Job 34:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If you have not been encouraged, listen closely, O Job, and pay attention to the essence of the words. Consider this: do you believe that the One who detests wickedness and annihilates the unrighteous, who is eternal, is unjust? Have you witnessed this? He would not presume to draw such a conclusion. In profound reverence, he avoided that expression. His justice should be deduced not solely from His creation and authority but also intrinsically from His very nature and His deeds. He despises evil and cherishes humanity. Unlike us, who refrain from wrongdoing not out of a true aversion to vice but from a dread of impending punishment. From where does this fear arise? It stems from the fact that He loathes iniquity and declares the eternal destruction of the wicked.

Believing firmly that Job cannot dispute the validity of his assertions, Elihu takes the opportunity to closely analyze Job's claim that the Lord punishes him unjustly. He demonstrates that this view of God is at odds with our understanding of Him as the sovereign Sustainer of the universe. If the Lord were to act with favoritism or inequity, the world would lack the order we observe, and He would not deter evil from those who reject the truth. Ultimately, God's omniscience and might, combined with His compassion for those wronged, underline His righteousness. Thus, humanity is called to submit to God's divine will. Elihu encourages a reevaluation of Job's perspective in order to bring about correction.