, righteousness, saidst, advantage, answer tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Job 35 develops its own movement around answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Elihu, God, Look, Thinkest, Thy. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: doest, profit, righteousness, saidst, advantage, answer

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Job 35:1

    “Elihu spake moreover, and said,” Naming Elihu keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Job 35:2

    “Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  3. Job 35:3

    “For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  4. Job 35:4

    “I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.” The line’s distinctive content terms include answer, companions. Its relationship to verses 3 and 5 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Job 35:5

    “Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.” Naming Look keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Job 35:6

    “If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  7. Job 35:7

    “If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  8. Job 35:8

    “Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.” Naming Thy keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Job 35:1-8

King James Version

1Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

3For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

4I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

5Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

6If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

8Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Job 35:9-16

9–16: By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to…

Job 35:9–16 opens with “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason…” and reaches “Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job 35 develops its own movement around answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason, with particular weight carried by giveth, reason, Almighty.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by…” By verse 12, the text has turned to “There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.” It lands on “Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 question, 3 stated contrasts, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as giveth, reason, Almighty, anger, answer, beasts tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Job 35 develops its own movement around answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Almighty, Although, Job, Surely. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 11: “Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: giveth, reason, Almighty, anger, answer, beasts

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Job 35:9

    “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include reason, mighty, multitude. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Job 35:10

    “But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  3. Job 35:11

    “Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  4. Job 35:12

    “There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.” The line’s distinctive content terms include answer, evil, giveth. Its relationship to verses 11 and 13 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Job 35:13

    “Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.” Naming Almighty keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Job 35:14

    “Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.” Naming Although keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  7. Job 35:15

    “But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:” The line’s distinctive content terms include anger, extremity, knoweth. Its relationship to verses 14 and 16 shows what work it does in this passage.

  8. Job 35:16

    “Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

Job 35:9-16

King James Version

9By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

15But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

16Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Job 35?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Job 35 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Job 35 develops its own movement around answer, doest, giveth, profit, reason?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?