the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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King James Version
Job 34:29
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But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation.
When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike:
When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether [it is done] to a nation, or to man:
But if God keeps quiet, who can blame him? If he hides his face, who can see him? God still rules over both nations and persons alike.
But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike,
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only:
When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man:
"When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him], Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—
When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?—
For whanne he grauntith pees, who is that condempneth? Sithen he hidith his cheer, who is that seeth hym? And on folkis and on alle men `he hath power `to do siche thingis.
But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
When God does nothing, can any person or nation find fault with him?
When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:
Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English.
"But if God is silent, who can accuse him; if he hides his face, who can see him? He may do this to nations and persons alike,
When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;
But if God decides not to help them, no one can judge him guilty. If he hides himself, no one can find him. He is the ruler over every person and nation.
When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him?
When he giueth quietnesse, who then can make trouble? and when hee hideth his face, who then can beholde him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man onely:
When He keeps quiet, who can say He is wrong? When He hides His face, who can see Him? But He is over both nation and man.
When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or an individual?—
And when he giueth quietnesse, who can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can beholde him, whether it be vpon nations, or vpon a man onely?
When he forgives, who then can condemn? And when he turns his face away, who can forgive the people, or mankind altogether?
If God decided to do nothing at all, no one could criticize him. If he hid his face, we would be helpless.
When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth his face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
For when he granteth peace, who is there that can condemn? When he hideth his countenance, who is there that can behold him, whether it regard nations, or all men?
When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man? --
When he geueth quietnesse, who can make trouble? and when he hydeth his face, who can beholde him? whether it be vpon nations, or vpo one man onely:
And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man also:
But when God is silent, who can declare him guilty?When he hides his face, who can see him?Yet he watches over both individuals and nations,
When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man:
but he remains quiet, and who can condemn? And he hides his face, and who can behold him? Yet he is over a nation and over a person alike,
And He gives rest; who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him? Even it may be against a nation and a man together,
And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.
Yf he delyuer & graunte pardo, who will iudge or condemne? But yf he hyde awaye his countenaunce, who wil turne it aboute agayne, whether it be to the people or to eny man?
"If God is silent, what's that to you? If he turns his face away, what can you do about it? But whether silent or hidden, he's there, ruling, so that those who hate God won't take over and ruin people's lives.
When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?—
When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?--
When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?—
So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him?He is above both nation and man altogether,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
When he giveth: Job 29:1-3, 2 Samuel 7:1, Isaiah 14:3-8, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 32:17, John 14:27, Romans 8:31-34, Philippians 4:7
when he hideth: Job 23:8, Job 23:9, Psalms 13:1, Psalms 27:9, Psalms 30:7, Psalms 143:7
who then can behold: Job 12:14, Job 23:13
whether: 2 Kings 18:9-12, 2 Chronicles 36:14-17, Jeremiah 27:8
Reciprocal: Exodus 14:24 - and troubled Deuteronomy 32:20 - I will hide 2 Samuel 7:11 - have caused 1 Kings 17:4 - I have commanded 1 Chronicles 22:9 - I will give peace 2 Chronicles 14:6 - the Lord 2 Chronicles 15:15 - the Lord 2 Chronicles 20:30 - his God Nehemiah 12:43 - God Job 5:6 - trouble Job 9:12 - he taketh Job 11:10 - If he cut off Psalms 10:1 - hidest Psalms 23:2 - still waters Psalms 102:2 - Hide Psalms 104:29 - hidest Psalms 147:15 - sendeth Ecclesiastes 1:15 - crooked Ecclesiastes 7:13 - who Ecclesiastes 9:11 - but Isaiah 43:13 - I will work Isaiah 45:7 - I make Peace Jeremiah 30:13 - hast Jeremiah 30:15 - thy sorrow Daniel 3:17 - our God Daniel 4:35 - none Hosea 6:1 - he hath torn Jonah 1:13 - but Haggai 1:11 - I called Zechariah 6:1 - and the Malachi 1:4 - They shall build John 16:22 - and your Acts 5:39 - if Romans 8:34 - Who
Gill's Notes on the Bible
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?.... Quietness or peace is of God; external peace to bodies of men, to communities, civil and religious, and to particular persons; quietness and contentment in outward enjoyments, peace and safety at home, and from enemies abroad; inward spiritual peace, this is of God, is in Christ, and from him; is the fruit of his righteousness, spoke by his blood, comes through faith in Christ, and is enjoyed in his ordinances, and continues as long as it is the pleasure of God to give it, and cannot be disturbed by men or devils; a national peace, when God gives it, cannot be broke in upon; nor the peace of churches, though there are always some inclined to be troublers of the Israel of God; nor the peace of particular persons, not their outward peace and quietness, when God sets an hedge of providence about them; nor their inward peace, not by all the afflictions and persecutions they meet with in the world; nor by all the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of their own hearts. The Targum is, "who shall condemn?" and so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; when God acquits, absolves, and justifies men, who can condemn them? see Romans 8:33. When God pronounces the sentence of justification by the righteousness of Christ in the conscience of a sinner, it produces peace solid and substantial, and this being done, who shall condemn? or of what avail will their condemnation be? whether of the law, or of Satan, or of the world, or of themselves, of their own hearts;
and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only; whether God hides his face from a nation, as he sometimes did from the nation of Israel, because of their sins; when he would not hear their prayers, nor assist them against their enemies, nor arise for their help and deliverance out of their hands: or from his church and people, his spiritual Jacob and Israel, as when they complain, their way is hid from the Lord, and the Lord has forgotten and forsaken them; or from particular persons, as from David, Heman, and others; and who, of the Lord's people, but at one time or another are under the hidings of his face? and then there is no finding him, no looking to him with comfort and confidence; no looking into and beholding the works and ways of God, and the causes of his dealings with them; these are out of sight, his ways are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known. Some refer this to men; who will show favour to him whom God frowns upon? who will look at him in a pleasant manner, when God hides his face from him?
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
When he giveth quietness - That is, when God designs to give rest, comfort, ease, or prosperity in any way to a man. The Hebrew word used here may refer to any kind of ease, rest, or peace. The idea which Elihu intends to convey is, that God has all things under his control, and that he can bring prosperity or adversity upon an individual or a nation at his own pleasure.
Who then can make trouble? - literally, âWho can condemn, or hold guiltyâ - ×רש××¢ yaraÌshaâ. The sense is, that no one can overwhelm him with the consciousness of guilt, to whom God intends to give the peace resulting from his favor and friendship. Or, no one can bring calamities upon a man âas ifâ he were guilty, or so as to âshowâ that he is guilty, when God intends to treat him as if he were not. This is as true now as it was in the time of Elihu. When God designs to give peace to a manâs soul, and to impart to him the evidence that his sins are forgiven, there is no one who can excite in his mind the conviction of guilt, or take away the comfort that God gives. When he designs to âtreatâ a man as if he were his friend, and to impart to him such evidences of his favor as shall convince the world that he is his friend, there is no one who can prevent it. No one can so calumniate him, or so prejudice the world against him, or so arrest the descending tokens of the divine favor, as to turn back the proof of the favor of God; compare Proverbs 16:7.
And when he hideth his face - To âhide the face,â is a common expression in the Scriptures to denote calamity, distress, and the lack of spiritual comfort, as the expression âto lift up the light of the countenanceâ is a common phrase to denote the opposite; compare Job 13:24.
Who then can behold him? - An expression denoting that no one can then have cheering and elevating views of God. No one can then have those clear conceptions of his character and government which will give peace to the soul. âThisâ is also as true now as it was in the time of Elihu. We are dependent on God himself for any just views of his own character, for any elevating and purifying conceptions of his government and plans, and for any consolation flowing in upon our souls from the evidence that he is our friend.
Whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only - The same truth pertains to nations and to individuals. The same laws respecting the sources of peace and happiness apply to both. Both are alike dependent on God, and neither can secure permanent peace and prosperity without him. Both are alike at his sovereign disposal; and neither can originate permanent sources of prosperity. This, too, is as true now as it was in the time of Elihu. Nations are more prone to forget it than individuals are, but still it is a great truth which should never be forgotten, that neither have power to originate or perpetuate the means of happiness, but that both are alike dependent on God.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 34:29. When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? — How beautiful is this sentiment, and how true! He ever acts as a sovereign, but his actions are all wise and just. If he give quietness, who dares to give trouble? And if he give to every human being the right to worship himself according to their conscience, for the director of which he gives both his word and his Spirit, who shall dare to say to another, "Thou shalt worship God in my way, or not at all;" or, through a pretended liberality, say, "Thou shalt be tolerated to worship him so and so;" and even that toleration be shackled and limited?
Reader, thou hast as much right to tolerate another's mode of worship as he has to tolerate thine: or, in other words, neither of you have any such right at all; the pretension is as absurd as it is wicked.
If, however, there be any thing in the religious practice of any particular people that is inimical, by fair construction, to the peace of the country, then the civil power may interfere, as they ought to do in all cases of insurrection; but let no such inference be drawn when not most obviously flowing from the practice of the people, and the principles they profess; and when solemnly disclaimed by the persons in question. Whatever converts sinners from the error of their ways must be good to society and profitable to the state.
Whether it be done against a nation — He defends and supports nations or individuals howsoever weak, against their enemies, howsoever numerous and powerful. He destroys nations or individuals who have filled up the measure of their political or moral iniquity, though all other nations and individuals stand up in their support.
